Sausage & Suds Music Festival On Tap October 2

Sausage and Suds, the downtown’s annual outdoor food and music festival, returns Sunday, October 2, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

This family-friendly event is produced each autumn by the non-profit San Leandro Downtown Business Association, a group of approximately 70 local businesses. As in past years, it will be held on Parrott Street, between Washington Avenue and E. 14^th Street. 

Since it began in the late 1990’s it has evolved into a hometown tradition that now attracts as many as 6,000 people. 

“People expect it to happen each year,” said Lawrence Allphin, coordinator of the festival and owner of Allphin Jewelers. He has been involved with Sausage and Suds since its beginning and considers organizing it a labor of love. 

Unlike the once popular San Leandro Cherry Festival, which was sponsored by the City of San Leandro and which has been on a multi-year hiatus due to municipal budget cuts, Sausage and Suds is organized solely by volunteers. It is underwritten by sponsors from the business community. 

Proceeds from Sausage and Suds fund the downtown association’s other free community offerings such as the It’s a Wonderful Life holiday event each December and Bike SL every Spring. 

This year’s Sausage and Suds will include a wine and beer garden serving an extensive array of micro-brews, 30 types of beers in all. 

Vendors will be selling a variety of food including many types of sausages, roasted corn on the cob, kettle corn and roasted potatoes. 

A children’s play area with free attractions such as a climbing wall and bounce structures will be set up for the event. “We are calling it the Kid’s Green Zone this year,” said Allphin, “because it will have a recycling education component to it.” 

The and Citizens for a Safer San Leandro will staff an informational booth at the festival and the police department’s Explorer Program will offer valet bicycle parking for a small fee. 

“We are encouraging people to use alternative forms of transportation,” said Allphin. The festival is within walking distance of the San Leandro BART station and AC Transit bus lines run up and down E. 14^th Street which is adjacent to the event. For those who must drive, street parking is available in the vicinity of the festival. 

The entertainment line-up for the event runs all day. This year for the first time, in addition to musical acts, local D.C. Dance Center owner Debbie Cabral will offer Zumba Classes from 10 to 11 a.m. 

From 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. blues musicians Layce Baker and the Black Diamond Band will perform.

Home-grown San Leandro musical artists the Glimpse Trio, just back from a six state tour, will play rock and roll from 1:15 to 2:30 p.m.   

Back by popular demand, the Spazmatics again offer their zany  comedy antics and rock music of the 70’s and 80’s from 3 to 4:15 p.m. 

From 4:45 to 6 p.m. the Avance band will perform Latin selections. One of this band’s members is affiliated with Carlos Santana’s band, according to Allphin. 

Business sponsors of this year’s event are Horizon Beverage, Ghiradelli Chocolate, Aidell’s, Otis Spunkmeyer, OSI Soft, Peterson Power Systems/CAT, Coca Cola and Alhambra Water.

Visitors are encouraged to bring their photo I.D.'s for entry into the beer and wine garden and atheletic shoes if they plan on taking the free Zumba class.

“All of the acts are terrific,” said Allphin, “I believe we have the largest music festival held in San Leandro. It’s like one big giant block party.”