September 13, 2007

There’s fun for everyone at the Almaden Art and Wine Festival

This Sunday, Sept. 16, bring your family to Almaden Lake Park to celebrate the 31st annual Almaden Valley Art and Wine Festival from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The free family festival includes an arts and crafts show as well as premium wine and beer tasting. But that’s not all, there’s entertainment and a special children’s area! All festival proceeds are donated back to the community as contributions to schools, charities and scholarships for local students.

The Almaden Art and Wine Festival features something for everyone from works of art, to live entertainment and great food. Above: a view from a past year’s Art and Wine Festival at Almaden Lake Park.

This year’s artwork is handcrafted from more than 85 artists and craftspeople. They will be showing wood, ceramic, jewelry, oils, watercolors and other artwork on the banks of the lake.

As usual, there will be local community and school associations serving a variety of foods from Chinese chicken salad to pizza, from hot dogs and hamburgers to cheese steak sandwiches, and, of course, root beer floats, popcorn, fruit smoothes and more.

And, what is an art festival without wine. A number of local wineries will be pouring their premium wines including Bargetto Winery, Byington Winery, David Bruce Winery, Cooper-Garrrod Estate Vineyards, Ventana Vineyards, Cinnabar Vineyards & Winery, Picchetti Winery, J. Lohr Vineyards, Savannah-Chanelle Vineyards and Leal Estate Vineyards. Two new wineries, Seghesio Family Vineyards and Fortino Winery, are joining the festival this year.

The Almaden Valley Women’s Club is bringing back its beer garden featuring ice-cold premium beers from local breweries including El Toro Brewery and BJ’s Restaurant and Brewery.

This year’s children’s area is not to be missed. There will be plenty to do for the young ones with games, rides, crafts and an art exhibit featuring work by local children. This year Councilwoman Nancy Pyle and the district attorney’s office will sponsor finger printing at her booth from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Several bands will be featured on the main stage including Nuthin Fancy’s Tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd, Seven Reasons, Cocktail Monkeys and Smurfy Brown Band. There will be music and entertainment.

Since its beginning, the Almaden Art and Wine Festival has been voted one of the best festivals in San Jose. It is entirely organized by the Almaden Valley Women’s Club. Since 1965, the club has been committed to serving the needs of the Almaden community and those of greater San Jose, through funds raised at this annual festival.

More information about the Almaden Valley Art & Wine Festival and The Almaden Valley Women’s Club is available at www.almadenwine.com.