It’s a familiar sight in Delano, vendors lining the streets with roses in hand. With Valentine’s Day being one of the biggest days of the year for sellers, many say making a living has gotten harder with new rules in the city.
Guadalupe Ortega has been a vendor since 2015, making most of her income from vending.
She tells me it’s not easy, but holidays like Valentine’s Day make it all worth it.
“Valentine’s is one of the biggest holidays,” said Ortega. “I would say anywhere from 5 to 6 grand, it’s a lot of work a lot of sleepless nights.”
That all changed in 2024, losing roughly three grand in sales due to a revised city ordinance on vendor permits.
Among the regulations, one states in part quote, “No cart that is used for sidewalk vending may exceed a length of seventy two inches, a width of 54 inches, or a height, including roof or awning, of 96 inches.”
However even with this, Ortega says she and other vendors have found a workaround while still staying within city regulations.
“Sometimes we rent U-halls that are I believe 26 feet and we put tables in there and let our customers walk through so that can make up for it a little bit in the space they let us have,” said Ortega.
Vendor Celeste Paniagua tells me she too has felt the decrease in sales with the updated ordinances, but she continues to come out into the community to provide extra love through their flowers during the holidays.
“To me, it’s important because you show your loved one how you feel for them it’s not just for your girlfriend or mom its for everyone,” said Paniagua.
As sales continue into the weekend, vendors urge the public to buy from small businesses this season.
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