Retired San Francisco 49er legend Dwight Clark had some help
from 150 food and arts and crafts vendors, a classic car show and
two full days of live outdoor entertainment when taking on the
season’s first rainfall Sunday at the 22nd annual Taste of Morgan
Hill.
Retired San Francisco 49er legend Dwight Clark had some help from 150 food and arts and crafts vendors, a classic car show and two full days of live outdoor entertainment when taking on the season’s first rainfall Sunday at the 22nd annual Taste of Morgan Hill.
And it appears Clark and team won, as about 50,000 people came to the two-day Taste of Morgan Hill, an outdoor food, art and entertainment festival that takes place annually downtown.
“People are having a really good time,” said Jeff Burrus, chair of the Chamber of Commerce board of directors, Sunday. The chamber is the festival organizer.
On Saturday and Sunday, the festival offered a variety of food, arts and crafts, casual street shopping, a car show and a quilt show for visitors and residents.
But the highlight for some patrons, such as Bob Zat, 71 of Morgan Hill, was the live entertainment.
Two stages – the main stage on Third Street and the Second Street venue – featured a full lineup of live music until 6 p.m.
Zat sat in the front row listening intently during solo blues guitarist Chris Burkhardt’s 90-minute set on Sunday. The south Morgan Hill resident had never heard of Burkhardt before, and he was impressed.
“He was phenomenal,” said Zat, a music enthusiast who just started playing guitar himself about two years ago. On Saturday, he enjoyed a performance by the School of Blues on the main stage.
Rain was also in attendance on Sunday; but the season’s first precipitation didn’t dampen any festival-goers’ spirits. A brief rain shower Sunday morning later returned after lunch, continuing intermittently with short showers throughout the afternoon.
Chris Guisiana, President of the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce, said there was a phenomenal response from local residents and merchants.
“Vendors and restaurants said they did better than last year, even with the rain,” she said. “We call it ‘pineapple rain’ because it was tropical like Hawaii.”
On Saturday afternoon the United Academy of Marital Arts performed demonstrations on the corner of Monterey and West Second in front of the Second Street stage to a cheering crowd.
Also on Saturday, onlookers may have had a sudden surprise on the corner of Monterey and West Third in front of the stage: a flashmob (an organized group that performs an act in a public location for a brief time and then disperses) suddenly began dancing to LMFAO’s song “Party Rock Anthem.”
Lisa Yearton, of Morgan Hill has been coming to the Taste since 1983 and was part of the flashmob.
“It was kind of fun,” she said, while enjoying a glass of chardonnay from the wine tasting tents. The flashmob lasted several minutes and was formed by a 24 Hour Fitness class instructor, Suzi Sellars, and her U-Jam class.
The entertainment wasn’t restricted to just music and dance demonstrations. On Sunday afternoon, retired San Francisco 49er legend Dwight Clark signed autographs for a long line of fans at the “Taste Tailgate,” an empty downtown shop converted into football-watching television lounge.
Morgan Hill residents Elena Kracht and Dori Patrinos couldn’t contain their excitement as they waited in line for an autograph and photographs with Clark.
“He’s amazing!” exclaimed Kracht.
Friends Sheri Murray, 37, and Jennifer Mckenzie, 36, are Morgan Hill residents and Taste of Morgan Hill regulars. They attended the downtown street festival with Mckenzie’s two children, who hopped in line for the rides as soon as they arrived.
Murray and Mckenzie were eager to start shopping as they waited for the kids and sipped on a glass of local wine outside Chase bank at Main Avenue and Monterey Road.
“I had to go to the bank and get money first,” Mckenzie laughed.
They think the festival’s vendors offer distinctive merchandise that “we can’t find anywhere else,” Murray said.
“The kids like the rides and the shopping, and we like the vendors, and the food – and the shopping,” she added.
Carol Long came to the Taste of Morgan Hill from Salinas to sell her handcrafted jewelry. She said her sales were slow, especially compared to business at other area summer festivals. Long thought fewer people attended Sunday than Saturday, but more people were buying from her the second day.
But she enjoys the vibe of the Taste of Morgan Hill, and she heard from other vendors that they had successful sales.
“This is my first time here, and it’s a very nice, well-behaved crowd,” Long said. “The way they set it up is wonderful. What a nice community – people have a lot of pride in the city. The music has been great.”
She plans to come back to the Taste of Morgan Hill next year if she is still making jewelry, which she does as a hobby.
Cupcake enthusiast and owner of Lulu’s Cupcake Shoppe, JoAnn Marshall took the opportunity this weekend to unveil a Taste of Morgan Hill exclusive: margarita and strawberry margarita flavored cupcakes.
“We use fresh ingredients: fresh lemon, lime,” she said. “The best seller (on Saturday) has been the Chocolate Lover. It has chocolate cake, caramel filling, ganache frosting and sugar pearls on top.” Enough to make any Taste of Morgan Hill attendee’s mouth water.
For store owner Teri Shindler of The Raggedy Heart on Monterey Road, weekends such as these are a merchant’s lifesaver, she said.
“We love having festivals and activities downtown. It’s a no-brainer. I think our shops all have the items, we just have to bring people in,” she said. “Probably this weekend will pay my rent.”
Nancy Stenger of San Jose, attended her first Taste of Morgan Hill, walking alongside of friend and multi-time visitor Roberta Curtis, who grew up in Gilroy.
“People are friendly, there are great stores,” said Stenger, who visited Carta Luna in the morning. “We like people who can create crafts. We get amazed at all the creativity.”
“I just enjoy looking at things and seeing people,” said Curtis. “It’s a great thing to do, especially on a beautiful day.”
Police reported no significant crime-related or medical incidents. On Saturday, two people were arrested – one on a warrant and one for public drunkenness.
View more photos of the Taste of Morgan Hill at our
