Love all Los Altos festivals and fairs. The more the merrier. Arts & Wine, seasonal, Earth Day,…read moreFine Art in the Park, Pet Parade, Third Street Green, First Fridays, Farmers Market weekly, too many to list but not nearly enough fun. It's all good. The 25th Annual Los Altos Fall Festival took place on Saturday and Sunday, October 1-2, 2016 in downtown Los Altos. I visited both days. The Classic Car Show was a highlight. Amazing antique and vintage sportsters, sedans, and trucks. Also, Little Explorers Petting Zoo. Absolutely adorable little pig the size of a rabbit. Your usual arts and crafts booths, live entertainment, fine wines and micro-breweries, food, children's corner with games and activities, all of it present. This one is a lower key event. The antique and vintage cars on display are much fun to check out, perhaps to chat with the owners. My wife was smitten by the 1967 Porsche Slate Grey 912 (pun intended). TheSlateGrey (Der Graue Fuchs) was ordered by its original owner, George, in the summer of '67 at a cost of $4.5K, and arrived from Germany to San Francisco on the Madam Butterfly - a ship used for Porsches only. 49 years is no joke, all of it happily lived in the Bay Area, has never been restored. All the original parts and interior, paint and engine, can you imagine! The Grey Fox is as good as new and very handsome.

Our friends turned us on to this event and it was so darn cute! It will probably make our go-to…read morelist next year! One end cap seemed to be where the bulk of the handmade vendors were, which I appreciated. I'm usually not a big food or Win A Vacation tent goer, so having all the things I was there for at one end was marvelous! We loved the bow vendor Min, who had fabulous prices at $1 for the smaller non-matched bows. Super cute! Another favorite was the beautiful die cut card vendor. I purchased one for my mother and the honey one just for our living room! Topping off the awesome vendors were the handmade coasters at $5 each and Macarons A Go Go with their Yoda themed tasties, a favorite of mine when I lived back in the South Bay! This was a great way to start out or Craft Fair season! Yay Los Altos Fall Festival!

First time to this Festival and initially felt a little claustrophobic walking the first two blocks…read morewhen we arrived around 12:15 pm on a Saturday. However, after walking the first two blocks and for whatever reason there seemed to be more space to walk without bumping into other folks. Weather temperature was perfect and it's nice that Castro street is lined on either side of the street with trees which shaded the sun. I actually ended up buying a piece of sale cloth stainless steel bracelet from one of the vendors.

This is one of the premier outdoor festivals in the bay area, every year it gets bigger. Love that…read morethey added more food vendors. It seemed like they had a better variety of food. This year they advertised over 400 vendors. I think that some vendors were a bit expensive,but I'm sure that it's to cover the cost of renting a spot. I guess that you have to pick and choose who you want to support. I try to support the small shop owners as much as possible. Not everything needs to be purchased from Amazon. I think that events like this help not only local merchant's,but the local restaurant along the streets. Most of the restaurants were crowded. Can't wait till next year

This was an amazing art and wine festival. It was easily a city block worth of booths and a…read morewonderful array of vendors. We purchased a really cool print from a so cal artist. Prices of wine were reasonable, I got a solid cup of white for $8 (4 tickets.)

The Los Altos Art & Wine Festival is held in downtown Los Altos, primarily on Main St & State St…read more Parking in the area is very limited. It helps to arrive early to find parking in nearby streets. This event always draws a lot of people. The live music is always good. There is plenty of variety in the booths lining both streets. This one in Los Altos was superior to the Art & Wine Festival in Sunnyvale last month. There is way more art in Los Altos than in Sunnyvale, in many different styles. There was way more variety in vendors, which made this event more enjoyable. You find art, crafts, clothing, toys, gifts, etc. And you'll also find several wineries attending. There was something interesting for everyone. (My impression of Sunnyvale's Art & Wine was that there were too many vendors selling the same thing, for example, multiple booths selling forever jewelry or press on nails.) There was a good variety of food booths, plus the usual downtown restaurants. I like to stop by Red Berry Coffee Bar for coffee. State Street Market is also a nice small food hall when people want to eat different things. I look forward to coming back next year.

