Every year, Carlsbad hosts the Village Fair, better known to locals as the street fair. Booths line the streets of downtown Carlsbad as herds of people show up to shop, socialize and enjoy the SoCal weather. Some find this event enjoyable and return every year. Personally, I don’t see the point.

Walking up and down the rows of vendors reveals that everything for sale seems junky or useless. The quality of products is just not worth the money. For example, every year simple braided friendship bracelets are abundant at the fair and sold for $4.00 and up. Now, I am certain that I could make a bracelet just as well for more like 75 cents. So, really, people are paying way too much for nothing great.

Along with that, some things seem like a scam. Vendors are always trying to dupe people into buying their “miracle” solutions. These include products like ShamWow. The booth operator gives a stunning presentation in an attempt to draw in potential buyers and convince them that the product really works. These flashy displays are solely to scam the buyers and I feel bad for anyone who falls victim to them and wastes even more money.

Furthermore, the range of products leaves something to be desired. It usually goes something like this: candle booth, sunglass booth, figurines, Rasta jewelry, candle booth, sunglass booth, figurines, and so on. Now what is the point of having the exact same things over and over again?

Possibly the worst aspect of the street fair is the ridiculous crowds. Walking down the streets, patrons are frequently cut off, or worse, face shoving and must avoid being run over by strollers. Having to push your way through masses of people takes away any fun shoppers might have at the street fair and makes for an even worse experience.

Now, after all of this, why would anyone want to return? The street fair might be tolerable once, but I cannot wrap my head around why people are so excited about attending every single year.