Los Gatos Weekly-Times

The Jesse Charles Band is one of many bands that will perform at Fiesta De Artes.

Annual 'Fiesta' celebrates the arts

By Shari Kaplan

On Aug. 22 and 23, it will again be time to eat, drink and be merry--Los Gatos style.

On that weekend, Los Gatos celebrates its own variation on the arts-and-wine festival theme with the annual Fiesta de Artes, held in and around the Los Gatos Civic Center at 110 E. Main St. A local tradition for 29 years, the fiesta has been sponsored by the Los Gatos Kiwanis Club since 1996. Previously it was held under the auspices of different organizations and at several venues, including Old Town and the Los Gatos Shopping Center.

In terms of the "Artes" portion of the event, this year brings 150 to 160 artisans and craftspeople to town, up from some 110 last year, according to Fiesta chairwoman and Kiwanis president-elect Catherine Barrier. Included among the vendors are those from the Bay Area, other parts of California and even other states. Part of this wide selection comes from Barrier's own propensity for attending art and wine festivals; whenever she stops by booths whose wares pique her interest, she tells the vendors about the fiesta and invites them to participate.

"All the arts and crafts are handmade. Nothing is manufactured commercially or imported," says Barrier, an active Kiwanian for the past 10 years. Among the high-quality items for sale are paintings in various mediums, sculpture, ceramics, art glass, fountains, clothing, jewelry, cards and collectibles.

Contributing to the "fiesta" aspect are fine wines--most grown by local vintners--in addition to microbrews from the Los Gatos Brewing Company and Stoddard's Brewhouse. Added to this is an international food court, sodas and fruit smoothies and old-fashioned favorites like kettlecorn and hot dogs. Live bands performing over the two days offer rock, country, jazz, big band and blues.

"In between the bands, we've put small or local acts on stage. This is not just another arts and wine festival; we're trying to make it something local. We really want to make it a town event. What we're looking for is a win-win situation. We're doing something for the community, having fun, raising money for charity and maybe gaining some new members," Barrier explains.

"The Kiwanis slogan is 'We Build,' and our main focus has always been on helping children and the elderly. And the Los Gatos Kiwanis Club has always been a very hands-on group but also sort of a quiet secret. We never toot our own horn," she adds.

Among the local projects funded by fiesta proceeds are the building and improving of school playgrounds, the maintaining of bicycle trails and support for organizations that assist senior citizens. The club also awards student scholarships from fiesta proceeds. One of the club's pet projects is raising awareness of iodine deficiency disease, or IDD, which can cause mental retardation in children.

The 1998 Fiesta de Artes takes place Aug. 22 and 23 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Parking is available on side streets, at Los Gatos High School or in town parking lots. Call 354-3540 for more information.

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