The Pleasanton Heritage Festival
September 22 & 23, 2007 - 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Main Street-Downtown Pleasanton
 PLEASANTON - Just in time to welcome the change of seasons, the Pleasanton Downtown Association will host the 24th annual Pleasanton Heritage Festival. More than 200 artisans will be bringing their talents to Pleasanton. From painters to fabric artists, potters to photographers, there will be something for everyone. Come check out the historical displays and the Pioneers of Pleasanton Exhibit presented by the Tri Valley Herald and enjoy demonstrations by experts in the "old time" arts such as bobbin-lace making, woodcarving and spinning. There will even be a blacksmith close by who will be happy to show you how to fit a horse for shoes!
And speaking of horses, Kalana Corral will have pony rides for the kids who want to giddy-up. For years now they have been teaching children the joy of riding. Perhaps your kids will discover their inner cowpoke. At the very least they will get a sense of what it was like a century ago as they sit high in the saddle.
"The Festival is a wonderful blend of the old and new," says Christine Salidivar, Executive Director of the Pleasanton Downtown Association about celebrating the past while enjoying the wide variety contemporary art which will fill the streets.
Also on the streets will be Model A's provided by the Santa Clara Model A's Club, Whizzers, antique motor bikes, and the P-Town Push Rods club will be showing off some of their classic cars. To top things off the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department antique fire truck will be on hand to admire.
Swing to the sounds of the street corner concerts with wonderful music provided by pianist Brian Kelly, Chapman Stick player Bob Culbertson, Hugo Wainzinger and Al Fabrizio who make up Heartstrings and the Latin sounds of guitarist Tom Duarte.
Spend the day enjoying tasty treats, everything from Greek gyros and dolmas to Philly cheese steak sandwiches, teriyaki chicken and ginger chicken bowls. For the carnivores there will be wood-smoked ribs, tri-tip sandwiches, pulled-pork sandwiches and of course the varied assortment of sausages and hot dogs.
And what would a festival be without specialty foods like gourmet pistachios, almonds & cashews, olive oils, specialty cured olives, olive spreads, balsamic vinegars, dipping oils and more. Just in time to do a little pre-holiday shopping!
Come out to the Pleasanton Heritage Festival and bring the family. Admission is free.
For more information please contact 925.484.2199 or visit the festival web site at www.mlaproductions.com.
# # #
top of page
Come out and listen to the street corner concerts
PLEASANTON - Pianist Brian Kelly began playing when he was only eight years old. The first piece he composed was for his mother. Since then he has written and produced more than 250 pieces. He counts among his earliest influences side two of the Beatles “Abbey Road” and a recording of Beethoven’s First Piano Concerto. This well known Bay Area musician will be just one of the acts providing music at the Pleasanton Heritage Festival this year.
Chapman Stick player, Bob Culbertson, whose shows have taken him to over 15 countries throughout the world and in his travels has placed him on the stage with entertainers such as Tuck and Patti, Steve Morse, Doobie Brothers, will also be on hand to entertain festival-goers with his evocative stylings.
Also on tap will be Hugo Wainzinger and Al Fabrizio who make up Heartstrings. This duo, known far and wide for their romantic Italian mood music will fill the air with the sounds of the mandolin and guitar.
To round the weekend out, Tom Duarte will be adding his talent to the mix providing a Latin sound with his guitar playing. His latest CD, Diamante, blends Brazilian grooves and fiery solo Flamenco pieces.
There is sure to be dancing in the streets at the Pleasanton Heritage Festival, September 22 & 23 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Main Street, Downtown Pleasanton. Admission is free.
For more information please contact 925.484.2199 or visit the festival web site at www.mlaproductions.com.
# # #
top of page
Throwing dishes keeps him centered
PLEASANTON - Berkeley potter, Danny Dastrup, of Centered Pottery, is well known in the San Francisco Bay Area for his beautiful ceramic pieces. After graduating from high school in Salt Lake City he began to study the art of the potter's wheel at Red Kiln Studios. In 2001 this talented artist moved to Berkeley where he not only shows his work at the Potters' Studio Gallery, but teaches classes as well.
"All of my work is created on a potters wheel," says Dastrup. He uses different slip techniques to add interest and texture. Dastrup is so involved in each step of the process that he even makes his own glazes using raw chemicals. The result is a rich, organic look to all of his work. Vases and vessels, pots and platters unique in their fine detail all a stand-alone work of art.
