Mountain View 51st Annual Art & Wine Festival, September 9-10, 2023
Big Crowd Expected For Silicon Valley’s World-Class Art, Music & Food Festival With a Host of New Flourishes and Tradional Features
Soak in the Cool Castro Street Vibe at “A Festival Like No Other”!
It’s no secret. Festival fans around the Bay Area know the Mountain View Art & Wine Festival is the crème de la crème on the Bay Area festival scene.
Voted “Best Festival in the South Bay” multiple times by readers of Metro and still hitting on all cylinders better than ever, this year’s spectacular 51st annual festival, September 9-10, promises to be a “Festival Like No Other” more than ever.
An authentic and moveable feast for the senses. The cool, vibrant, multicultural Castro Street vibe. The festival is a spectacularly fun celebration of life with a top shelf lineup featuring 300 of America’s finest artists and craftmakers showing exceptional handcrafted wares, stellar live music on stage and street throughout downtown, the Xfinity Pigskin Party Lounge with football and baseball on the giant screen TV, fabulously curated food and drink purveyors with premium wines, seasonal craft beer, and signature cocktails, artisan specialty food makers, sensational young performers strut their showstopping stuff on the Mountain View’s Got Talent Facebook Community Stage, the Kidz Fab Funzone with action-packed fun and games, Cornhole tossing game area, an organic and green products showcase, health and wellness displays, home and garden exhibits plus awesome sponsor product samples and swag giveaways.
New featured additions include Urban Canvas USA’s Italian Street Painting Block Party on California, EveryBodyCanPaint Inspiration Art Temple Collab and Dancepark DJ Jam on Dana, plus a special Swag City tent with a selection of branded merchandise.
Widely considered one of America's top art festivals, an enormous throng of art lovers is expected to pour onto Castro Street in Silicon Valley's epicenter for this “Cultural Community Celebration” presented by the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free.
The Beginning
Mountain View’s longtime signature event, the Art & Wine Festival was launched in 1971 as the first major fund-raiser for the Chamber of Commerce. Today, it is considered one of the nation’s top art festivals. Realizing the goal of its founders, the festival provides a consistent stream of revenue that helps fund Chamber programs throughout the year. Proceeds are invested in carefully crafted programs that help strengthen and bring together Mountain View’s diverse community. The Chamber in concert with its Foundation works to partner with businesses, local schools and nonprofits through various programs. The Chamber’s Foundation (MVCoCF.org) provides diverse programing aimed to help different areas of the community. These programs include Leadership Mountain View (lmv.education) which develops well-rounded and thoughtful leaders to move the community forward, Scholarship Mountain View, which supports scholarships for local high school students pursuing a degree, and I Love Mountain View (ilovemv.org) which acts as the virtual visitor center for the city.
Groova-licious Musical Mix ... Catch Stellar Live Music and Entertainment Everywhere
Get your groove on! Get ready – the greatest two days of live music and street entertainment Mountain View has ever experienced is coming with thirteen sensational bands and acts performing on the GPR Ventures Concert Stage in Civic Center Plaza and multiple locations throughout downtown. The dynamite, non-stop music lineup includes the big Saturday Evening Dance Party (4:45-7 p.m.) plus a stellar bill on stage and street both days. Follow us on Facebook to the be first to hear about the 2023 lineup!
Extraordinary Art and Fine Crafts – One of America's Top Art Festivals
California Artists brings its world-class stable of professional artists and fine craftmakers to showcase their extraordinary work in our Art With A Soul Show. Shoppers will find thousands of handcrafted items by America’s best artists and craftmakers while browsing among 300 well-stocked booths featuring original work in glass, ceramics, metals, fiber, leather, wood, jewelry, and fine art. Beautiful vases, clocks, dishes, wall and table decorations, paperweights, stained and beveled glass, etchings, sculptures, photography, oil and watercolor paintings, beadwork, gold and silver jewelry, vests, handbags, hats, wallets, footwear, and waterfalls will be among the thousands of one-of-a-kind items available.
Mobile Street Eats with Fabulously Festive Food
Festivalgoers will enjoy an array of delectably delicious food offerings in Mobile Street Eats with colorful food trucks, booths and carts placed throughout the festival site, plus there's dozens of artisan specialty food purveyors sprinkled in among the arts and crafts vendors with gourmet take-home treats. The food vendor lineup includes some of the Bay’s best: Alebrijes Oaxacan Kitchen, California Corn, Dippin’ Dots, Luv’s Brownies, Nahua Pizza, Poke Bar, Gourmet Faire, Barrett’s Lemonade, Indonesian Satay BBQ, Lins Dim Sum, Me Gusta Gourmet Tamales, Lemoine Creperie, HYGH Espresso, Hawaiian BBQ, Gourmet Faire, Cousins Maine Lobster, BNB Wings N’ Things, Aroma Concessions, Baskin Robbins, Phileas Fogg’s Fabulous Confections, Olde Tyme Kettle Korn and Tropical Hut.
