By any measure, Friday, October 6, was a very successful day for Friends of Bates Beach at its Avocado Festival booth in Carpinteria. Our new location in the high-traffic area brought us many visitors, almost all supportive and enthusiastic about our being there, and we collected nearly 300 names and emails through our raffle.
Then came 7:30 a.m. the following morning. I was awoken by a phone call from the Festival director, informing me that she had received two complaints that we were “soliciting minors” by allowing them to spin our prize wheel. 🪐
'Friends of Bates Beach' Avocado Fest booth removed after complaint