The weather cooperated last weekend as Foster City held its 38th Annual Arts and Wine Festival. With no admission fee the price was right, especially during these budget-conscious times.
Families roamed Foster City’s central park and civic center. Shell Boulevard, which bisects the heart of the city, was closed to cars. Toddlers grinned as their parents bribed them with cotton candy and ice cream to encourage acquiescent behavior.
The knick-knacks, food, and rides were overpriced, but since many of the booths represented worthy causes I didn’t mind throwing a few shekels their way. Newspapers such as the NY Times and San Mateo County Times were hawking heavily discounted subscriptions. Are they now charity cases too?
We arrived early and parked across the street at Wells Fargo before the guards closed the parking lot. We’re entitled. We’re customers as well as shareholders. Easy rationalization and justification, thy name is man.
I retreated to Starbucks and web-surfed while the youngster continued to hang out at the fair. It was a win-win for each of us; I had had enough sun while his coolness standing with his peers went up with a parent no longer in tow.
When we arrived at home, he logged in to Facebook and Twitter to see what everyone else thought of the Festival. Newspapers may be dying, but reporting is growing by leaps and bounds. © 2009 Stephen Yuen
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