THIS WEEKEND Millbrae Celebrates the big 48th Art & Wine Festival

Let the good times roll as we celebrate #48! The festive spirit and flavor of the “Big Easy” is coming to the Bay Area! For some sun-splashed, Mardi Gras-style fun this Labor Day weekend, head to lively, pulsating downtown Millbrae for the city’s annual big bash –– the 48th Millbrae Art & Wine Festival, September 1-2. Every year, the last unofficial weekend of summer brings massive crowds to this peninsula city, that could easily serve as a typical small town movie set, for the Bay Area’s biggest Labor Day weekend bash, transforming its charming downtown streets into a resplendent sea of people and colorful tents.

Presented by the Millbrae Chamber of Commerce, the festival is the “Last Blast of Summer” with two days of sensational live music, beautiful handcrafted work by 250 of America’s top artists and craftmakers, fabulous food and drink, premium wine, refreshing sangria, seasonal craft beer, signature cocktails and margaritas, Cornhole game area, Stay Cool Misting Tent, “Hops Haven” 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.

STELLAR LIVE MUSIC EVERYWHERE
Millbrae totally rocks! Two full days of live music on stage and street turn downtown Millbrae into the Bay Area’s entertainment hotspot for the weekend. The dynamite music lineup features eleven bodacious, big name bands including Petty Theft, Illegals, Rock Steady SF, East Bay Mudd, Patron Music, Viva La Reve, Loudin’ Cleer, John Clarke, Bob Culbertson, Stephen Dreyfuss and HeartStrings Music

ART EXPLOSION – ORIGINAL FINE ART, COOL CRAFTS
Team Pro Event brings its world-class stable of professional artists and fine craftmakers to showcase their extraordinary work. Festivalgoers will find thousands of beautiful handcrafted items in well-stocked booths covering several city blocks. Meet 250 exceptional artists and craftmakers –– offering outstanding quality and 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.

FABULOUSLY FESTIVE FOOD
Bring your appetite! Festival eateries will be serving up a world of flavorful fare –– sweet ginger-garlic, mango-habanero, and blue cheese with green onions and buffalo drizzle wings, boneless chicken bites and cauliflower bites, garlicky yogurt tzatziki-topped Greek herb-marinated lamb and chicken, crispy falafel, teriyaki chicken-on-a-stick, Chinese vegetarian chow mein, Filipino lumpias, tri-tip tacos, quesadillas and deep-fried zucchini, grilled teriyaki-marinated chicken and fry garlic-tossed tofu, half-pound smoked pork and beef sausages smothered with grilled onions and sauerkraut, corn dogs, curly fries and fried zucchini, tri-tip sandwiches, turkey legs, hamburgers, hot dogs, fried calamari, Portobello mushroom sandwiches, crispy fried zucchini and artichokes, zesty Key lime fried calamari with lime-watercress pesto, crab rolls, crab fries, wacky waffle puffs, bahn mi(the Vietnamese meat and vegetable sandwiches on a baguette), elotes (Mexican corn on the cob), churros and root beer floats, Mexican-inspired fresh-fruit hand-cut fruit cups, blended fruit drinks, snow cones with captivating flavors like wild cherry, blue raspberry, tiger's blood and watermelon., shaved ice, slushies on tap, such as their Arnold Palmer Freeze and Red Hibiscus Frost, as well other thirst-quenching drinks like fresh watermelon juice and limeade, freshly popped kettle corn, pineapple soft serve ice cream, mini donuts right nice and warm with a dusting of cinnamon sugar.

DELECTABLY DELICIOUS DRINK
Thirsty my friend? Festivalgoers can enjoy signature festival cocktails – deelish Summer Breeze Mules (vodka, fresh squeezed lime juice and ginger beer) plus classic Bloody Mary’s and refreshing, handmade margaritas made from fresh fruit purees – mango, strawberry, cucumber jalapeno and traditional lime – as well as premium wine, refreshing sangria, tasty seasonal craft beer. Beer lovers will be in hops heaven with the assortment of world-class brews – from Kona Brewing Company – their fabulously delicious Hanalei Island IPA, tropically refreshing Hula Hefeweizen, and smooth, bright, sessionable Big Wave Blonde Ale plus low-carb, easy drinkingMichelob Ultra. For aficionados of fine wine and bubbly, there will be a premium selection of easy-drinking varietals from California: Mondavi Woodbridge Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and White Zinfandel plus Ruffino Prosecco and Real Sangria. For Italian wine lovers, there’s delicate and refreshing Leonessa Pinot Grigio along with lovely, well-balanced Rocca Sangiovese. Cool off, replenish and hydrate with some crisp, refreshing ZICO Coconut Water, a bottle of Crystal Geyser Alpine Spring Water, 100% natural and bottled at the source, or enjoy Luma Premium Soda, a delicious soda for the modern world, naturally sweetened with monk fruit and great tasting with 1/10 the calories of the big soda brands. Sip your favorite beverage in a beautiful, collector-item wine or beer glass adorned with the stylish festival logo.

ARTISAN SPECIALTY FOOD
A fantastic array of artisan-produced specialty food sprinkled throughout the event provides the perfect opportunity to sample and purchase small-batch, handcrafted edibles to take home and enjoy.

HOPS HAVEN” MICROBREW TASTING TENT PRESENTED BY MATAGRANO
Sample from an array of delicious seasonal craft brews in the Hops Haven tasting tent: Stone Vertical Epic 020202, Stone Coffee Milk Stout, Rouge 6 Hop IPA, Golden Road 329 Lager, Lagunitas Aunt Sally, Goose Island V Formation, Four Peaks Peach Ale, Deschutes Hop Henge. Hops Haven is located in the city parking lot near the Victoria (south) end of the festival.

THE “CLASSICALLY COOL CAR SHOW”
Kick back and take a break in “Hops Haven”, a shaded oasis where car buffs gather and hang out for the festival-fave “Classically Cool Car Show”. Fans of classic, custom and exotic cars will be thrilled to hear that an incredible display of vintage touring cars, custom hot rods, powerful muscle cars, and sleek sports cars will be among the dozens of world-class 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 car show is located in the parking lot near the Victoria (south) end of the festival.

STREETS FILLED WITH TALENT STAGE, SPONSORED BY SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO SCAVENGER
Long entrenched as a beloved and signature attraction at the Millbrae's Art and Wine Festival, the "Streets Filled With Talent Community Stage", under the direction of local impresario Ken Kelly, returns for a highly-anticipated encore performance. "It has been enormously gratifying to see our Streets Filled With Talent Stage become such a festival hit,” said producing director, Kelly, owner of Ken Kelly Productions. “It’s all about giving emerging and outstanding young talent from around the Bay Area a chance to do what all performers love to do: perform in front of a live audience. We’ll have some of our favorite acts back again along with some new talent that we've discovered over the past year.” The "Streets Filled With Talent Community Stage" is located on Broadway near Meadow Glen.

KIDS’ PLAYLAND
Action-packed Kids’ Playland will fascinate kids with an abundance of amazing amusements. Among the exciting attractions are an awesome 200’ zip-line that flies zippers over the crowd on Broadway, wild and wacky roll-on-water Waterballerz, ultra thrilling carnival rides and games, an imposing 100’ foot Super Slide, face painting, sand art creations, exotic hair braiding and glitter tattoos –– a lineup of activities sure to keep youngsters gleeful and mesmerized!

The festival runs September 1-2 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m on Broadway (one block west of El Camino Real) between Victoria and Meadow Glen. Festival admission is free.

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