Autumn is rapidly approaching, but summer celebrations aren’t over yet. Next month, make room on your calendar for two celebrations of Los Gatos culinary culture and history. Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce will present the brand-new Taste of Los Gatos event in partnership with the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department on Sept. 14.
Then, just one weekend later, the Kiwanis Club of Los Gatos will host the annual Los Gatos Art & Wine Festival: Fiesta de Artes.
“Our town loves wine, our town loves beer, our town loves food, and our town loves live music,” Jennifer Lin, CEO of the Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce, told the Los Gatan.
And the way organizers have described preparations to the newspaper, it’s clear both marquee events will have plenty of these town “favorites” on offer.
The Taste of Los Gatos concept was conceived after the popular pandemic-era Thursday Promenades series came to an end. While turning the main downtown drag over to pedestrians each week proved too expensive to continue every week, the idea itself was too beloved to be abandoned entirely. North Santa Cruz Avenue will once again be closed to vehicles for festive purposes, this time (from Main Street to Bachmann Avenue) thanks to Taste of Los Gatos, Saturday, Sept. 14, from 1-5 pm.
“We decided to do this one-time, end-of-the-summer festival to highlight our restaurants,” said Randi Chen, Taste of Los Gatos event coordinator. “Los Gatos over the last few years has gotten some great restaurants and we want to expose them to everybody.”
(Photo by Arnold Breit)
Local long-standing favorites like The Pastaria, Zona Rosa and Willow Street Kitchen are participating, alongside new additions such as Gardenia Los Gatos, Dar Restaurant & Bar and Breaking Dawn Brunch.
While the event was inspired by the late Promenades, Taste of Los Gatos promises to bring a more upscale vibe to attendees. Rather than putting booths in the street, participating restaurants will set aside a table inside for tasting. Attendees can pre-buy a tasting ticket online at the Chamber of Commerce website for $45 or purchase one onsite for $50. The ticket will provide access to delicious food and drinks prepared by over twenty local restaurants. Attendees may also purchase wine and beer separately at drink booths hosted by the Chamber of Commerce. Part of the proceeds will go to support the police department.
While the tasting aspect is by purchase only, the street festival portion will be free and open to all. Attendees can expect outdoor games, kids’ activities and live band performances by Rusty Rock n’ Roll, Masterpiece and other local groups.
Chen hopes attendees enjoy Los Gatos for all it has to offer, beyond amazing food and drink, including local camaraderie.
“The sense of community is what we strived for with the Promenades to begin with, so we hope we get some of that (with this event) as well,” said Chen.
Community is what has kept the Los Gatos Art & Wine Festival a beloved town tradition for half a century. Beginning in 1971, the Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce hosted the event under the name “Fiesta de Artes.” Since then, the festival has grown tremendously. Rusty Reinehart, the current event director, shared with the Los Gatan that before the Kiwanis Club took over in 1996, the festival was a modest affair, with only 20 vendors set up in the small Old Town parking lot. Now, going by its new name, “The Los Gatos Art & Wine Festival” fills the entire Civic Center lawn.
‘The fact that a lot of people are working hybrid means that fewer people stop by a store after work or stop by happy hour’
—Jennifer Lin, Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce CEO
This year’s festivities, set to take place on Sept. 21-22, promise to be bigger and better than ever before. The festival will feature around 140 talented artists and craftsmen, along with a selection of fine wines and craft beers, live music and five food trucks. Plus, this year, attendees can look forward to some new exciting features.
One of the most significant changes is the transformation of the Los Gatos Public Library parking lot into the “Sustainable Living Zone.” This green space will feature booths from green sponsors like Cinnamon Energy, Farm Fresh To You, SYMBiHOM and Spare The Air. The area will be complete with a “smart home” ADU by Silicon Valley Clean Energy. Local Key Clubs and K-Kids clubs will also be hosting upcycling workshops to fundraise for charity.
This new addition to the festival aligns with the town’s growing focus on sustainability and environmental awareness.
“We want to be up to speed,” said Reinehart.
The festival will also host live music on the Civic Center stage, with four bands performing each day. Rock and soul cover band the Houserockers will continue their 25-year tradition of headlining.
While the event is free, the Kiwanis raise money through beer and wine sales, with proceeds directed back into the local community. They also receive a small percentage from California Artists, the agency that curates the list of craftspeople. These funds support various local initiatives, such as scholarships for Los Gatos High School students and the maintenance of community spaces like Never Neverland, located on LGHS’s campus.
Rinehart emphasizes that the festival’s ambiance is like no other.
(Courtesy of Kiwanis Club of Los Gatos)
“It’s a very local event where people can walk over and spend some time looking at all the artists, maybe sipping a cold beer or a fine glass of wine, and listen to some music on the lawn,” says Rinehart. “The town looks forward to our event every year.”
Rinehart and the Kiwanis Club hope that attendees will leave with a renewed sense of pride in being part of a community that supports the arts and gives back. Anyone interested in volunteering can visit the Kiwanis’ website (lgkiwanisgives.org) to sign up or learn more about how they can contribute.
According to Jennifer Lin, participating in local events like Taste of Los Gatos and the Los Gatos Art & Wine Festival is more than just a good time; it’s a crucial step in reconnecting with the social lifestyle that many have missed in the post-pandemic world.
“The fact that a lot of people are working hybrid means that fewer people stop by a store after work or stop by a happy hour,” said Lin. “(These events are) to make sure we’re giving folks a reason to always support local and to come and be a part of Los Gatos.”
The Chamber of Commerce and the Los Gatos Kiwanis Club are driven by the mission of encouraging locals and visitors alike to discover—or rediscover—being downtown. Organizers say by attending these festivals and similar community events, residents will help play a vital role in revitalizing their local economy and strengthening the bonds that define Los Gatos.
