The 15th annual Children's Fantasy Faire will be held on May 3 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the front lawn of Los Gatos High School. The event is a benefit for the Los Gatos Parent Nursery School, a co-op educational facility for 2- to 5-year-olds.

Admission and entertainment is free, but games and food will require tickets purchased on-site.

"If you have small kids, it's a blast," says fundraising committee member Tammy Posada. "It is a safe environment and really fun for little kids. No matter what they play, they'll get a prize."

Unlike years before, there will be no indoor concert, but several artists will perform throughout the day on the Dragon Deck, an outdoor stage. Magician Gerald Joseph, Dance Kids, Dance Attack, Suzuki Violins, Studio Kicks and the West Valley Gymnastic Team will perform. A special appearance will be made by the Kennelly Irish Dance Company, as well as Happy Birds, featuring five feathered friends that talk and perform tricks, such as riding a bicycle.

Fundraising committee co-chair Jenny Clancy says the school decided not to have an indoor concert because members wanted to "do something different and just see how it works."

Although the school felt the need for change, it certainly was not due to dwindling numbers. The fair is estimated to attract more than 6,000 visitors.

"It's the 15th year we've done this, and every year it gets bigger, more popular and more successful," Clancy says. "It's just a fun community event for kids, which is what we love doing, and in the meantime it makes money for our school, which is great."

As another new feature, four ponies will be saddled up and ready to ride for $3 per child. And a new, gigantic inflatable slide will accompany two Bounce Houses. The usuals, such as face painting and spin art, join the ranks, in addition to games such as "Flip the Frog."

Staples such as cotton candy, popcorn and ice cream will be offered in addition to Willow Street pizza, homemade goodies and barbecued meats.

To stave off adult boredom, a hot set of items will be raffled off and up for grabs in a silent auction.

The silent auction consists of sports memorabilia, special overnight hotel packages within Los Gatos and Saratoga, passes for group wine-tasting, themed baskets and even a table donated by the nursery school that features a tile top with imprints of the children's hands. Closing bids will be announced at 3 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.

The raffle is slightly more kid-oriented but helpful for parents, as prizes include tae kwon do lessons and passes to Disneyland and Legoland. Adult prizes include certificates for local restaurants, spa treatments and wine tasting. The grand prize is a portable DVD player. Raffle tickets are $1 each, with over 100 items to give away.

All proceeds are used to support the Los Gatos Parent Nursery School, covering school maintenance, tuition assistance and educational materials.

The fundraising fair was the brainchild of a school parent looking for an alternative to door-to-door sales. "It's just grown every year as we get new ideas from new parents each year," Posada says. "All of our money goes into the maintenance and function of the school. Since we are a co-op preschool, we don't pay outside service. We do it all."

Los Gatos High School is located at 20 High School Court off of E. Main Street. For more information, visit www.lgparentnursery.org.