The Almaden Valley Women's Club, the organization that puts on the annual festival, is welcoming back Griffeth for her second straight stint as the chairwoman--something that hasn't happened in the 28 previous festivals.

"One of the reasons why I decided to do it again was I got very emotional after the event. It was kind of like planning a wedding. I realized there were some things I wanted to change, and I felt if I could do it a second time I can do it better," Griffeth says.

The festival was bumped from its home in Parma Park last year because of ongoing construction of the Almaden Branch Library and Community Center, which is adjacent to the park.

Griffeth and the other organizers of the festival had decided to keep down the number of artists and booths at the 2004 event to keep it manageable. Controlling the size would also allow them to evaluate the logistics of the layout and determine if the design was practical.

Things went so smoothly last September that the 29th annual festival will see an increase in artists, by as many as 25--there were about 150 in 2004--and about five additional booths, either corporate sponsors or food booths, Griffeth says.

Griffeth is not the only returning cast member to the planning committee, as she said four others agreed to chair the same committees as last year, and most of the corporate sponsors agreed to return, some expressing interest in increasing their level of sponsorship, she says.

The majority of the artists who participated last year reported back that they were pleased with the turnout as well and have said they will be back this September.

Griffeth says she is looking forward to the opportunity to tweak things she thinks will make the festival even more successful. She says she hopes to get additional shuttle vans to run between the parking lots and the event, and she is hoping to bring back the petting zoo--a regular that was missed in 2004. She also says she would like to put some food booths in the children's area so that people don't have to walk as far to get something to eat or drink.

The Almaden Women's Club has begun accepting applications for the logo design, artists and sponsors.

The proceeds from the event go tward 10 $1,000 scholarships given out to high-school students pursuing a higher education.

For more information on Almaden Valley Women's Club or the Art and Wine Festival, visit its website at www.almadenartwinefestival.com.