Local Business Expo Offers Free Food, Festivities

A host of vendors will descend upon  Sunday for the third annual Hercules Business and Consumer Expo, which is being presented by the city’s Chamber of Commerce.

The Expo goes from 1 to 4 p.m. and will contain about 45 booths (priced at $75 for a table-sized booth and $100 for tent-sized). Participants will be given “passports” which they can have stamped at booths, entering them in a raffle for restaurants gift cards.

Non-profit agencies taking part include the Hercules Lions Club, Friends of the Hercules Library, the Hercules Historical Society, Hope Senior Assistance, General Care Services and the Hercules Education Foundation. Salsa Con Sabor Cubano will provide a free Zumba class at 1:30 p.m., while will offer a free yoga class at 3 p.m.

“It’s for the community to get to know their local businesses,” said Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Sylvia Villa-Serreno. “A lot of smaller businesses in Hercules don’t have storefronts, so this is a way for them to get their products and services out to the community.”

The activity-filled afternoon will include food from a variety of restaurants, a raffle, children’s activities and classes, all for free. Admission and parking are also free.

“This is another one of the Hercules Chamber’s benefits to provide inexpensive marketing as part of our membership services,” Villa-Serreno said. “It’s a low-cost avenue for them to promote their businesses.”

Expo sponsors include Hercules eateries , ,and , which will all have free food for visitors to sample. San Pablo’s La Strada and Rodeo’s El Sol and Ricky’s Corner are other restaurants offering a chance to sample their menus for free.

Additional sponsors was include ConocoPhillips, EBMUD, Kaiser Permanente and RecycleMore, whose kid-friendly mascot "Morry" will be available for photo sessions. Children can also get creative at ’s craft table and have their faces painted by Donna’s Designs.