She’s 86.
And there’s no stopping her.
For the past 42 years, Adelaida Mendez has sold cascarone — confetti-filled eggs — along State Street during Santa Barbara’s Old Spanish Days Fiesta celebration.
Her eggs range from the simple to amazing. There are multi-colored eggs, and the solid silver and gold. She sells more elaborate ones with the Superman logo, penguins, sharks, Pikachu, ice cream cones, and cactus. There’s also an egg that is an homage to Kobe Bryant, Mendez’s favorite basketball player.
She even has a tray of special eggs with the face of Santa Barbara journalist John Palminteri, although those are not for sale. They are gifts to Palminteri every year.
“Every time I come up with a different idea, I just put them on the egg,” Mendez said. “When everybody is happy, that is when I am happy.”
Mendez and her son, Henry, decorate their stand near the corner of State and De la Guerra streets, across from Paseo Nuevo mall. They arrive about 6 a.m. to set up, after taking the stand down at 9 every night during Fiesta.
It’s their ritual. They love it and are the longest-standing locals on the street.
While other vendors come from Tijuana, San Francisco and Los Angeles, the Mendez family takes pride in getting permitted from the city every year to sell the creatively designed eggs. Dozens of egg vendors set up on State Street and side blocks during Fiesta. The city doesn’t know how many egg vendors there are, or how many are not permitted.
The Mendez family has made 4,500 eggs this year and hopes to sell them all. Some are four for $1, while the more elaborate ones are more expensive. They start a week after Fiesta is over to prepare for the following year.
They buy the eggs from restaurants locally and in Los Angeles, and they save the ones they use in their home.
Also part of the team is granddaughter Jennifer Martinez, who helps all year to clean and decorate the eggs.
“It is amazing,” she said. “I love chatting with all the people, my friends and family.”
Henry Mendez, who is a general contractor, said the business started with his grandmother. His mother came here from Puerto Rico as an adult. She worked at the old St. Francis Medical Center as a housekeeper, before getting a job working for a family in Montecito.
Some days, Adelaida Mendez spends six hours filling and decorating the eggs.
“I feel really relaxed when I do it,” she said. “I mix the colors, I do different designs. I am happy when I do that because I want to express myself to people.”
White Caps Beach Club Opens in Funk Zone
White Caps Beach Club has opened in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone.
The restaurant sells wild-caught Maine lobster rolls, lobster mac ‘n’ cheese, Maryland crab sliders and other items.
“We are officially open in the Funk Zone!! 120 E Yanonali Street,” they posted on Instagram.
It is open from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
Gene McKnight to lead Village Properties Commercial Group
Longtime Santa Barbara commercial real estate professional Gene McKnight has been named director of Village Properties Commercial Group, a new division Village Properties.
In his new role, McKnight is charged with growing the division’s specialized services for clients seeking to purchase or sell commercial properties, including local multi-family, retail, office and medical, as well as triple-net-lease investments nationwide, a news release stated.
McKnight began his real estate career with Grubb & Ellis Commercial Real Estate in 1985, and joined Santa Barbara-based Pacifica Commercial Realty in 1992, serving as associate vice president.
He has served the Santa Barbara Downtown Organization as board president and on the City of Santa Barbara’s Downtown Parking Committee.
Original Kinko’s Building Sold
Caitlin Hensel, a commercial real estate broker for Hayes Commercial Group, announced that 6521 Pardall Road, the site of the original Kinko’s, which was eventually purchased by FedEx, has been sold.
The list price was $1.5 million.
The property most recently was the site of Social Eats.
“We had multiple offers, and the property traded over-ask to a local restaurateur who plans to bring something exciting to our beloved college town,” Hensel said.
