Fiesta Hopper three days at five parks May 26-28

BY Aprile McKinnon

Chalk Fiesta Hopper as something positive that came out of the pandemic.

Unable to gather in one place, the massive Fiesta Day parade and related events Canyon Lake held annually needed to get spread out, be outside and be COVID-19 friendly. The Canyon Lake POA got creative and utilized its amenities around the community and came up with Park Hopper. Thousands were able to participate again.

Park Hopper’s success bred something even greater and bigger than the previous 45 years of Fiesta Day. The holiday celebration is now three days and includes dozens of activities at each of five parks.

The iconic event, now called Fiesta Hopper, will include all that Fiesta Day has always included, but has added a bunch more. Well over 10,000 come into the lake over the Memorial Day Weekend. It begins this year on May 26, a Friday, and runs through Sunday, leaving the holiday on Monday for family parties and fun.

Friday Flyer File Photo

Fiesta Hopper will be held at five locations throughout the community: The Lodge, Holiday Harbor, Eastport, Indian Beach and Sierra Park. The goal is to bring together family, friends, and neighbors and give them myriad things to do over the holiday weekend, including an old-fashioned parade, entertainment, food and more.

Festivities include a petting zoo, carnival booths, waterslides, cornhole, dunk tank, face painters, rockwall, reptile show, ferris wheel, spiderwall, tubs ride, and vendor booths. Vendor Booths are handled by different clubs and others at various locations and are still available. The cost for a vendor booth is $75 for a 12 x 12 space. Each vendor is allowed a maximum of three booths. More information on purchasing a booth is available on the POA website at www.canyonlakepoa.com/fiesta-participate.

The parade will take place on May 27 at 9:00 a.m.

The starting point will be Mayflower Drive and Canyon Lake Drive North. The parade will make its way down Canyon Lake Drive North and turn right on Vacation Drive.

Staging streets and parade routes will be closed to through traffic. Staging starts at 7:00 a.m.

To participate in the parade applications are due no later than May 15. Parade information is available at www.canyonlakepoa.com/fiesta-parade.