ABOUT THE EVENT

Millbrae Celebrates 42nd Annual
Labor Day Weekend Festival, The “Last Blast of Summer”

Massive Crowds Expected for Stellar Lineup of Music, Art, Food and Mardi Gras-Style Fun

The big one is coming! For some sun-splashed, Mardi Gras-style fun and an unbeatable entertainment value this Labor Day weekend, head to lively downtown Millbrae for the city’s annual big bash — the Art & Wine Festival, September 1-2. Every year, the last unofficial weekend of summer brings enormous crowds to town for the Bay Area’s biggest Labor Day weekend bash, transforming the delightful downtown streets into a resplendent sea of people and colorful tents. Stroll, browse, relax and enjoy a friendly and vibrant street fair with two days of stellar live music, gorgeous handcrafted work by 250 talented artists, fabulous food and drink, a microbrew tasting tent, the “Classically Cool Car Show”, an organic and green products showcase, artisan specialty foods, home and garden exhibits, health and wellness displays, and tons of fun for kids. The festival takes place on Broadway (1 block west of El Camino Real) between Victoria and Meadow Glen. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Admission is free.

Zero Waste Effort

The Chamber of Commerce will once again partner with South San Francisco Scavenger, Boy Scout Troop 355 and the City of Millbrae to promote and encourage recycling and composting at the festival. “Every day we talk about ways to reduce, re-use, and recycle,” said John Ford, President/CEO of the Millbrae Chamber of Commerce. “We’re on a mission to make this a Zero Waste festival.” Organizers are also encouraging the use of public transit, bicycles and car pools to cut down carbon emissions and vehicular traffic. Free round-trip shuttle service will be available from the Millbrae BART/Caltrain station every twenty minutes, dropping off and picking up riders at the south end of the festival near the intersection of Victoria and Broadway.

Stellar Live Music

Millbrae rocks like it’s nobody’s business! This year’s music lineup is top notch once again with nine fabulous bands playing a wide-ranging mix of 70’s disco, hip-hop, 80’s pop classics, 90’s party music, R&B, soul, funk, rock and roll, swing and jazz — a real treat for music lovers. The lineup includes David Martin’s House Party, Big Bang Beat, The House Rockers, Livewire, La Ventana, The Pulsators, Emerson, Jeffrey Martin, and HeartStrings Music. The festival will also feature a special performance by the Mills High School Pep Band to open the festival. In a new twist, the Bay Area’s legendary classic rock station, KFOX 98.5 FM/102.1 FM, hosts the Classic Rock Stage on Sunday.

Fine Art, One-of-a-Kind Crafts

Buyers and browsers will find thousands of handcrafted items in well-stocked booths covering several city blocks. Meet 250 exceptional artists and craftmakers—offering great variety and price points to satisfy every budget—on hand with their latest creations. Featuring original work in sculpture, paintings, photography, glass, ceramics, textiles, jewelry, leather, wood, metal and mixed media, the festival is considered among the top art shows in the Bay Area. Vases, flatware, clocks, dishes, wall and table decorations, paperweights, stained and beveled glass, etchings, sculptures, photography, oil and watercolor paintings, beadwork, gold and silver jewelry, vests, handbags, hats, wallets, footwear, windchimes, and waterfalls are among the one-of-a-kind items available.

Artisan Specialty Food

For foodies, it simply doesn’t get any better than the artisan specialty food available at the festival. The world’s finest purveyors will be on-hand to showcase, sample and sell their incredible edibles. Gourmet brownies, biscotti in many variations, almond toffee, salsa, dry salsa mixes, premium olive oil, family recipe dips, spices, sauces, garlic mushrooms, stuffed olives, mustards, pickled garlic, green beans and asparagus, fruit butters, marinades, curds and scone mixes, exotic jams and jellies, honey and honey products, butters and chutneys, vinaigrettes and dressings, all-natural almonds and pecans will be among the mouth-watering offerings to take home and savor.

Festive Food

Festival eateries will be serving up a world of flavorful, stroll-around fare — garlic fries, paella, artichoke crab cakes, teriyaki chicken skewers, spring rolls, succulent souvlaki, made-to-order crepes, spiced beef and lamb gyros, corn dogs, tri-tip, “Silly Spuds” potato spirals, Philly cheesesteaks, giant “bad ass” sausages, key lime/pesto calamari, smoked turkey legs, veggie wraps, kettle corn, frozen yogurt and more.

Delicious Drink

Enjoy a Sauza Original Margarita or Cruzan Rum Premium Mojito for a deliciously refreshing beverage alternative. The stellar wine list will feature several outstanding varietals—786 Chardonnay, Zellerbach Sauvignon Blanc, 786 Merlot, Zellerbach Cabernet Sauvignon and Toschi Zinfandel—perfect to sip while strolling, eating or enjoying the music. Beer lovers will be delighted with the assortment of world-class brews—Sam Adams Boston Lager, Sam Adams Oktoberfest, Blue Moon Belgian White and Coors Light. Huge thanks to DBI Beverage, our exceptional beer and wine sponsor! Sip your favorite beverage in a beautiful, collector-item wine or beer glass adorned with the stylish festival logo.

