Labor Day weekend may be behind us but there are still festivities planned for September.

Make plans to attend the 39th Annual Mountain View Art & Wine Festival. An annual crowd-pleaser, there is something for everyone at Silicon Valley’s World-Class Art & Music Festival.

The festival features a variety of venues, which include 600 professional artists and craftmakers displaying their creations, entertaining live music with headliners The Groove Kings and Department of Rock, the new Comcast Pigskin Party Lounge with giant screen TV, tasty food and drink including premium wines, microbrews, mojitos (yummy) and margaritas.  There will also be health and wellness displays, a green products showcase, home and garden exhibits and a special memorial ceremony to honor the heroes from 9/11. And they haven’t forgotten about the kids; your little ones will find an action-packed Kids’ Park with the School of Rock Stage, climbing wall, amusements and decorative body art to keep them entertained.

So much entertainment that we hope 2 days is enough time to cover all the festivities.  And the best part…admission is free.

Mountain View Art & Wine Festival
when: September 11-12, 2010 – 10 AM to 6 PM
where: On Castro Street between El Camino Real and Evelyn Avenue Downtown Mountain View, California

Event map to help you get around the festival.

Back in December 2009, we posted a short entry summarizing the I Love Mountain View Site.  At that point the website was still relatively new but we saw great potential for the site becoming one of the better local resources for all who live, work  and play in Mountain View.

Well, almost a year later, the website has exceeded our expectations. The site is actually a blog site sponsored by the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce. Well vetted, with an attention for local vendors and activities, it is an excellent resource and one that should not be missed.

“I Love Mountain View” blog covers a variety of topics regarding life in our exciting community. It’s rare to find a site that addresses multiple age groups and a variety of topics.

They have categorized and tagged the posts so searching their site is very easy.  A RSS feed and an easy-to-read community calendar round out the site.  The site is sure to have  something for every member of the family:

image courtesy city of mountain view

FRIDAY – Mountain View’s Summer Outdoor Movie Night August 13th at 8:30 pm in Rengstorff Park. Enjoy a free movie under the stars with neighbors and friends. Don’t forget to BYOB (Bring your own blanket) and lawn chair! Summer Outdoor Movie Nights run each Friday through August 20th and are a family friendly event. Playing this Friday: Over The Hedge

Move-in ready homes available! You could live here and be in your home before Fall, but you have to act fast as there are just a few homes remaining at Gables End. Join us this weekend for a tour of our most popular plan – The Glencoe! With over 100 happy owners already calling Gables End “home”, come see for yourself why we are Mountain View’s best selling residential community.

Now Selling Model Homes Loaded with upgrades at Gables End.

Glencoe- 3 bed/ 2.5 bath, great for entertaining, granite counter tops in kitchen, high ceilings, patio/deck, extra storage, 2 car garage, and skylight.

Gables End is on Facebook and Twitter, follow along for specially priced homes, community events, local business spotlights and incentives!

photo credit theshanksband.com

Thursday, August 5 The Shanks will play from 6:30-8:00pm at downtown Mountain View’s Thursday Night Live. Castro Street will be closed to traffic from Evelyn to Mercy Street and attendees will be able to enjoy restaurant dining, shopping, kids’ activities, farmer’s market, live music and custom/classic cars on display.

“The Shanks are a classic rock cover band in the San Francisco Bay Area. We play all sorts of venues from opening act for big concerts, to festivals, private parties, corporate parties, and pajama parties (no kidding, we played one!). We were honored in December 2008 as winners, and again in November of 2009 as runners-up, of the KFOX 98.5 “Last Band Standing” competition hosted by Greg Kihn. This competition seeks to identify the best cover bands in the SF Bay area.

We play songs from Van Halen, Pat Benetar, Foreigner, ZZ Top, Heart, Fleetwood Mac, Santana, Bad Company, The Pretenders, Queen, Journey, The Rolling Stones, Clapton, and Elvis (both of them!) just to name a few. Drop us a line and let’s get your party started!!”

Life is good in Mountain View. We have the benefits of a small town lifestyle with added urban, cultural and entertainment activities within easy reach. Our commutes are short and our living spaces have the extra elbow room we desire. Experience Downtown Castro Street at Dana without the cars!  Pack a picnic dinner and join the fun at Cuesta Park and Rengstorff Park.