I've been coming to the Willow Glen Holiday lights for almost 10 years now, and it is pure…read moremagic...minus the crowds. It's amazing to see how all-out so many of the houses go, just about every single one has some sort of Christmas or Hanukkah display, light, or decoration. It's also amazing how much more crowded it gets every year. I used to drive it, but now I don't dare try. I'll typically park near one of the main streets and get out and walk. This is usually much more enjoyable since you aren't having to fight nonstop car and foot traffic. This year I went a little late in the season and even walking it wasn't all that enjoyable because of the groups of 15+ people together and the people running around doing a scavenger hunt, so lesson learned. This past year we parked a bit further and got to see some displays that I either haven't seen in the past or are newer, but it was nice to stroll the less crowded streets and still enjoy the holiday magic. Unlike in years past, there were even street dog vendors out this time around. Felt like I was leaving a concert or a sporting event!

We visited the Willow Glen Christmas lights after dinner to walk off our meal, and it quickly…read morebecame more than just a walk. What we thought would be a short stroll turned into a full holiday experience, one of those nights where Christmas feels alive. We have seen many decorated streets and cul de sacs before, but Willow Glen surprised us. Multiple neighborhoods followed shared themes, with streets labeled things like Candy Cane Lane and Santa's Sleigh and Reindeer. It felt like walking through a storybook, where each street had its own chapter. The decorations were beautiful and thoughtful. Some areas felt like a small festival, with trains, horse carriages, brews on bicycles, and families everywhere enjoying the moment. Vendors selling churros, hot chocolate, hot dogs, and light up toys added to the fun. These streets truly embody Christmas, warm, joyful, and full of wonder. The highlight of the night was meeting Mrs. Santa Claus of Willow Glen. She was kind, welcoming, and full of heart. She hosted the churro truck and clearly gives so much back to the community. She felt like the soul of the neighborhood, a reminder that Christmas magic often comes from people, not just lights. Bring your family and friends and take your time walking around, or enjoy it from your car. There is so much to see and feel here. This is the kind of place that turns a simple evening into a memory, and it will definitely be an annual Christmas tradition for us.

Mountain View's version never disappoints. While I do not drink, I recalled them offering 5 types…read moreof German beer, several types of wine, and bottle water. The food offerings were standard fare: German food and art/wine goodies. The huge tent was packed with more patrons than ever before. As usual, the bands and contests (stein holding, costume, beer belly, and yodeling) were the highlights.

Was almost 100 degrees out this past Saturday, but that didn't stop us from attending this free…read moreevent in Mountain View and celebrating Oktoberfest! It was loud as hell inside the main tent from all the chatter among hordes of visitors crowding underneath the shade, seeking relief from the blazing heat. But the old-looking speaker system still did its job, as the live music could be enjoyed even without the best sound quality, volume was just right with fun performances on different instruments like the saxophone, accordian, trombone, slide guitar, and bass. Big Lou's Oktoberfest Band was amazing on stage in the afternoon. The entertainment didn't stop there. The audience was able to engage in a number of amusing competitions throughout the day... yodeling contests, costume contest (the winner dressed as a beer mug), beer belly contest (with silly contestants showing off their gut to the crowd), stein holding contest (separate men's and women's), and a chicken dance. We had fun watching, participating, and just being filled with laughter. There were several food tents offering a combination of German dishes and your typical fair food. The sausage plate was delicious. Tried several beers too and they were all pretty good, especially Stein's Oakland United Beerworks Tropical IPA. But in the spirit of this festival, of the german beers, my fave was the Weihenstephaner Hefeweizen. The size of this event was not very large, taking up just 1-2 blocks, and street parking not too difficult to find. The main attractions were the beer and entertainment, and we definitely had a great time taking advantage. There were also just a few merchandise vendors including face and arm painting, as well as a whole section/street with porta potties. Overall, a well organized event, hardly a wait for anything, and lots of friendly people all around.

Whether it is cold, wet, or nice, we have been enjoying this with or children, and now, our grand…read morechildren too, for years and years. Grabbing a spot on the curb is difficult. Parking is a bear. The parade moves quickly, the bands are always good, the floats are fun.

Totally charming and a fairly impressive undertaking for a small(ish) town. Lots of floats…read moresponsored by local businesses and organizations, and marching bands from nearby high schools, all lit up like a gentler version of Disney's Main Street Electric Parade. We came with our 1yo daughter and didn't even arrive until after 6pm, but were able to catch the parade at the very end of the route. Cute and creative floats, low on tackiness, great for kids, and everyone participating seemed to be having a great time. Would go again!

