The success of the Los Gatos Shakespeare Festival has solidified the notion that this community is a haven for cultural and artistic events. Myriad activities attract out-of-town guests and residents alike to entertainment opportunities in Los Gatos, where they then patronize local restaurants and businesses.
But there could be more, and the success of last weekend's Taylor Woodrow Grand Prix of San Jose offers food for thought.
The appeal of the Grand Prix was overwhelming with 153,767 fans turning out for the three days of racing. The numbers far exceeded the expectations of the optimistic race promoters, and the attention the race brought to the city of San Jose was unprecedented.
"The race showcased our city before a national television audience in a way that has never happened before," said Dean Munro, executive director of the San Jose Sports Authority in a press release issued by the agency following the conclusion of the race.
Certainly we're not suggesting a Grand Prix of Los Gatos, but former mayor Sandy Decker is encouraging the next best thing. For some time now Decker has been championing an idea to bring some sort of auto event to the community with a course laid out on Los Gatos Boulevard in the heart of the town's auto row.
While formula race cars may not be a good fit for such an event in Los Gatos, classic sports cars would surely offer a popular attraction in town. We would advocate a local Concours d'Elegance and encourage local automotive dealers to support such an effort.
Northern California communities like Lafayette, Pebble Beach and Hillsborough have offered similar events through the years, and Los Gatos could tailor its own to meet the needs of the community.
For Los Gatos to truly be a destination point, it must offer something for everyone. Out-of-town guests are already attracted by the Jazz in the Plazz and Music in the Park concerts, by the Fiesta de Artes and by the Los Gatos Children's Christmas and Holiday Parade. A classic automobile event could only add to the town's allure.
Storage needed
The Los Gatos Shakespeare Festival wrapped up a successful fourth season with a sold-out performance of The Two Gentlemen of Verona on Sunday night at the theater "under the stars at Oak Meadow Park." By Monday, the stage and set was to have been broken down, packed up and headed for the Festival Theatre Ensemble's next stop at Benbow Lake near Garberville in Humboldt County.
The stage will return to Los Gatos when the summer tour ends later this month, though, and the Festival Theatre Ensemble needs a storage area of about 900-square feet to pack it away until the production schedule begins anew in 2006.
Anyone willing to donate storage space--in a warehouse, office building, basement or barn, or even a corner of land where a storage shed could be erected--can contact this newspaper at 408.354.3110 or lgwt@community-newspapers.com and we will pass the information on to the Festival Theatre Ensemble.
