Depending on the weather, the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce
expects between 40,000 and 50,000 visitors from four counties to
attend this weekend to partake in the arts and crafts, food and
wine, rides and entertainment.
Depending on the weather, the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce expects between 40,000 and 50,000 visitors from four counties to attend this weekend to partake in the arts and crafts, food and wine, rides and entertainment. The Custom & Classic Car Show and Quilt Show, two popular Taste mainstays, will take place as well.
Ryan Walbrun, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service’s Monterey station, said to expect high temperatures, between 90 and 100 degrees, through Sunday. Walbrun said there may be some high clouds on Sunday, though. But other than that, it’s windless, sunny heat.
Heat didn’t stop festivalgoers last year, though, when a crowd of 47,000 total came to town for the Taste weekend. Temperatures then hit 97 Saturday and 92 Sunday.
Chamber President Chris Giuisiana said the layout is a little different this year, with three food courts throughout, two stages of live music including popular area blues performer Shane Dwight and a larger kid zone with rides. The Gilroy Elks will be on hand serving their signature shrimp scampi, and Taste favorites including funnel cake, kettle korn and Mansmiths Barbecue will abound as well, she said.
Businesses on and around East Third Street will get a brief respite from the construction this weekend, as flocks of hungry crowds – and possible patrons – will flood Downtown Morgan Hill, including Third, for the 20th annual Taste of Morgan Hill event.
Main Street Bagels owner David Trinh was heartened by the news. He said that, like the Independence Day Parade and the Mushroom Mardi Gras, the Taste is typically a big money maker for his shop at Monterey Road at Third.
“It will be better, probably draw a little bit more business,” he said. “But then again it will be interesting to see how it will play out, with what food groups will be allowed in (the food court on Third).”
Trinh said that during Independence Day’s morning events, his business makes enough money to supplement two slow days of sales. With the two-day Taste, which takes place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., he hopes to preemptively make up lost revenue he expects when the Third Street Promenade project moves to the north side of the street, where Main Street Bagels sits, after the event. Workers began the $3.7 million renovation project on the south side of the street in June. The project should be complete in December, the city projects.
The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. between Main and Dunne avenues on Monterey Road and First through Fifth streets.
Previous events have raised an average of about $40,000. The money is used for the nonprofit’s general operations.
For more details, visit morganhill.org.