Danny Dastrup will be coming to the Pleasanton Heritage Festival, September 22 & 23, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Main Street in downtown Pleasanton. Come out and meet the artist and see just what it is that keeps him so centered.
For more information please contact 925.484.2199 or visit the festival web site at www.mlaproductions.com.
# # #
top of page
Their love of creating is as clear as glass
PLEASANTON - Perhaps it is the beautiful coastline inspiring Vince and Kerry Williams when they are creating their breathtaking pieces of glass. Or maybe it’s shifting colors of the sea, the rocky cliffs and the ancient redwoods. But whatever it is, these two Santa Cruz artists manage to turn out one luminous piece after another. Specializing in "pulled color" technique, they layer up to 15 different colors to achieve amazing intensity and depth. Using assorted glass blowing tools such as pipes and Kugler color rods they create sculptures, often fruits and vegetables and even shells, along with vessels, lighting and ornamental balls and orbs. Occasionally they add beads or metals to the pieces before finishing them. Each piece is a luminous creation which evokes feelings of tranquility, much like gazing out at the sea.
Vince and Kerry Williams will be packing up their work and heading inland to the Pleasanton Heritage Festival, September 22 & 23, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Main Street in downtown Pleasanton. Come by and visit with this couple that use the colors of the coastline in their exquisite pieces of art.
For more information please contact 925.484.2199 or visit the festival web site at www.mlaproductions.com.
# # #
top of page
An old tradition keeps this artist sharp
PLEASANTON - Right at about the same time man created fire and began to enjoy a well-cooked animal, perhaps knives were also invented. And while the human race has evolved, we do still like a good barbecue and need for fine cutlery. Mountain man and artist, Paul Smith, is drawn like a moth to the flame when it comes to creating knives. Each one of his pieces is a unique example of how stone knives have been made for centuries.
"I started learning to make them 14 years ago," Smith said from high in the Colorado Mountains. Given an extremely rough cancer diagnosis, he decided to begin living the life he truly wanted, that of a wandering mountain man.
While he was in Taos, New Mexico at a Mountain Rendezvous, a gathering of folks who enjoy recreating the life style of the pre 1840's, he learned to make the knives which allowed him to carve away his old life and create a life better than he could have ever imagined. Now healthy, Smith travels around our beautiful country attending Mountain Rendezvous, art shows and festivals with his Texas cow dog, Ginger. The two of them have seen sights most of us never will and over the years he has taken his art to an entirely new level. He says of his art:
"Using man's ancient art of flint making, I hand flake beautiful knife blades out of stone," says Smith. And each of his knives has a handle worthy of the blade. Some are carved from deer antlers, others of stone. Each and every piece is designed and created by the artist himself in his mobile lapidary shop.
Paul Smith will be bringing his collection to the Pleasanton Heritage Festival, September 22 & 23, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Main Street in downtown Pleasanton. Stop by and visit with a craftsman who finds beauty in doing something the old fashioned way.
For more information please contact 925.484.2199 or visit the festival web site at www.mlaproductions.com.
# # #
top of page
Wrap yourself up in her art
PLEASANTON - Louise Noel Howes would be the first to tell you that there is beauty to be found in the unexpected. Louise is a silk artist who uses her home in the eastern Sierras as inspiration for her richly colored designs. She has learned over the years that you can't always control the medium but that only adds to the excitement of her craft. >From colorful landscapes filled with blooming wildflowers to striking images of the clear blue waters of Lake Tahoe, stories unfold against the smooth shimmery silk. For almost four decades this creative artist has been painting and drawing, exploring fiber arts and quilt making and has even spent quite a bit of time spinning the potter's wheel. But when she was introduced to painting on silk in 2002, she found a new direction for her creativity.
"Working with silks and dyes has changed the way I view the world," Howes says in her artist's statement. A born storyteller, she uses fabrics and dyes to illustrate them.
Louise Noel Howes will be bringing her silks and her view of life to the Pleasanton Heritage Festival, September 22 & 23, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Main Street in downtown Pleasanton. Stop by and visit and let her tell you the stories behind every luscious painting.
For more information please contact 925.484.2199 or visit the festival web site at www.mlaproductions.com.
