BY: Jennifer Kabbany
Did you know there’s a hall tucked away in the Vista business park that serves mead and cider that tastes like the nectar of the gods, a coffee shop on the southern tip of Vista that doubles as a kitten and cat rescue, and a community farm in the center of town that’s famous for its “healthier” cupcakes?
Thanks to the Vista Goose Chase, I know about all of these fantastic small businesses — Twisted Horn Mead and Cider, Cat & Craft, and Sand n’ Straw Community Farm — and many more.
The Vista Goose Chase is a fun competition currently underway through Vista Is Open, part of the city’s Economic Recovery Plan assisting local businesses as they safely operate during COVID-19, according to its website.
On a lark, I decided a few weeks ago to play the game, and I have absolutely no regrets. Facilitated through an app I downloaded to my smartphone, the competition has led me to a menagerie of different small businesses throughout Vista.
From the small and super-cute boutiques on Main Street, to a surprisingly delightful jewelry and pawn shop on South Santa Fe Avenue, to the Water Shack along North Santa Fe Avenue that served up a colorful snowcone with a smile, the game has found me bebopping through Vista meeting friendly small business owners and learning of the city’s nooks and crannies.
There’s even a chance I could win a prize, too. “Goosers,” as we’re nicknamed, need only complete five Vista GooseChase missions to automatically be entered into a drawing for a $500 gift Vista Bucks Gift Card redeemable at dozens of Vista restaurants, retailers and breweries.
The top three point-earners also receive a Vista Bucks Gift Card.
While the prizes are the possible icing on the cake, the true enjoyment has been to support small business owners during such a difficult time for them. Shopping small and local is a way to give back at a time when it’s needed the most.
Several of the “missions” also task us with supporting local restaurants, another sector sorely in need of our help right now.
The competition runs through Dec. 18. For more information, visit https://vistaisopen.com/vista-goosechase/.
