Fallbrook hosting Avocado Festival and Boxing Show
Of all his students, Jorge Porras (left) is most proud of Araceli Tinoco, a National PAL Champion. Photo taken at Escondido Fitness & Training Center by J.Wyatt.
To coincide with Fallbrook’s 24th Annual Avocado Festival in downtown, the Porras Gym will be hosting a USA Amateur Boxing Show, Sunday, April 18th. The first bout will begin at 1 p.m.
The host gym, owned and operated by the Porras family, is known for producing some of San Diego County’s top talent. Jorge Porras, the patriarch of the family, is a well respected boxing trainer and former top amateur boxer. Last year, one of his protégés, bantamweight Araceli Tinoco, went all the way to win in her weight class at the National PAL tournament.
For Sunday’s show, Porras has four exciting boxers representing his gym: 11 year-old Sylvestre Valenzuela, 13 year-old Balfred Gallardo, Araceli Tinoco and his son 20-year-old Jorge Porras Jr.
A short time ago, Valenzuela’s buddy, Leo Ordonez, an accomplished boxer, coaxed Valenzuela to give boxing a try. Now Valenzuela is giving Ordonez and the others more than they bargained for inside the ring. When he first began, he weighed 115 pounds and now he’s down to a rock hard 90 pounds.
When Balfred Gallardo started training, he had what you’d call a volatile temper. After working with Porras, he’s become much more self-confident and easygoing.
The other boxing clubs that are expected to send representatives to the show include: the Undisputed Training Center, 16th St. in downtown San Diego, the Coachella Valley Boxing Club, teams from Vista to include Pacific Coast Boxing and Rhino Boxing, plus several top competitors from Real Deal in Hemet.
Coach Joe Vargas of Undisputed said he’s planning to have southpaw, Estella Vegas (115 lbs.), Ulysses Sierra (165 lbs.) and 6’1” Justin Sams (138 lbs.) compete. Sams, in the Tommy “The Hitman” Hearns mold, has three bouts under his belt, all three won by an early stoppage.
That same day, the village of Fallbrook is hosting their annual signature event, the Avocado Festival. The event’s primary venue extends down Main Avenue from East Mission on the north to approximately Beech Street on the south. The main festival area has approximately 300 vendor booths offering produce, crafts, clothing, jewelry, artwork, food, beverages, and two beer gardens with live music from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. At the corner of Main and Beech, the Blue Zone, a classic rock and roll and blues band will entertain and at Main and Ivy, Salt Creek, a country rock ensemble is scheduled to play. A special section called ‘Avocado Avenue’ will feature all kinds of products made with or depicting the popular green fruit.
In the Village Square (corner of Main and Alvarado) they’ll have a beer and wine tasting event. Contests have become a traditional part of the festival as amateur and professional cooks compete in the Guacamole Contest for best tasting and best presentation. The Avo 500 involves elementary school kids building an avocado race car and competing in a Stock Car race. At their Vintage Aircraft Display at the Fallbrook Airpark you get to see radio-controlled model planes and helicopters, an assortment of vintage planes, firefighting water drop demonstrations, a flight simulator and aeronautical displays.
