An art fundraiser and new farmers market downtown usher in a summer of fun for Gilroy residents and visitors alike on Friday, June 2. Then Fifth Street Live, the popular live concert series with gourmet food trucks from Moveable Feast, returns June 16.
“I hope the community can get back out like last year,” said Zach Hilton, promoter of Gilroy First Fridays, when downtown merchants, mostly bars and restaurants, stay open late the first Friday of the month.
Last year’s Fifth Street Live concert series with Moveable Feast proved a hit with Gilroy residents, attracting thousands to downtown. This year, the event that shuts down Fifth Street and parks food trucks along Gourmet Alley is back for a 10-week run, with live music from Bobby Love & Sugar Sweet on June 16.
“Once again we’ll have a great community building event in Gilroy where neighbors can connect over the summer, get dinner, hear great live, local music, and now do their produce shopping for the week,” said Melanie Corona, coordinator for the Gilroy Downtown Business Association and organizer of the Fifth Street Live concert series with Moveable Feast.
Sponsored by the Gilroy Demonstration Garden, the Gilroy Spice of Life Certified Farmers Market in downtown Gilroy will be located in the parking lot of newly opened Greenhouse Coworking at the corner of Fifth and Monterey streets. A ribbon cutting with Mayor Roland Velasco will be at 4:30 p.m. on June 2.
It’s been two years since Gilroy has hosted its own farmers market. The last one near the main public library was operated by the California Farmers Market Association, which organizes farmers markets up and down the state, including the one in nearby Morgan Hill. This year, the farmers market goes back to its roots as an entirely local affair.
“We’ll start out with about eight vendors and grow as the summer goes along,” said David Jamrock, the market’s coordinator and local farmer and chef behind the popular farm dinners at the downtown demonstration garden on Eigleberry Street.
“We will also have a stand selling potted plants, vegetable starts—everything we have in the demonstration garden, including cherries, strawberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash.”
Proceeds from the market will help support activities at the garden, including classes for youth and teens and ongoing maintenance costs. The garden’s first farm dinner of the season will be held on summer solstice, June 21.
That first Friday in June will also feature a Paint Night fundraiser for Rebekah Children’s Services Family Resource Center at Old City Hall Restaurant. Led by Complementary Colors Art Studio artist Tamura Miguel, who used to teach life skills at the center, the evening will include posh nosh, a no-host bar and art supplies.
“When we are all painting it’s just calm, magical fun,” said Miguel as she shows the completed canvas that will be the model for the evening—a detail of blue, crashing waves.
A Gilroy High School alumna who received a degree in arts education from San Jose State and later taught high school level art, Miguel started holding paint nights just last year, and the business has taken off.
“Art teaching jobs are very hard to come by and I started to think, if not now, never,” said Miguel, who does corporate events and private functions. For those who like to get a little tipsy while getting creative, Miguel has upcoming paint nights at Lodge on the Hill and Chevy’s. Check her out on Facebook/Complementary Colors Art Studio.
Miguel got started doing paint night fundraisers through her connection with her former art teacher at St. Mary School and owner of dabble Art Center in Gilroy, Sheryl Cathers.
“I just wanted to throw myself into the arts,” said Miguel, who in addition to running her own small business has recently joined the Gilroy Arts Commission, the design committee of the Gilroy Downtown Business Association and is working on a new mural outside BookBuyers in downtown Gilroy.
“Hotranatha Ajaya had a vision that was far more grand than we ever had planned,” said Miguel of the used bookstore owner. The five-panel mural at the back of the store is still in the beginning stage, but when completed will depict magical scenes of a young girl dancing and mother and son reading in a garden.
Gilroy Spice of Life Certified Farmers Market at Fifth and Monterey streets, 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Fridays starting June 2. Paint Night fundraiser at Old City Hall starts at 6:30 p.m. Tickets: $35.
