The association hopes to resurrect the tradition by incorporating popular events from previous Founder's Day festivities.

Events will include a10K run, 5K walk, pancake breakfast, kids zone, artist row, food, wine, music and a silent auction.

"We are bringing back the components that people really liked about Founder's Day," said Helen Lambert, president of the Arts Guild of Willow Glen and a member of the committee.

"We are doing this the right way," Lambert said. "We got together, put together a plan that includes the upsides and downsides and are trying to find a potential venue."

Two of the major issues pertain to costs and venue.

Chris Carris, owner of the Willow Glen Coffee Roasting Co., said it's a noble effort, but costly.

"The surrounding neighborhoods don't have an inkling of how much this event costs to plan and put up," said Carris, also on the Founder's Day committee.

He was a past president of the association and ran the last Founder's Day in 2001 before the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association took it over and put on the last event in 2002.

Don Skipwith, president of the Willow Glen Business Association, presented a preliminary budget to the association at a meeting on Aug. 9. He said the costs to put on the event and close down Lincoln Avenue could range between $23,000 and $29,500.

"The majority of the committee would like to see a closing of the avenue but we have a cost hurdle to overcome," Lambert said.

Ideally, the association would like the event to take place on Sept. 8, with the avenue closed and the street filled with tents and booths instead of on the sidewalks, so the community can go into the businesses as well browse and stroll on the avenue.

"It would be a win-win situation," Lambert said.

One alternative that would be less costly and bring in more foot traffic would be to combine Founder's Day with the Willow Glen High School homecoming parade and carnival.

The carnival, put together by the Willow Glen Community Coalition, will be held on Oct. 15 as part of the homecoming weekend.

Skipwith said if the association decides to move the event to the same weekend as the homecoming festivities, the celebration won't fall on the holiday's actual day, Sept. 8.

But Skipwith thinks having the two celebrations on the same weekend will maximize community involvement.

"Founder's Day is important to the community," Lambert said. "That's why people move to Willow Glen, to perpetuate the community feel. We all have a tendency to be so busy in our lives that we tend to forget. And having this event is a way to get people to remember it."

The idea of a downtown parade with music, food and the community conjures up visions of old-town USA, Lambert said.

Sponsors of the event include the business association, the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association, Willow Glen schools, The Fraternal Order of Eagles and the city of San Jose.