New Downtown Festival Coming To Menlo Park

It's the dawn of a new era on the event scene in Menlo Park.

Say hello to a vibrant new Menlo Summerfest, “Hot Fun In The Summertime”, coming up July 16-17 ... a breath of fresh air for Menlo Park's annual summer street fair presented by the Menlo Park Chamber of Commerce.

Menlo Summerfest replaces Connoisseurs’ Marketplace, the downtown festival organized by the Chamber of Commerce over a successful 29 year run. “We felt the time was right to rebrand and revitalize the festival, enliven and freshen up our offerings, and we’re all excited about the improvements and changes which reverberate across all aspects of the festival,” said Fran Dehn, President/CEO of the Menlo Park Chamber of Commerce.

Menlo Summerfest will transform charming, tree-lined Santa Cruz Avenue into a moveable feast of people and colorful tents for two days of world-class fun in the sun. The sensational lineup features Tropical Vibrations with stellar live music and Polynesian dance on the Soundwaves Stage in Fremont Park, the Aloha Stage at El Camino Real and throughout downtown, Artsplash with extraordinary fine art and cool crafts by 200 professional artists plus the Summer Vibes Art Contest, Mobile Eats with food trucks and booths, Deelish Drink with artisan cocktails, craft beer and premium wine, Savory City with the world’s finest artisan-produced specialty foods, the Super Duper Funzone with a host of awesome amusements for kids, and Fleet Feet’s Hot Fun Run.

Some of the re-branded components and changes include:

•Tropical Vibrations, the festival has upped the ante big time on its music mash with a focus on a tropical, summery sound – including expanding to two stages (Soundwaves Stage in Fremont Park and Aloha Stage at El Camino) plus four street musician locations throughout downtown. The smashing lineup includes The House Rockers, Pacific Soul Band, Fito Reinoso, Mitch Woods & His Rocket 88’s, The Reefriders, Pankind Steel Drum Band, Bob Culbertson, John Clarke, Heartstrings Music and Man In White plus the festive, tropical island sounds, rhythms and dance of AHAmele, Pumehana O’Hula, Kawailehua Hula Ohana, The Sunshine Coconuts and Stickdrum.

•The return of the Saturday evening after-hours concert – Summerfest Cool Down Concert, Saturday, July 16 from 5-7pm in Fremont Park, featuring Petty Theft, the sensational Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers tribute band revered up and down the west coast.

•Mobile Eats – a re-modeling of the food component with several new vendors, a different mix and greater variety of menu offerings utilizing food trucks and food booths.

•Deelish Drink – for the first time, signature Summerfest cocktails plus margaritas made from fresh fruit purees – mango, strawberry, cucumber jalapeno and traditional lime – plus premium fine wine and refreshing, seasonal craft beer.

•Artsplash – Pacific Fine Arts Festivals brings its world-class and diverse lineup of professional artists and fine craftmakers to showcase their extraordinary work with many new artists (more than 20%) and their latest handcrafted products featured. Plus the new "Summer Vibes” art contest among festival artists with $1,000 in prizes offered.

•Super Duper Kidz Funzone – organizers are bringing back the action-packed fun for kids in a big way: an ultra-thrilling bungee jump, wild and wacky waterballerz, a rock climbing wall, caricature artists, super cool face painting and henna tattoos, exotic French hair braiding, and our huge Summerfest Kiddieland area packed with the latest, exciting carnival style rides.

•Savory City – an array of artisan-produced specialty food sprinkled throughout the event provides the perfect opportunity to sample and purchase small-batch, handcrafted edibles as well as meet and chat with the actual producers.

•Summerfest Hot Fun Run – Fleet Feet Menlo Park is sponsoring the Hot Fun Run on Sunday, July 17 adding to the lineup of Summerfest events.

•A new management team installed to create, produce, market and execute the new event in concert with the Chamber of Commerce – Miramar Events, Team Pro Event and Pacific Fine Arts Festivals – all accomplished event professionals associated with some of the Bay Area’s most beloved events including the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival, Mountain View Art & Wine Festival, Sunset Celebration, Millbrae Art & Wine Festival, Los Altos Arts & Wine Festival and California Strawberry Festival.

Menlo Summerfest runs July 16-17 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Santa Cruz Avenue from El Camino Real to Johnson Street in Menlo Park. The Summerfest Cool Down Concert with Petty Theft runs after-hours on Saturday, July 16 from 5-7 p.m. in Fremont Park. Admission and parking are free. For festival information, call 650-325-2818,follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MenloSummerfest/ and visit our website http://www.miramarevents.com/

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WHAT: Menlo Summerfest, “Hot Fun In The Summertime”. Celebrate Good Times! The exciting, new Menlo Summerfest debuts with a vibrant, lively and sensational lineup: Tropical Vibrations, the festival’s big name music mash with stellar live music on the Soundwaves Stage in Fremont Park, the Aloha Stage at El Camino Real and throughout downtown, Artsplash with extraordinary fine art and cool crafts by 200 professional artists and the Summer Vibes Art Contest, Mobile Eats with food trucks and booths, Deelish Drink with artisan cocktails, craft beer and premium wine, Savory City with world’s finest artisan-produced specialty foods, Super Duper Funzone with a host of awesome amusements for kids, and Fleet Feet’s Hot Fun Run! The smashing music lineup includes The House Rockers, Pacific Soul Band, Fito Reinoso, Mitch Woods & His Rocket 88’s, The Reefriders, Pankind Steel Drum Band, Bob Culbertson, John Clarke, Heartstrings Music and Man In White plus the festive, tropical island sounds, rhythms and dance of AHAmele, Pumehana O’Hula, Kawailehua Hula Ohana, The Sunshine Coconuts and Stickdrum. Admission is free. Presented by the Menlo Park Chamber of Commerce.
WHEN: July 16-17, 2016. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days. The Summerfest Cool Down Concert with Petty Theft runs after-hours on Saturday, July 16 from 5-7 p.m. in Fremont Park.
WHERE: On Santa Cruz Avenue, Menlo Park, CA; between El Camino Real and Johnson Street.

INFO-LINE: 650-325-2818

WEBSITE: http://www.miramarevents.com/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/MenloSummerfest/