The Sunnyvale Art & Wine Festival celebrated its 50th year this past weekend, bringing good eats,…read morelive music, art and merchandise booths, and just a lovely atmosphere for individuals of all ages. The event was set up along East Washington, near Historic Murphy Avenue, and stretched to East McKinley (near Target), with the main food vendor and entertainment area taking over an entire parking lot and block. Seating was limited. But there were more than ten food trucks/stands offering pizza, bbq, vietnamese cuisine, ice cream from Mister Softee, and more. There were also drinks stands selling lemonade and alcoholic beverages (of course, wine). I snacked on some savory filipino empanadas from Tita Weewin's and a delicious sushi taco from Aki (a vendor based in SF). I also perused the amazing variety of merchandise tents and displays lining the streets, including some of the most beautiful collections of artwork I've ever seen, especially one of my faves, CatZooArt as well as as a vendor selling awesome vintage menu art. I enjoyed the live music taking place throughout the festival. On the main stage, Ryan Woodward & J Stewart played a variety of songs on the guitar and vocals, like Tom Petty and Dave Matthews Band covers, followed by the Sean Carscadden Trio entertaining the crowd on Saturday afternoon. Other tribute bands were scheduled to take the stage throughout the two-day event too, as well as street performers such as Bob Culbertson, a musician playing lovely tunes, including the Harry Potter theme song, on the chapman stick, a unique string instrument I was unfamiliar with until this day. In addition, the event offered art workshops and fun activities for kids, like a spider jump bungee trampoline and water ballerz (giant "hamster balls" for humans to climb inside and walk on water). No shortage of options for things to see, do, and appreciate. I certainly had a good time.

The festival is at the same place as the farmers market. So there is plenty of parking…read more The art just seemed ok. Nothing really stood out. Same with the food trucks. Nothing really looked good or smelled appealing. The line for soft serve was the longest..the high light was the many options for kids

Ever wonder what must be on your calendar for fun in the SF Bay Area?…read more You must mark your calendar for Los Altos First Fridays!! I must credit my friend Niki for letting me know about this special event to look forward to monthly and gem of an event in the SF Bay Area. Downtown Los Altos has become such a nice to walk, get groceries, your passport renewed at the library, visit the post office, stroll, have a meeting or meal and drinks with mom or friends and even meet old high school classmates for a reunion. It's really become a very nice place to be overall on the peninsula and to add to all this goodness, every first Friday Los Altos transforms into a really beautiful community where people are friendly and happy enjoying a different live music band on every corner or so and making new friends, sometimes there is a shop to check out and some food and drink to enjoy too.

Free music event in downtown Los Altos, with more than ten different bands playing in various…read morelocations, in front of restaurants and businesses, and at different street corners... rock, jazz, blues, dance music, you name it... something for everyone. Some of the performances I was able to enjoy this past weekend include JD and the Shout (rock n roll) at La Boulanger, Fully Funded (rock tunes, and renditions of songs like Bob Marley's Three Little Birds) at Assistance League of Los Altos, Jazz Before Midnight (jazz and swing music from the 30's, 40's, and 50's) at BK Collections, Simon Santiago (acoustic rock and pop) outside of Amandine Lounge, The Fog (classic rock) at Veterans Community Plaza, and 9 South (rock covers, and songs like Dancing in the Moonlight) inside State Street Market where I had dinner and drinks with a friend. My fave of the night was Wandering Acoustics (classic oldies, rock, country, and pop hits from the 60's to 90's) at The Post.  So much energy and beautiful performances on the guitar, violin, tambourine, and cajon drum, with songs like Sweet Caroline, Happy, and I'm a Believer, as well as some Foo Fighters and Johnny Cash. The band noted that they do live music at this location every First Friday, so I'll definitely come back next time. All of the musicians and sound system setups were impressive. Never seen so many bands playing all at once, what a wonderful event for the music community and neighborhood! Spread out nicely throughout the downtown area too... walking along the streets, as soon as the sound faded away from one spot, music from the next one could be heard, leading to another pleasant stop. Combine that with some good eats and lovely weather, I couldn't ask for a better night out.