# # #
top of page
More than fall colors coming to town
PLEASANTON - "I have never participated in the Pleasanton Heritage Festival before and am very much looking forward to the opportunity," says photographer Kenneth Wischmeyer of the September event. An active photographer since 7th grade, this artist has enjoyed a professional career for more than 25 years. He not only continues to create works of art with his camera, but teaches others at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and UCLA Extension classes. Influenced by impressionist paintings, he has become known for his digitally stylized urban and rural landscapes and cityscapes. The photographs are then printed on canvas, matted and framed. The colors are rich and vibrant and the light almost translucent. His work has a dreamy feel, as if the viewer could step inside the picture if only for a moment.
Come out and see what this talented artist has been up to for the last quarter century. Meet the man behind the pictures at the Pleasanton Heritage Festival, September 22 & 23, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Main Street in downtown Pleasanton.
For more information please contact 925.484.2199 or visit the festival web site at www.mlaproductions.com.
# # #
top of page
Her jewelry says a lot about her, but maybe more about you
PLEASANTON - Santa Cruz artist Kelly Morgen believes that ever woman has an inner goddess waiting to be discovered and honored. Her jewelry reflects that belief. A graduate of Williams College in Massachusetts in 2005, she spent time in Florence, Italy taking courses in Batik, Photography, Italian, Art History, and Metalsmithing. Within two weeks she had fallen in love with creating jewelry. As she followed her new path it led her to southern Montana where she apprenticed with Cherokee shaman and silversmith Heyoka Merrifield. He taught his eager pupil to create a unique blend of Art Nouveau and Native American-inspired jewelry. From there, this young traveler headed back to California eventually settling in Santa Cruz where she has been turning out one-of-a-kind works which evoke the image of the goddess within. The silver in her pendants and rings is hand-sawed, the beautiful faces of each goddess carved out of ivory using recycled piano keys. A sacred ceremony is performed over each piece before it is declared finished.
Kelly Morgen will be taking her goddesses to the Pleasanton Heritage Festival, September 22 & 23, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Main Street in downtown Pleasanton. Stop by and visit with her and see if you too have your own inner goddess just waiting to be released.
For more information please contact 925.484.2199 or visit the festival web site at www.mlaproductions.com.
# # #
top of page
Hot rods are part of our heritage
PLEASANTON - The Pleasanton Heritage Festival may be about celebrating the past, those good old horse and buggy days, but having fun with horsepower will also be on the agenda for the September weekend. The P-Town Push Rods, which was started 11 years ago, is a club made up of enthusiastic car lovers who like almost nothing more than tinkering with classic cars, muscle cars, and hot rods. The only thing more important to the club are the charitable works they do. One of their favorite annual events is their Turkey Run in November where hundreds of the birds are donated to local churches to be distributed to the poor. But there will be no turkeys among the cars they will be showing off at the Heritage Festival. They will have some of their finest vehicles on display on Saturday on Main Street between St. John and Spring Street. Joining them will be cars from the Mustang Club and even a few Modified Hotrod Pick Up Truck owners.
Sunday at the same location you'll find the Santa Clara Model A's Club with their spit shined classics. And they won't be alone. Antique motorbikes, Whizzers, will be zipping around as well. Then to top things off, the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department will be bringing out their pride and joy, an antique fire truck sure to light a fire in the eyes of every kid on the street. And maybe even the big kids too.
Come out to the Pleasanton Heritage festival, September 22 & 23, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. main Street Downtown Pleasanton. Admission is free.
For more information please contact 925.484.2199 or visit the festival web site at www.mlaproductions.com.
# # #
top of page
Photo-ops with the ponies
PLEASANTON - Once again the wranglers from Brentwood's Kalana Corral will be rounding up and saddling ponies for the kid's enjoyment at the Pleasanton Heritage Festival. For some children it may be their first close encounter with the friendly four legged animals. For others who have enjoyed past years playing cowboy or cowgirl at the popular weekend event, it could be something they have waited for since last year, chomping at the bit to climb into the saddle once again to ride’m cowboy. To gallop back in time and live for a while as kids did decades back riding through the meadows of what is now Pleasanton, in the hands of experts, as Kalana Corral focuses on teaching children about animals by creating a positive learning environment. To insure the good times are not forgotten, photos of the cowpokes will be available to take back home to the ranch, or even the apartment.
Come out to the Pleasanton Heritage Festival, September 22 & 23, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Main Street, Downtown Pleasanton. Admission is free.
For more information please contact 925.484.2199 or visit the festival web site at www.mlaproductions.com.
# # #
|
