Photograph by George Sakkestad
Rusty Rinehart (left) and Rich Lang toast the return of the Fiesta de Artes. Rinehart's glass is this year's regular festival glass, while Lang uses the special crystal commemorative glass.
By Shari Kaplan
After a one-year hiatus, Los Gatos' Fiesta de Artes is back for its 29th year of offering food, drink, art and entertainment to close out the summer and bring people together for a weekend of recreation.
Once under the auspices of the former Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce and the Jaycees, the Fiesta--set for Aug. 24 and 25--is now the endeavor of the Los Gatos Kiwanis Club, which has been working with Menlo Park-based Signature Productions to ensure the Fiesta is better than ever.
In keeping with this image, the Fiesta has also changed venues, from Old Town to the Los Gatos Shopping Center on N. Santa Cruz Avenue near Highway 9.
"A lot of people feel strongly about the Fiesta continuing. For over 20 years, the Fiesta has been a Los Gatos tradition, and we didn't want it to go down the tubes [after the chamber went out of business]," says Kiwanis Club president Don Wolf.
Wolf adds that all 50 or so club members have committed themselves to helping resurrect the Fiesta. From serving on steering committees to making phone calls and securing donations, Kiwanis members are up to the task.
Collectors of the annual Fiesta's glassware are in for a treat this year, Wolf says. To make up for the Fiesta's absence last year, there will be special $25 commemorative crystal wine glasses available, along with the regular $7 traditional glasses. They can be obtained at the Fiesta or ahead of time at the Town Hall, from Kiwanis members, or from various businesses, including the 7-Eleven on N. Santa Cruz Avenue, Los Gatos Tire and Automotive and The Sweetwater Store.
"We're pretty excited about [the Fiesta], because many of our past events have been out of town. We stepped in to be able to do a big event here in Los Gatos," Wolf says. "The art is what we really want to emphasize. One of the things we're fighting is that the Fiesta's image of 10 to 15 years ago is still there."
Wolf refers to years in which some patrons got carried away in their enjoyment of the beers and fine wines available. Two microbreweries and four wineries will offer potent potables this year, and there will be more than 100 artisans and craftspeople.
According to Kiwanis member Rich Lang, who is co-chairing the event with Rusty Rinehart, the vendors come from throughout California, many of them local, and almost all are selling handmade items. There will be no importers.
"I think when we started this, we were in the unknown. Now that things are coming together and the club is into it, it will be really great," Lang adds. "We tried to hand-pick quality vendors. Los Gatos has a magic charm about it; [vendors] know Los Gatos!"
On Saturday, Cliff Branch and George Atkinson of the Oakland Raiders will be on hand to talk with fans and sign autographs, along with the Raiderettes. Sunday brings members of the San Jose Rhinos and their mascot, Rocky. Both teams will donate an autographed item, for which the Kiwanis Club will sell raffle tickets.
There will be many food booths, a children's fun area and family-oriented entertainment on the local talent stage. Performers during one or both Fiesta days include three dance groups, two martial arts groups, violin players, Joplin and Sweeney Music Co. and two gymnastics academies, including West Valley Gymnastics, the stomping ground of Olympic gold medalist Amy Chow.
The 1996 Fiesta de Arts takes place Aug. 24 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Aug. 25 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Los Gatos Shopping Center. Parking is available on the street, at the Staples lot across the street and at the DMV.
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, August 14, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved