Mountain View hosts 33rd Annual Art & Wine Festival Mountain View hosts 33rd Annual Art & Wine Festival (September 03, 2004)

Special 9/11 tribute planned

Although summer is entering its sunset, festival season is peaking with the best event ahead. For a vibrant, sun-splashed festival with two days of great music, incredible edibles from around the globe, the latest handcrafted work by 650 artists and a host of activities for the entire family, head to downtown Mountain View for the 33rd Annual Art & Wine Festival, Sept. 11-12.

One of the West Coast's biggest festivals, some 200,000 arts lovers are expected to pour onto an 8-block stretch of Castro Street in Silicon Valley's epicenter for this "Cultural Community Celebration" of art, music, food, wine and all-around family fun presented by the Chamber of Commerce Mountain View.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days. Admission is free.

In the beginning

The first festival was organized by the Chamber of Commerce as a fund-raiser in 1971. Today, the Mountain View Art & Wine Festival is considered one of the Bay Area's premier events.

Realizing the goal of its founders, the festival provides a solid base of revenue that helps fund Chamber programs throughout the year. Proceeds are invested in carefully crafted programs that help strengthen and bring together Mountain View's diverse community.

Among the programs and initiatives sponsored by the Chamber are the Business-Education Partnerships, Leadership Mountain View, Celebration of Leaders, Women In Business Program, Business ConneXions, Ribbon Cuttings and Grand Openings.

Fine art, unique crafts

Through its long-time affiliation with Burlingame-based California Artists, the festival's signature attraction remains the quality artists it attracts. Festivalgoers can meet and greet America's most talented artists and craftmakers while browsing among 650 booths featuring original work in glass, ceramics, metals, fiber, leather, wood, jewelry and fine art.

Beautiful vases, flatware, clocks, dishes, wall and table decorations, paperweights, stained and beveled glass, etchings, sculptures, photography, oil and watercolor paintings, beadwork, gold and silver jewelry, vests, handbags, hats, wallets, footwear, windchimes and waterfalls will be among the thousands of items available.

Boogie and groove to the music

A dynamite lineup of eleven big-name bands will perform two lively days of rhythm and blues, swing, rock 'n' roll, jazz, soul, world-beat, and Celtic folk music on the Budweiser True Music Stage and several street locations.

Performers include The Cool Jerks, Daddy-O, Nite Cry, Woogie Men, Carlos Castaneda & The Mystic Pilots, The Groove Mercenaries, Dreamroad, Gypsy Soul, Aryeh Frankfurter, GrooveCamp and Ancient Winds.

Something for the kids

The action-packed Kids' Park, located in the Wells Fargo Bank parking lot, will feature family-style entertainment and amusements.

Performing on the Microsoft Community Stage will be award-winning children's musicians Francie Dillon and Andy Z and the Andyland Band, professional merrymaker Daffy Dave, multi-talented funnyman/juggler/musician Jimbo The Clown and Desert Dave with his traveling exotic reptile show.

The adjacent Tishman Speyer Properties Kids' Park will feature hands-on art booths, sand sculptures, Mobile Rock's 24-foot climbing wall, face painting, thrilling virtual reality motion theater, bounce houses, an inflatable slide, the Froghopper ride and Boomer's Magic Circus.

Eat, drink, be merry

Festival eateries will be dishing up flavorful world cuisine like Thai barbecue chicken and pork kebabs, baked potatoes, gourmet sausages, garlic chicken sandwiches, New York style pizza, grilled corn-on-the-cob, pulled pork sandwiches, key lime calamari, smoked bratwurst, meatball sandwiches and garlic fries.

There will also be crepes, lumpia, gyros, spanakopita, baklava, sweet and sour pork, beef and broccoli over rice, fish and chips, strawberry shortcake, fresh fruit smoothies and lots more. Complementing the foods will be premium wines, microbrews, and non-alcoholic beverages.

A 9/11 tribute

Please join us at the Budweiser True Music Stage on Sept. 11, at noon as we gather for a special tribute to honor the memories of our heroes and loved ones from 9/11 who gave and lost so much. The stage is located in the City Hall Plaza on the corner of Castro and Mercy Streets.

Public transit options

Castro Street will be closed to traffic from El Camino Real to Evelyn Avenue for the two-day festival.

Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) will be running its normal weekend schedule with bus and Light Rail service to Mountain View. The festival is served by VTA Light Rail and Bus Lines 22, 34, 35 and 51. For VTA schedule information, call (800) 894-9908.

Caltrain will be running its normal weekend service both days. For Caltrain schedule information, call (800) 660-4287. The Mountain View Transit Center is one short block from the festival.

Places to park

Some free parking is available on streets surrounding the downtown area. Paid parking ($5) will be available at 400 Castro Street (parking lot entrance on Bryant Street), 444 Castro Street (parking lot entrance on Bryant Street), Kaiser Permanente (555 Castro Street, parking lot entrance on Hope Street) and Washington Mutual (El Camino Real/Castro Street).

Parking fees benefit Community Health Awareness Council, creating healthy lives for children and families in Mountain View, Los Altos and Los Altos Hills.

Bicycle valet parking will be available at the corner of Castro and Church Streets. The bicycle parking area is operated by the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition.

Pet-free festival

Pets are not allowed at the festival. For the safety, comfort, and courtesy of your pets and festivalgoers, please leave your pets at home. Large crowds make it a very stressful and dangerous environment for pets.

For more information, call the Chamber of Commerce Mountain View at 968-8378 or check out www.miramarevents.com.

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