Microbrew Tasting Tent

Sample exceptional, seasonal brews like Anchor Hummingbird Ale, Anchor Liberty Ale, Ballast Point Pale Ale, Ommegang Belgian Pale Ale, Anderson Valley Summer Solstice, Pyramid Hefeweizen, Full Sail Session Lager, Full Sail Session Black, Full Sail LTD, Full Sail IPA, 21st Amemdment IPA, 21st Amemdment Back in Black, 21st Amendment Watermelon Wheat, Mendocino Brewing Red Tail Ale, and Mendocino Brewing White Hawk IPA. For $10, you get 3 tasting tickets, each good for a 6-ounce pour. The Microbrew Tasting Tent is located in the Cantina, near the Victoria (south) end of the festival.

The Classically Cool Car Show

The popular Cantina, a shaded oasis to sit down and take a break, returns to host the “Classically Cool Car Show”. Fans of classic, custom and exotic cars will be thrilled to hear that an incredible array of vintage touring cars, custom hot rods, powerful muscle cars, and sleek sports cars are just a sampling of the twenty or so cars expected to be on display each day. A different set of cars will be displayed each day, so it’s worth coming out both days to see the lineup. The Cantina is located near the Victoria (south) end of the festival.

Streets Filled With Talent Stage

An unabashed smash hit at last year’s festival, the "Streets Filled With Talent Community Stage" returns for an encore performance. "This stage is all about giving exciting, emerging talent from around the area a chance to do what all performers want to do: get in front of a live audience", says producing director, Ken Kelly of Ken Kelly Productions. "We will have some of our favorite acts back again along with some new talent that we've discovered over the past year".

Kids' Playland

Action-packed Kids’ Playland will fascinate kids with endless amusements. Among the exciting attractions super cool face painting and temporary tattoos, Mobile Rock’s challenging 24-foot climbing wall, kiddie train rides, the Great Crab Grab, inflatibles, bouncers and an incredible assortment of nostalgic carnival rides — a lineup of activities sure to keep youngsters mesermerized.

Home & Garden Exhibits

For home improvement ideas, check out product displays and chat with representatives from Renewal by Andersen, Heavenly Greens, Danmer Custom Shutters, Armstrong Installation Service, Cutco Cutlery, Gutter Helmet, BathFitter, OneLawn, Softub, Kitchen Experts of California, and The Craftsmens’ Guild.

Organic, Healthy & Green Products Showcase

This year’s festival will feature the latest and greatest exhibits featuring Organic, Natural, Healthy and Eco-Friendly products. Festivalgoers can enjoy free product samples and demos while experiencing first-hand how these products can help you live a better, healthier and “greener” lifestyle and be a positive catalyst for change. Sponsors include PG&E, Purity Organic Juice, Crystal Geyser Alpine Spring Water, The Solar Company, Sun Tropics, Larabar, Cascadian Farm, American Laser Centers, Mrs. Meyers Clean Day and Peninsula Health Care District.

Spectacular Sponsors

Win great prizes, enjoy free samples, meet the personalities and experience the latest products from festival sponsors: Stewart Chevrolet/Cadillac, Wells Fargo, DBI Beverage, Sam Adams Boston Lager and Oktoberfest, Blue Moon Belgian White, Coors Light, Sauza Original Margaritas, Cruzan Rum Premium Mojitos, Provident Credit Union, Your Bay Area Ford Stores, South San Francisco Scavenger, Ellis Eye & Laser Medical Center, The Golden State Warriors, AT&T “The Real Yellow Pages”, Bronzini Dental, BART, CBS 5 - Channel 5, The CW - Channel 44, KOFY TV 20, Comcast, Yelp!, Bay Area News Group, Got Daily Deals, The San Mateo Daily Journal, The Examiner, World Journal, Alice 97.3 FM, KFOX 98.5/102.1 FM, KOIT 96.5 FM, KCBS 740 AM/106.9 FM and KBLX 102.9 FM.

Public Transportation/Shuttle

Public transit systems BART, Caltrain and Samtrans will be running their holiday weekend service both days of the festival. For Caltrain and SamTrans schedule information, call 800-660-4287 or visit www.caltrain.com or www.samtrans.com. For BART information, visit www.bart.gov. Free round-trip shuttle service will be available from the Millbrae BART/Caltrain station every twenty minutes, dropping off and picking up riders at the south end of the festival near the intersection of Victoria Avenue and Broadway. The shuttle service is sponsored by the Best Western El Rancho Inn & Suites.

No Pets, Please

Pets are not allowed at the festival. For the safety, comfort, and courtesy of your pets and festival-goers, please leave your pets at home.

Festival Dates/Hours/Location/Street Closure

The festival will be held on September 1-2 (Saturday and Sunday of Labor Day weekend) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. along Broadway (1 block west of El Camino Real) between Victoria Avenue and Meadow Glen. Admission is free. Broadway will be closed to traffic from Victoria Avenue to Meadow Glen for the two-day festival. During the festival, vehicles may cross Broadway at Hillcrest and Taylor under the supervision of the Millbrae Police Department.

Info-Line

For festival information, call the Millbrae Chamber of Commerce at 650-697-7324.