Capitola Art & Wine Festival Celebrates 31 Years

Thirty-One years of fine wine, gourmet food, exquisite fine art and entertainment is what the Capitola Art & Wine Festival is all about. Local Artists Carrie Jacobson-May, Barbara Reding and Eric Johnson wanted to celebrate and showcase art in Capitola. The first Art Festival was in held in 1982 on the Esplanade. It was such a success that the following year more artists were added in addition to a few wineries so that people could enjoy strolling the Esplanade with a glass of wine to sip while viewing art. The Capitola Art & Wine Festival was then created. Over the years, the Festival grew, adding more wineries, artists, food vendors and entertainment. The Festival embraces the entire Capitola Village encompassing the Esplanade, Capitola, Monterey, and San Jose Avenues in a pedestrian only street festival.

Today, the Festival has over 150 fine artists, 22 Santa Cruz Mountains wineries, a dozen local food vendors, a children’s art area, and 2 full days of exciting entertainment including the Afro-Brazilian-Samba-Reggae sensation known as SambaDá, cascading waves of surf-rock from the Mermen, sultry rhythm and blues from Nora Cruz, and red hot rockin’ soul from The Fundamentals, plus local dance groups and street performers The Great Morgani and Jetlag the Clown.

Artistic talent ranges from exquisite jewelry to metal sculpture for the home, intricate blown glass, handcrafted leather goods and woodwork, water color and oil paintings, photography, and everything in-between; even a local face-painter for the children (or the child within). And for the budding young artists, there is a children’s art area with ongoing projects to entertain the younger set.

After tasting wines throughout the Festival, your favorites may be purchased to take home at the “Wine Buy the Bottle Booth” located on the Esplanade. New this year, and a great gift item, is a commemorative bottle of Pinot Grigio and Merlot featuring the 2013 poster artwork on the label. Merchandise including Festival poster, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and more will be available at both Merchandise Booths located on the Esplanade and on Monterey Avenue near the entrances to the Festival.

While the event is admission free, wine enthusiasts may purchase a 2013 Festival glass and tasting tokens at one of the Glass & Token booths conveniently placed throughout the Festival. Parking is free and easy at the Bank of America parking lot on 41st Avenue at the Capitola Mall where you can hop on a free shuttle that drops you directly at the Festival entrance.

The Capitola Art & Wine Festival is the biggest fundraising event of the year, not only for the Capitola-Soquel Chamber of Commerce (a non-profit organization), but also for the many local non-profit school and community groups that assist with the Festival. Over the last 21 years, the Festival has donated more than $130,000 to local non-profit organizations.

This year the following groups will receive proceeds from the Festival: Capitola Police Explorers • The Family Network, Inc. Adoption Agency • Harbor High School Leadership • Pacific Collegiate Fusion Dance Team • Soquel High School Music Foundation • Soquel High School Sports Foundation • Soquel High Boys Water Polo • Soquel High Girls Water Polo • Soquel High Girls Softball  • Soquel High Lacrosse

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For more information visit www.capitolachamber.com or call the Capitola-Soquel Chamber of Commerce at (831) 475-6522.