Aug. 30, 31 and Sept. 1, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tapestry Arts continues a San Jose tradition of 28 years, serving up a full plate of arts and craft booths--335 to be exact--local and international food, a home-and-garden show and a hands-on craft area for little creative hands.

If visual art and an abundance of carnival-like food, including deep-fried Oreos and Twinkies aren't tempting enough, consider the array of live music, dance and theatre. This year's lineup is spread over four stages, each dedicated to a musical genre. Rock and pop, blues, jazz and guitar and classical performers will play music nonstop throughout the festival.

"We make sure the music fits in with the rest of the show," said Angela Kirkner, executive director of Tapestry Arts.

Children and their parents keep busy in The Creativity Zone, a free area where artists of all ages, with some help from the professionals, work on mask making and wire sculpture and even hone their circus skills under Cosmo the Circus Master.

Entertainment for children also includes tales performed by storyteller Kelimar.

Since the late 1970s, Tapestry Arts, known then as Tapestry in Talent, a nonprofit group that provides year-round art education and outreach programs to local schools with the proceeds from the annual festival, has grown the festival to attract an estimated 250,000 visitors.

What was known to locals as the Tapestry in Talent Festival until two years ago now includes a wider stretch of sites and activities. The home-and-garden show added in 1992 promises to provide more than just trade-showesque displays of high-tech barbecues and designer lawn chairs. The show's Interactive Alley, an outdoor sports and recreation area, features a rock-climbing wall and hang-gliding simulator.

The arts and crafts booths are juried, which sets Tapestry apart from many art festivals in the area. Judges determine which 300-plus artists will qualify to participate in the show, based on the quality, uniqueness and originality of the work. New teams of judges ensure that each annual show offers a new variety of art from a variety of mediums, including jewelry, clothing, woodworking and pottery.

Admission, as well as atmosphere and entertainment, is free to visitors, so Tapestry Arts relies heavily on the sale of beverages to offset the cost of the show. After all the festival bills are paid, proceeds will go back to South Bay students who benefit from the year-round work the nonprofit does in many classrooms where arts funding has been cut.

"Unfortunately, the arts are missing in most schools," said Kirkner, explaining the growing need to bring artists into classrooms and the void that Tapestry attempts to fill with its outreach programs.

Tapestry Arts Festival 2003 sets up Labor Day weekend in downtown San Jose between Park Avenue, Almaden Boulevard, and San Fernando Street from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call the festival hotline at 408.494.3590 or go to www.tapestryintalent.org for more information.