The 24th annual Taste of Morgan Hill food, art and entertainment festival hit the jackpot by keeping live entertainment going well into the evening Saturday, organizers said.
Last weekend’s festival marked the first time that Taste of Morgan Hill organizer, the Chamber of Commerce, decided to stay open past 9 p.m. the first day of the two-day event.
Shane Dwight and his band – always a big draw for local crowds – performed at the festival’s Third Street stage from 7:15 to 9:15 p.m., keeping hundreds of spectators dancing in the streets of downtown Morgan Hill while the festival’s beer and wine tents continued to pour beverages.
“We tried a whole new way of doing it (Saturday), and we’re thrilled how it turned out,” said Chamber Executive Director John Horner.
“Everyone looked like they were having a great time” during the late-night Shane Dwight performance, added Chamber Director and festival chair Tim Hennessey.
The Taste of Morgan Hill festival closed down Monterey Road in downtown to vehicle traffic. The downtown was filled instead with scores of food, arts and crafts and other merchandise vendors, three stages featuring full lineups of live music, and visitors and residents strolling the scene on foot.
“It’s really special having (the festival) right in the heart of town, under the trees, and seeing everybody having a good time,” Horner added.
Organizers did not take an estimate of the two-day festival attendance, but Horner said it was easily in the “tens of thousands.”
Morgan Hill Police, who patrolled the festival on foot Saturday and Sunday, reported no calls or incidents of violence or medical emergencies during the two-day event.
