The 21st annual Taste of Morgan Hill art and food festival
started Saturday and Sunday much in the same manner
– a little slow with cool, near-perfect festival weather – but
by 1 p.m., the crowds swelled and the sun beat down on visitors who
rushed to buy snow-cones or wine, or sometimes both.
The 21st annual Taste of Morgan Hill art and food festival started Saturday and Sunday much in the same manner – a little slow with cool, near-perfect festival weather – but by 1 p.m., the crowds swelled and the sun beat down on visitors who rushed to buy snow-cones or wine, or sometimes both.
“Cheers to 11 a.m.,” one woman said with a beer in hand Sunday morning.
A heat wave submerged downtown Morgan Hill this weekend with the thermometer tracking about 95-degree days.
“The weather wasn’t too bad, we still had a nice breeze,” said Chris Giusiana, Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce president who along with Chamber staff and volunteers organized the annual downtown event.
Despite the toasty afternoon temperatures, thousands of visitors danced to live music, walked the line of more than 160 booths and chowed down on a variety of local cuisine.
Attendees – many of whom have been to the annual festival more than once – reported a relaxing day full of entertainment for adults and children.
Sisters Marisa and Lyzandra Bartolo came to Morgan Hill from Santa Cruz, with their young sons, for the Taste of Morgan Hill. Their first time at the festival, the sisters were impressed and pleased their 4-year-old boys had fun.
“The girls came for the food, and the boys came for the cars,” joked Lyzandra, referring to the car show at the south end of the festival on Monterey Road. “It’s a nice weekend to be out somewhere.”
Headlining the Taste was the largest custom car show downtown has seen in years, according to organizers on the scene Sunday. Visitors were told to look with their eyes and not their hands at the vintage vehicles.
San Martin resident Russ Carr wasn’t worried if finger prints were left on his diamond blue beauty – a 1963 Ford Thunderbird convertible. For Russ and his wife Marilyn, the Taste is a place to share his iconic car and reminisce.
“It’s why we bring the car out– to talk. We’ll open the car up and let people sit in it and take a photo. For a lot of people it brings back so many memories, a lot of stories,” Carr said. He’s entered a T-bird in the show for “at least eight years,” he said.
Carr enjoys talking about the history of the car, as described in a short synopsis on a stand next to the Thunderbird: In 1963, it could be bought for a mere $6,741.10 brand-new with an AM radio and seat-belts.
Tim and Betsy Westman paused at the Chalfonte blue interior of Carr’s Thunderbird. The couple hails from Muskegon, Mich. and were en route to Palm Springs for the winter. A pit stop in Gilroy on the same weekend as the Taste nearby developed into a wonderful decision, Betsy said.
“I can’t believe how many people are here already,” she said about 11 a.m. “We thought we would be the first ones,” Tim said.
Carr and his wife invested in “his and hers” T-birds, though Russ served as the tour guide of the slick car Sunday. He made sure to mention the one on display was not his. The license plate? Her63TB.
Each year, Sunday seems to be the stronger day, according to Jeff Burrus, Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce vice chair.
“It’s a nice family affair, as has always been the case,” Burrus said.
One of the more popular attractions were the birds on parade on the steps of the Old Republic building between First and Second streets. Volunteers from the Wildlife and Education Rehabilitation Center brought their feathered friends, and one California King snake, to educate visitors about WERC and the animals.
Volunteer Patti McKay was on hand with a pint-size Western Screech Owl named Oscar to explain how he became blind in his left eye. As an infant 14 years ago, McKay said Oscar was likely hit by a car and lost sight from the accident. Now he’s a “foster father” to other infant owls that come through WERC.
The festival featured about 160 commercial and arts and crafts booths selling a variety of handmade jewelry, clothing, home decorations, lawn ornaments and more. Also featured at the festival were two stages of live music, with a full lineup both days.
“It take a huge amount of time and effort to put on an event like this,” Giusiana said.
Stacy Floyd came all the way from Los Angeles to visit local friends Joe Langdon, of Morgan Hill, and Deb Narasaki, of Palo Alto.
By lunch time, Floyd had already done at least some of her share of dancing to the live music, and couldn’t resist a bite of her friend’s tri-tip sandwich even though she’s a vegetarian.
“It was worth it,” Floyd said.
Three generations of the Parish family relaxed in the shade as they lunched on barbecue, burritos and hot dogs, with the grandchildren’s animal-shaped balloons scattered on the table in front of them.
Morgan Hill residents Bob and Joanne Parish have attended the festival for several years. Saturday, they visited with their son and daughter-in-law, who came from San Jose with their two children.
Alex Parish, 7, said her favorite part of the festival so far was “the puppies,” likely referring to visitors’ pets and animals up for adoption at the Friends of San Martin Animal Shelter’s booth. Nic Parish, 4, said his favorite part was “the rides” in the kids’ area on the north end of the festival.
The children’s father, Michael Parish said he enjoys the annual festival because it’s a “low-stress” event, especially as compared with the Gilroy Garlic Festival which attracts much larger crowds.
“It’s not packed with people,” Michael Parish said. “And the setting is great.”
Event organizers said they expected about 50,000 throughout the two-day event.
Part of the Chamber’s goal in hosting the festival is to provide an entertaining family-oriented event, while promoting existing businesses downtown, and Burrus said this year’s festival seemed to provide a “good mix” of traffic for downtown restaurants as well as the mobile vendors.
Patrons not only lined up for barbecue tri-tip sandwiches and frozen fruit smoothies, but packed establishments such as Rosy’s at the Beach, M & H Tavern and Ragoots.
Festival vendor Debra Ward, owner of the Moonshine Bay clothing boutique based in Santa Barbara, reported strong sales. She said sales Saturday – mostly for summer-style dresses – were better than her first day at Taste of Morgan Hill last year, her first time at the festival.
“But what I like the most is the people are so friendly,” Ward said.
The Taste of Morgan Hill seems to attract a more local crowd than other downtown events such as the Mushroom Mardi Gras and Independence Day festivities, vendors and visitors suggested.
“It was a wonderful event and a lot of our vendors are looking forward to coming back next year,” Giusiana said Monday.
