The city is poised for this weekend
’s 14th Taste of Morgan Hill, leaving the starting gate at 10
a.m. Saturday and Sunday mornings and running until 6 p.m. both
days. There is no admission charge.
The city is poised for this weekend’s 14th Taste of Morgan Hill, leaving the starting gate at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday mornings and running until 6 p.m. both days. There is no admission charge.
Besides the healthy line up of continuous entertainment on two stages – ranging from the Canyon Crew band to the San Francisco 49er Gold Rush Cheerleaders – plus local and visiting food, wines and beers, arts and crafts and booths of every description, visitors can take in a host of related attractions.
• At the shiny new Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center – Monterey Road at East Dunne Avenue – visitors will have a chance to take a look at the city exhibits showing off what is to come in the world of aquatics and recreation. After a few hours of tromping up and down the pavement, the center’s acres of cool, soft green grass and shade might be just the ticket for tired feet.
Cranky children will be revived in the interactive water feature – a quirky, colorful fountain near the blue and white Children’s Pavilion. The city staff has also prepared displays for two potential festivals. Take a look and tell them if you are interested, either as a volunteer or as a sponsor.
The weekend kicks off tonight when Juz Cuz plays the final Friday Night Music of the year, 7-9 p.m. on West Second Street.
Also Saturday and Sunday, fans of art have a treat in store from an exhibit on Italian street painting, co-sponsored by the local Sister City Committee, which has an Italian Sister City – San Casciano – in Tuscany. Street painting and pavement artists have a long tradition in Europe, dating back to the 16th century, where the painters were dubbed “madonnari,” or, Madonna painters.
The Italian Street Painting Exhibition will feature six artists ranging from relative novices to Ann Hefferman of Santa Barbara, an award-winning artist who has more than 15 years of street painting experience. Hefferman will be recreating Caravaccio’s “Basket of Fruit” for the exhibition.
A line-up of eight artists from around California will be “performing” their art on the sidewalk at the entrance to the Community and Cultural Center
• The public is also invited to a reception at 7 p.m. Saturday evening, also at the community center, to meet the artists.
Contact for the street painting festival is Rosemary Rideout at ri*********@***oo.com
Fans of cinema have a treat in store from the Poppy Jasper Film Festival. The festival is still in the early planning stages but, if there is enough interest among the film-going public, there is certainly enough interest among cinema fanatical volunteers. During the Taste, be sure to visit the Community Playhouse at East Fifth Street to take in films not normally seen in Morgan Hill.
Why would a film festival work in Morgan Hill? Local businessman and video expert Bill Leaman puts it this way: “There are many fine films that don’t make the cut at larger film festivals, yet are still creative, talent-driven pieces. Anyone who creates a film wants public exposure for his or her work. So why not make Morgan Hill one of the venues for this desired exposure while helping to raise funds for visual arts in Morgan Hill, and even scholarships for high school students pursuing filmmaking careers?”
• Fans, filmmakers, and businesses in helping organize or sponsor the Poppy Jasper Film Fest can contact Kim Bush at in**@*****************st.com.
BookSmart will host a two-day-long literary festival along with the Taste, where readers can come, meet and talk with authors and even have them sign your book. Subjects range from adventure to faith. Author appearances may be random over the two days. If you want to know about a specific author, call the store at 778-6467.
The authors: Ines Villasañe Leon, Viento del Sur; Lawrence Pratt, Zion’s Darkness – Where Faith Takes a Fatal Turn; Sandi Kantor, Kingdom of Hope – Psalms of Encouragement; Bernard G. Lord, Mandrake’s Mission and The Renaissance Group; Franz D. Kinkhorst, The Clone; Warren Dickman, Corballo’s Gold; Kathi Kamen Goldmark, My Shoes Keep Walking Back to You; Deborah Senior, If You Don’t Like the Feeling Why Go There?
Parking is available on the downtown’s perimeter including the Caltrain lot on Butterfield Boulevard. Access to the downtown is safer and easier this year with the at-grade crossing located just south of the little station building.
