"I just wish they'd close down the street every weekend and let the people take over," said Gloria Fierro, who planted her own lawn chair in the midst of pedestrian traffic. "Everybody that's here, families, peoples, singles, everyone and everything is just fabulous."

For eight years the Willow Glen Business and Professional Association has sponsored the annual event. This year's $60,000 event, gave people an excuse to party at least once a year, said the association president and The Grapevine owner Cara Finn.

"As always, it is a time to kick up your heels with the neighborhood," Finn added.

And partying is exactly what the neighborhood did. A crowd of more than 35,000—a 10 percent increase from last year—mingled between four stages of music and dance entertainment that included performances by featured bands Joe Sharino, Daddy-O, Chubby's All Stars and entertainment by the California Sports Center.

"I almost never see live bands playing when I go out anymore," said San Jose-resident Paula Baraona, who has never been to Willow Glen's annual street dance until now. "So the live music, plus the beautiful weather, is what really brought me out today."

Willow Glen-residents like Colleen Policy, who came out for her seventh Dancin' on the Avenue, said this year's entertainment was better than ever.

"They always have a variety of music, but this year, they have a better variety," Policy said.

In fact, to Thrift Box employee Nancy Weeks, Joe Sharino is all the live music that the festival needs.

"Joe Sharino's band is supposed to be right here," said Weeks, pointing at a stage still being set up. "We ate dinner before we got here, so we're not really here for anything else."

Other festival-goers chose to stop for dinner at one of the local food vendors lined up along Lincoln Avenue. The association's executive director, Norma Ruiz, said only one food stand, besides the Kettle Corn, came from outside of Willow Glen.

"The goal was really to give our restaurants a chance to showcase what they have. So they're always given first dibs," she said.

But not everyone left satisfied with the festival's food selection. Jean Sanchez, a Dancin' on the Avenue veteran, said she recalls a greater number of food booths available in previous years.

"We needed more food booths and lesser lines this year," she said. "Other than that it's fabulous."

But just like every other good thing in life, Sanchez says, "Each year, more people catch onto the festival and it gets more crowded."

Overall, Ruiz thought the festival was a success. There were no problems or incidents and the event generated more in revenue than any previous year.

Next year, the association's third vice president Park Place storeowner Linda Waltrip hopes to organize more early evening children's activities.

"A lot of people come with their kids early in the evening because it really does turn into an adult event later in the night," Waltrip says.

Nonetheless, one of the volunteers, Onyeka Ossai, said even later in the evening there weren't any real boisterous people and his job, handing out food and drink tickets, went a lot smoother than it had in previous years.

"I worked last year and they didn't have things as organized as they do now," said Ossai, who recalls a mix-up in ticket and alcohol vendors last year.

All in all, Ruiz said, "We had a great community show, both in terms of attendance and in terms of support and I think that we succeeded in all our objectives."