Fiesta de Artes is coming
By Shari Kaplan
As always, summer signifies many traditions for many people. In Los Gatos, one of the myriad traditional events the season brings is the Fiesta de Artes. This year, its 31st, the art and wine festival takes place on Aug. 12 and 13, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Los Gatos Civic Center, at 110 E. Main St. Admission is free.
The Los Gatos Kiwanis Club has run the Fiesta since 1996, but the event itself holds a much older place in local history. The first Fiesta took place in 1969, when a former Chamber of Commerce's wine festival and the town's art festival merged. It was the first such art and wine festival in Santa Clara County and also the first to introduce commemorative, collectible wine glasses.
When the Chamber disbanded in the mid-1990s, a year passed in which there was no Fiesta. Then the Kiwanians took it under their wing. The event is a major fundraiser for the club, which supports many local organizations and causes. Past recipients of funds have included The Peckler Memorial Relay, A Place for Teens, the Live Oak Senior Nutrition Center, the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department and scholarships for Los Gatos and Saratoga High School students.
Along with all of its arts and crafts booths run by carefully chosen artisans throughout the Bay Area and California, the Fiesta also features vendors selling food, drinks and desserts; beer and wine vendors; commemorative wine classes; children's activities and live music.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