Join Gables End on Facebook for Mountain View news, events and more!

image courtesy, mountain view 2030

How do you imagine Mountain View in 2030? Care to weigh-in on the General Plan and planning efforts such as the Pedestrian Master Plan (PMP) at a future meeting? You can use this cool interactive Google Map to help the city prioritize key areas! Go ahead…download it and mark it up.

Feedback from community workshops and targeted outreach meetings are also helpful for policy framework, future land use  for the City for Mountain View. Participants will be given an opportunity to interact with City of Mountain View staff and consultants, to ask questions or provide comments in an informal setting.

Lend your feedback, as the team works toward refining General Plan policies and land use direction for this Fall by attending an upcoming summer meeting. Learn about the status of the City’s General Plan Update, including emerging goals, policies and direction that will help shape the future of Mountain View –

General Plan Policies and Planning Areas Citywide Workshop
Thursday, July 29, 2010 – 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (sign-in 6:00-6:30pm)

The full July 29th agenda pdf  is posted here for your convenience.
If you are unable to attend, workshop materials will be posted online after July 29th.

http://www.mountainview2030.com/Content/10027/InteractiveMap.html

image credit findingstella.com

Thursday, July 22 Finding Stella will play from 6:30-8:00pm at downtown Mountain View’s Thursday Night Live. The music of Finding Stella delivers the classic rock and pop spirit of the 70’s and 80’s and throws in a newer, warmer rock quality that draws huge crowds. Castro Street will be closed to traffic from Evelyn to Mercy Street and attendees will be able to enjoy restaurant dining, shopping, kids’ activities, farmer’s market, live music and custom/classic cars on display. There is plenty of free parking and “Kwick Cart” pedi-cabs will be giving people rides up and down the street. Enjoy the fun and meet your neighbors!

Life is good in Mountain View. We have the benefits of a small town lifestyle with added urban, cultural and entertainment activities within easy reach. Our commutes are short and our living spaces have the extra elbow room we desire. Experience Downtown Castro Street at Dana without the cars!  Pack a picnic dinner and join the fun at Cuesta Park and Rengstorff Park.

Join Gables End on Facebook for Mountain View news, events and more!

image credit albertos.com

Let’s face it…we “SV techies” spend too much time in front of computers and not enough time mixing it up, socializing (the old fashioned way) and letting loose! We are grateful that Mountain View offers such a diverse range of cultural activities, venues and events. Watching Spain beat Germany at The World Cup left us feeling like doing the Tango and lucky for us Alberto’s is just several dance steps away on Dana Street, downtown. Looking for a fun way to spice up your weekly workouts? How about a great Sunday date night idea? Viva Espana… Meet a neighbor and do The Tango- Sundays and Mondays @ Alberto’s!

Read about the history of Tango here

Argentine Tango Sundays
Hosted by Dorcas
MILONGA every Sunday, except the 2nd of the month
From 7:00 p.m. until late.
Afternoon workshops with visiting teachers for intermediate/advanced level
For more information:
espiritulibretango.blogspot.com
Check Calendar for Times
Tango Mondays
Hosted by Marcelo Solis
Lessons All Levels
7:00 pm Tango Fundamentals
8:00 pm Intermediate
9:00 pm Practica
For more information:
marcelosolistangoargentino.blogspot.com
Check Calendar for Times

Life is good in Mountain View. We have the benefits of a small town lifestyle with added urban, cultural and entertainment activities within easy reach. Our commutes are short and our living spaces have the extra elbow room we desire. Coming soon to downtown Mountain View, the Annual Thursday Night Live free outdoor concert series. Experience Downtown Castro Street at Dana without the cars!  The 2010 Season begins July 8th, with additional performances on July 22, August 5, and August 19 from 5:00pm to 9:00pm. Pack a picnic dinner and join the fun at Cuesta Park and Rengstorff Park. Some of the best bands in the Bay Area are in the line-up this season:

JULY 8, Thursday Night Live : THE SUN KINGS

JULY 15, CUESTA PARK : POP FICTION

JULY 22, Thursday Night Live : FINDING STELLA

AUG 5, Thursday Night Live : THE SHANKS

AUG 12, RENGSTORFF PARK : MAZACOTE W/ LOUIS ROMERO!

AUG 19, Thursday Night Live : THE SPAZMATICS