Arts & Entertainment

Mountain View Art & Wine Festival 2013: What You Can Expect

Almost a month out from the city's largest annual event, the roster of activities and festivities begins to take shape.

Written by Katherine Hafner

Festive art, sound and smell will once again color Castro Street in September with the advent of the 42nd Annual Mountain View Art and Wine Festival.

The event next month is expected to be just as big as ever, with just a little added local flavor.

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The festival, which takes place Sept. 7 to 8 this year, is set on Castro Street between El Camino Real and Evelyn Avenue.

The major new attraction is the performance of a salsa band. On Sunday, the band Orquesta Borinquen will play in the afternoon.

Find out what's happening in Mountain Viewwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

This is the first time since the festival began in 1971 that a salsa band will perform, said Oscar Garcia, president and chief executive officer of the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce, which runs the event.

"we are always looking attract more people to our festival and Salsa music is a music genre that transcends all generations and ethnic groups," Garcia said. "Mountain View's population is approximately 24 percent Latino so we hope to draw more diversity to the festival as well."

Police estimated that roughly 150,000 people attended last year’s festival, Garcia said.

The event attracts attendees and vendors from across the country – as far away as Iowa or Washington state, he said.

Almost 600 artists—the capacity number—will set up booths and sell their products, which include homemade jewelry, paintings, furniture and clothing. Some of these artists come back each year, while others are new faces.

Garcia added that vendors are only allowed to sell items they make themselves.

Some of the most popular foods at the festival in the past have included kettle corn, Thai food, mini bundt cakes and corn on the cob—all of which will reappear this year, along with many other foods including artisan specialty foods.

Because of the event’s timing at the start of football season, attendees can expect to see games playing in the Comcast Pigskin Party Lounge.

Google is making parking available at a lot on Shoreline Boulevard and Villa Street, in addition to regular free or paid parking, Garcia said. Information about transportation and parking will be updated on the Chamber of Commerce event page within the next week or so.

As in past years, bicycle parking will also be made available.

The festival is expected to cost the chamber a little more than $440,000, Garcia said. According to last year’s press release, the event is used as a major fundraising effort to sustain other Chamber-sponsored programs.

The September event is also a nice way to spend one last end-of-summer weekend as school starts back up.

“It’s people’s last hurrah at the end of summer,” Garcia said.

So check back on Patch closer to the event for updates and coverage, and make sure not to miss out!

To find out more about the festival, visit here and check out the event’s Facebook page. Updated information for the 2013 event will be posted soon.

Tell us in the comments section below what you’re looking forward to at this year’s festival!


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