The Orange International Street Fair will return to the city’s historic plaza this Labor Day weekend, bringing tens of thousands of visitors for live music and food from all around the world.
The three-day event, which will run from Friday, Aug. 29, to Sunday, Aug. 31, is expected to draw up to 400,000 attendees, according to organizers. Proceeds from food and alcohol sales go directly to the local nonprofits that run the booths and help man the fair; it is a key fundraiser for many school and community groups.
This year, alcohol service and live entertainment will run later, until 9:30 p.m. The theme is “Tradition never gets old.”
Adam Feliz, president of the Orange International Street Fair, said the theme celebrates the event’s long history.
“The reason for that is because this is such a big tradition, and no matter how long we’re doing it, it just never gets old, it’s always renewed for us,” he said. “It’s always something that we appreciate doing.”
Founded in 1973, the fair has become one of Orange’s largest annual events. The 2025 fair will feature 14 international “streets,” each themed around a country or region and operated by local nonprofits, as well as a “Children Street.” Booths that can be found on the streets around the traffic circle will serve everything from beignets to gyros to lobster balls.
For Mayor Dan Slater, the fair is more than just a city event. A third-generation Orange resident, Slater first wandered into the fair as a high schooler at Orange Lutheran, sneaking over with friends during a lunch break.
“I don’t think I’ve missed a year since,” Slater said. “I’m 66 and that would have been when I was probably 17.”
For years, Slater said his go-to stop was the barbecue beef sandwiches at St. Paul Lutheran Church’s booth. With that booth now gone, he said Greek Street has become his new favorite.
“I love gyro. That’s a popular one. I’ll eat several at every street fair,” Slater said, referring to the Greek wrap of spiced meat, fresh veggies and tangy tzatziki sauce, all tucked into a warm pita.
Slater said he thinks the Orange Street Fair is the “best signature event” that the city helps sponsor.
“I know the tree lighting people are going to be upset with me, but I mean, it’s the most well attended, clearly, and it’s something that brings the city together on Labor Day weekend every year,” he said. “And people throughout Orange reconnect at the street fair. High schools, neighborhoods … almost everyone knows your name.”
Slater said he’ll spend much of the weekend at his “Ask the Mayor” booth, fielding questions that in the past have ranged from neighborhood nuisances, “How do I get my neighbor to get rid of their roosters? They’re annoying me,” to traffic issues, “How do I get a stop sign installed?”
And while the booths and entertainment have stayed pretty consistent over the years, there have been some shifts. The Phoenix Club of Anaheim once hosted German Street before stepping away, and now Orange Lutheran High School runs it “very successfully,” Slater noted. But the fair’s predictability is part of its draw.
“It really is about the same thing every year, which is what people love, is exactly what Orange wants and loves,” he said.
That consistency is no accident, said Feliz.
“A lot of people that grew up in the city, moved to various states — I know a couple of people that have moved all the way to Florida — fly back in just to attend this event every year. So there’s a lot of people that grew up in the area who want to come back to the event because they appreciate the community atmosphere,” he said. “It’s a homecoming for them, where they get to see friends and family that they haven’t seen all year.”
Music is as much a draw as the food, with longtime local acts such as The Fenians returning alongside newer groups, including the Party Punks, who debuted last year. There is a main stage and seven stages scattered among the international streets.
The fair’s organizing group has expanded its role in Orange traditions, taking on two additional events the city previously funded but could no longer because of budget constraints: Treats in the Streets and the annual choir procession and tree lighting, Feliz said.
“We’re going to be re-envisioning both of those events, incorporating the traditional elements,” he said.
To learn more about what food options will be available and the full schedule of performances, visit the Orange International Street Fair’s website at orangestreetfair.org.