FREMONT: The Fremont Arts and Wine festival, hosted by the Fremont Chamber of Commerce, featured over 600 artisan booths; three stages with live music and performances; Kid City with activities and entertainment for the children; the Gourmet Marketplace; the Wine Garden; the Business Alley; and food prepared and served by local nonprofits.
Over 385,000 people attended the converge on the hundreds of booths lining five walking miles from Paseo Padre Parkway to State Street between Mowry, Beacon and Walnut avenues, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 2 and 3.
It is the largest free street festival west of the Mississippi River with an attendance of over 385,000 and at least 650 artisans.
As part of “Go Green” effort, the festival was more environmentally friendly. The Fremont chamber worked with Nothing Wasted to provide three types of waste disposal bins for organic waste, recyclables and regular trash in order to divert the amount of materials that go to landfills.
In the past 30 years of the festival, more than $9 million has been raised for local nonprofits, according to Fremont Chamber of Commerce President Cindy Bonior.
Admission to the festival was free; a ticket was only required for the Wine Garden, where guests partook in premium wines from local vintners and a buffet lunch that came with the perks of a VIP parking spot.
The Fremont Festival of the Arts featured wines from California and US wineries like Wente, Beringer, Columbia Crest. International selections like Alice White (Australia) have also been featured at past festivals.
Chrysler, Verizon, MahindraGenze, xfinity, Bay Home and Window, BART, GROCO CPA & advisors, Robson Homes to name a few were the major sponsors of this Fremont traditional event. Business Marketplace is the outdoor trade show at the Fremont Festival of the Arts, featuring Fremont Chamber of Commerce members.
Federation of Indo Americans of Northern California, FIA had a booth in the festival and kicked off the publicity for their own “Festival of India, 2014 and San Francisco Global movie fest?, a gala event which would happen at the same place on August 16 and 17.
Fremont residents were eager to know about the Indian festival and are looking forward to the FIA event which is spread for two days with cultural programs, parade, trade booths, free health fair, etc.
Vidya Sethuraman
India Post News Service
