MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Faces dripped with wet, red, sticky, watermelon juices after devouring two large slices of the larger than average fruit in a contest to see who could eat both pieces the fastest. This type of activity filled the stages throughout the five-hour long festival.
Service members and their families were invited to attend Bayfest 2003 held at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, Boathouse and Marina Saturday from noon to 5 p.m.
Throughout the day there were from 2,000 to 2,500 people at the festival, according to Eva Marie Gutierrez, marketing manager, Marine Corps Community Services.
Money raised from the dunk tank event went toward the Marine Corps Ball and Single Marine Program, according to Gutierrez.
The event was full of activities such as a rock climbing wall, and a dunk tank that featured some of the Depot's sergeants major, and a commanding officer.
"I did it because it was hot," said Cmdr. Jerome McSwain, director, branch dental clinic MCRD, who let his sailors and others dunk him in the tank. "It was a great way to cool off and a great way to interact with the crowd."
Potential dunkers could purchase three or 10 softballs at a time.
"I left having spent some money at (that) dunk tank," said Cpl. Stephen P. Lara, administration clerk, G-3, who dunked Sgt. Maj. Raynard L. Watkins, Third Recruit Training Battalion. "The money was going to a good cause."
Lara, like many others who visited the festival by the bay, brought his wife and friends along.
"We had two others with us," said Lara. "The interaction with other Marines and civilians was nice. My wife Kimberly enjoyed it."
According to Lara, after playing games, he looked at the different booths exhibited on the bay side and found time to eat some good food and talk with friends.
For the enjoyment of the service members and their families, there were booths with freebies and MCCS gave out bamboo mats that visitors could sit on in the grass while watching an event such as the musical group The Del Mars playing their renditions of 50s, 60s and 70s music or Paul LeBlanc, the hypnotist causing volunteers on stage to perform silly tasks.
"They were doing things out of the ordinary," said Lance Cpl. Eric J. Norfleet, network administrator, CISD. "One part of the event, the hypnotist had them doing the YMCA in costumes. It was hilarious and fun to watch."
The hypnotized volunteers performed sexy dances in the audience, pretended to be ballerinas, and rode an imaginary low rider.
Between events there were many sites to see at the surrounding booths.
Across from the stages there were, special appearances by local celebrities such as the Red Bull Team, the Gulls mascot, Bud Girls, Spirit Patrol, San Diego Spirit mascot, Ronald McDonald, Sea World characters and Molly the MCRD mascot.
Bayfest is an annual event that gives personnel and their families on this base another opportunity to meet each other and have fun in the sun.