Delectably Delicious Drink
Enjoy world-class craft beer and tasty cider from Seismic Brewing and Golden State Cider, plus delicious craft cocktails from 10 Barrel, 10th St. Distillery and Longboard Margarita Bar. For aficionados of fine wine, bubbly and refreshing sangria, there will be a premium selection of easy-drinking varietals from around the world… a premium selection of truly luscious vintages from several exceptional winemakers. Cool off, replenish and hydrate with a bottle of PathWater, 100% responsibly and locally sourced water in an aluminum reusable bottle. Sip your favorite beverage in a beautiful, collector-item wine or beer glass adorned with the stylish festival logo.
Savory City Artisan Specialty Food
For foodies, it doesn’t get any better than the artisan-produced specialty food available at the festival. It’s the perfect opportunity to sample and purchase these incredible edibles as well as chat with the actual producers.
Kidz Fab Funzone Sponsored by First Tech Credit Union and the Mountain View's Got Talent Meta Community Stage
The action-packed Kidz Fab Funzone (on Castro near Church) will keep youngsters plenty enthralled with ultra thrilling bungee jumping, wild and wacky waterballerz, one-of-a-kind balloon artistry, super cool henna art, glitter tattoos, face painting, hands-on crafts, kids clothing and toys, stuffed animals, hats and sunglasses and tons more! The Meta Community Stage returns with a dazzling array of gifted young performers who strut their show-stopping stuff in front of a live audience in this “Mountain View’s Got Talent” style showcase.
Xfinity Pigskin Party Lounge, New Location at El Camino End
Sports fans will have a place to relax and watch NFL and NCAA football and MLB pennant races on a giant LED screen in the Xfinity Pigskin Party Lounge. Located in a new spot at El Camino and Castro, there will be plenty of seating, festive food and drink, the Stay Cool Misting Tent and Cornhole Tossing game area. It’s the perfect spot to kick back and take a break while you enjoy a great day at the festival. Plus, if it’s a warm day, you can rinse off and refresh under the light spray in the Stay Cool Misting Tent!
Special Attractions
We’ve added some spectacular flourishes including Urban Canvas USA’s Italian Street Painting Block Party on California, EveryBodyCanPaint Inspiration Art Temple Collab and the Dancepark DJ Jam and Art Car on Dana, plus a special Swag City tent with a big selection of branded merchandise on California (wine and beer glassware, t-shirts, women’s tank tops, tote bags, towels and refrigerator magnets).
Reduce, Re-use, Recycle!
The Chamber of Commerce Mountain View is partnering once again with Recology Mountain View and the City of Mountain View to promote and encourage Zero Waste. Specially marked free-standing containers will be positioned at multiple receptacle stations throughout the festival pedestrian route for recycling and composting. There will also be large recycling and compost containers in strategic behind-the-scenes locations for event staff, vendors and sponsors to utilize. Festival organizers are also encouraging the use of public transit, bicycles and car pools to cut down carbon emissions and vehicular traffic. And once agian, the festival will be partnering with PathWater, selling its 100% responsibly and locally sourced water in aluminum reusable bottles.
Pay For Drink Tickets and Glasses With Credit/Debit Cards and Pay Apps!
For your convenience, pay for drink tickets and glasses using any major credit/debit card and pay apps at all Ticket/Glass booths spread throughout the festival site. See the Event Map for locations.
Bicycle Parking at Church and Castro, Managed by Friends of Stevens Creek Trail
Avoid the traffic congestion and ride your bike. Free centrally located and highly visible bicycle parking will be offered near the corner of Castro and Church Streets thanks to Friends of Stevens Creek Trail. Please bring your own lock. There are also ample bicycle parking racks located throughout downtown Mountain View – click here for the city’s bicycle parking rack online locator map.
Vehicle Parking
Free parking is available on streets and parking plazas surrounding the downtown area. Paid parking will be available both days (beginning at 9:30 a.m.) at these locations: 400 Castro Street (parking lot entrance on Bryant Street), Kaiser Permanente (555 Castro Street –– parking lot entrance on Hope Street), and the City of Mountain View parking Lot #12 (on Bryant between California and Mercy Streets).
Get Parking Details
Public Transportation
Taking public transportation to the festival is strongly recommended. Ride Caltrain, VTA Light Rail or VTA Bus service to the festival (exit at the Mountain View Transit Center). For VTA information and schedule, visit www.vta.org. For Caltrain information and schedule, visit www.caltrain.com/. Caltrain, VTA Light Rail and bus service drops riders off at the Mountain View transit center, just steps from the primary festival entrance at Evelyn Avenue and Castro Street.
Get Public Transit Details
Drop-Offs
For Para Transit, Uber, Lyft and other drop-off services, please direct them to Lot 12, located at 490 Bryant Street between California Street and Mercy Street.
Street Closures
Castro Street will be closed to traffic from El Camino Real to Evelyn Avenue for the two-day festival.
No Pets, Please
Pets are not encouraged at the festival with warm weather, food and large crowds making it an uncomfortable experience for pets. For the safety, comfort, and courtesy of your pets and festival-goers, please leave your pets at home.
Dates/Hours/Location
The festival will be held on September 9-10. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. The festival takes place on Castro Street from El Camino Real to Evelyn Avenue. Admission is free.
Get Directions
Social Media
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/MountainViewArtWineFestival
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/miramarcrew
