The figures are still rough, but Orange International Street Fair Committee members estimate that 350,000 to 400,000 individuals attended the event this year, the 36th annual one.

 That’s just about the same as last year’s attendance.
 
However, a solid estimate is lacking for now; the numbers will be announced no later than at next month’s committee meeting.
 
According to Mike Winger, the committee’s president, the panel relies solely on the Orange Police Department for attendance estimates.
 
He gathers that they count the people per a certain square footage several times per day and then multiply by the area covered by the fair.

OrangeCityWatch.com will pass along the final figure when it becomes available.

– Rachelle Yeung

In between chomps of gyro, fistfuls of kettle corn and gulps of beer and lemonade, Street Fair attendees can give their mouths a break and put their minds to work.

Or at least that’s what three of the fair’s booths hope.

Representing the Republican, Democrat and Libertarian parties, all three booths’ groups hoped to educate fair-goers on political issues and to register voters.

According to Reggie Mundekis, 46, of the Central Orange Democrat Club, who sponsored a booth, the fair was an easy way to reach half a million people in two and a half days.

“It’s very cost effective,” she said.

Health care was a main concern of people who stopped by, Mundekis said.

“People have been very understanding. They know that if it was easy, it would have been done by now,” she said.

The other parties also mentioned that health care seemed to be big on the mind of the politically inclined.

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Walk south along Glassell Steet from the Circle and you are entering the domain of Orange High School’s baseball team.

For more than 10 years, the baseball team has been working trash duty on this stretch of the Street Fair.

 The fair is one of the Panther’s biggest fundraising events of the year, bringing in $2,500 from the sanitation department, said Kathleen Kelly, coordinator of events and fundraising at Orange High.

“This kicks off our year,” Kelly said. “We wouldn’t have a baseball program if it wasn’t for this [event].”

While the team must comply with strict sanitation department rules—no trash overflow and extra bags at the bottom of the bins—the players must also deal with rowdy crowds.

“It’s harder as the night goes on,” said junior catcher, Khol Kelly, 16. “[The streets are] overcrowded and they won’t move.”

The night also sees an upswing in the amount of trash, with the boys going out six or seven times to empty the trash until beer sales cease at 9 p.m., Kelly said.

It may be a tiring job, but ultimately it is an enjoyable time, said junior pitcher Kyle Baird, 16.

“You get to chill with all your friends,” he said.

With or without trash, what could be better than that?

– Ian Lausa