The Downtown Buzz: Gearing Up for Another Classic San Clemente Summer

By Julie Heinze

Now that our downtown sidewalks are humming with flip-flops and the sweet, sweet sound of friends reconnecting, we at the San Clemente Downtown Business Association are busy planning events and promotions to help fuel a speedy recovery.

First, the San Clemente Car Show is right around the bend. Returning on Sept. 11, the legendary SC Car Show features amazing cars, a live band, great food, slot cars, a scavenger hunt and good, old-fashioned family fun.

Don’t miss the U.S. Marines Color Guard and 9/11 Ceremony at 10 a.m. If you don’t know the difference between a Street Rod and a Hot Rod, or a Cobra and a Barracuda, you need to be here. The show is free to the public, so hop on the trolley or SCHS shuttle for a “classic” downtown day.

Our winners-circle of SC Car Show partner sponsors include Ford Motor Co., Tuttle-Click Capistrano Ford, Nissan SJC, Capistrano VW, Capistrano Mazda, Porsche Irvine, Avila’s El Ranchito, TaxPros+, Enmeier Wealth Management, SC Estate Law, Aitken Aitken Cohn, and PAWS Pet Resort.

Get in on the fun and connect with an enthusiastic audience of 15,000. Let us know how we can make it a successful day for your business by emailing info@sccarshow.com or visiting sccarshow.com. Hosted by SCDBA, the event’s proceeds support downtown commerce and beautification.

Also, who’s the fairest faire of them all? The San Clemente Village Art Faire!

Picture yourself here: Friend by your side (furry or otherwise), strolling through a maze of talented artists and their unique creations, green grass below, shade trees above, a cool sea breeze—and, as luck would have it, a mimosa expert right across the street.

We couldn’t design a nicer way to welcome the weekend. Happening monthly on the first Saturdays of the month from 9 a.m.–3 p.m., the faire takes place on the library lawns. Our Village Art Faire director, Alison, has crafted this event to perfection.

The upcoming faire dates include Aug 7, Sept 4, Oct 2 and Nov 6. More information can be found at scdba.org/village-art-faire.

Lastly, mind if we toot our own horn?

The SCDBA was proud to be named SC Chamber of Commerce’s Nonprofit of the Year. This past year challenged us to find creative ways to support our community as we all navigated its twists and turns.

We count as successes our spearheading of the outdoor dining initiatives, expanding our social media reach to better promote our members, connecting sector leaders through virtual ThinkTanks, and, most recently, proudly sponsoring two amazing USA Surfing Olympics murals.

Go, Team USA! And three cheers for SCDBA Vice Chair and Treasurer Vicky Wilson of TaxPros+. She was named Citizen of the Year for the unifying and commerce-focused projects she led during the pandemic—no small feat.

The Chamber’s luncheon recognized an impressive diversity of businesses, groups, educators and individuals, and we are energized to be among these inspiring thinkers, doers and givers.

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Does your business or group need a marketing boost? We love promoting our member businesses and the good works of our nonprofit partners, helping them connect, stay informed, and advocating on their behalf. Let’s talk. Drop us a line at info@scdba.org.

One final thought: Last year, the SCDBA adopted two phrases: “We’re all in this together” and “#lovesanclemente.” We may be tossing out our ratty sweatpants and boycotting Zoom happy hours, but, San Clemente, let’s never stop being “All in this together” and hashtagging our love for this sweet, sweet town of ours.

Julie Heinze has been a resident of San Clemente for 26 years. She is director of the SCDBA and owner of Julie Heinze Design, an advertising and graphic design shop.