The Willow Glen Resident

Photograph by Brandon Garcia

The band Sound Barrier plays early in the evening.

Thousands jam Lincoln Avenue to eat, dance and be merry

By Christine Frey

Lincoln Avenue was more than busy last Saturday evening--it was thronged with 35,000 to 40,000 revelers who gathered for Dancing on the Avenue, making the fourth annual event the largest one yet.

"The response from the community was incredible," said Demetri Rizos, manager of the Willow Glen Business and Professional Association, which sponsored the event. "It was a wonderful success."

The conga lines and dancing crowds that grooved to the rhythms of the Joe Sharino Band seemed to indicate that. Appearing for the fourth time at the affair, the band continued to draw fans such as Willow Glen residents Bob and Jean Lusk, who rushed from an interview as soon as they heard the band playing.

The music of Sound Barrier, which played the event for the first time, also seemed to go over well with the crowds.

In addition to the bands, psychic readers, an animal-balloon maker and company booths entertained party-goers. The "Dunk a Used Car Salesman" game, sponsored by Cash for Cars and Trucks, was especially popular. Players spun a wheel to win a small prize, such as a keychain or T-shirt, or the opportunity to throw tennis balls at the dunking tank. Homan Shahabi, dressed in blue plaid pants and a yellow ruffled shirt, played the role of the crooked car salesman.

"Dunk the used car salesman, 'cause he's bad," the game's promotional supervisor, John Montanaro, yelled to attract crowds. He didn't have any difficulty doing so: Only two hours into the event, Shahabi had been dunked more than 50 times, said company employee Gary Abrahams.

While Dave Tripier and Claire Nippress of Santa Clara said the event should have featured more activities, Dorothy Haynie of San Jose was satisfied with the affair. "It's great people-watching," she said.

The cuisine, of course, was one of the main attractions. The sidewalks were lined with grazers who sampled from the variety of restaurants that sponsored booths; others braved the avenue and carefully balanced their plates as they walked. The food was so popular that at 10:30 p.m., a half-hour after the bands had finished playing, nearly 40 people were still in line for nachos and cotton candy, Rizos said.

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