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:

Summer is here and  that means Bay Area festival season is in full swing. We can think of no better way to spend a sunny weekend day than with a fine collection of exhibits, great music and wonderful food & drink.

If this type of venue sounds appealing to you, head to downtown Menlo Park for the 24th Annual Connoisseurs’ Marketplace, July 17-18. This year’s event will feature something for everyone – world-class art by 250 of America’s top artists, two days of great music, engaging chefs’ demos, fabulous food and drink, tons of fun for kids, artisan specialty food purveyors, a new collector car show, home and garden exhibits, health and wellness displays and an organic and green products showcase.

Watch the video below and take a look at their website for more information.

Do you love the water and the great outdoors? Then you’ll be excited about all of the work being done to improve Alviso Park.

For the first time in 25 years, recreational boaters can launch their vessels from Alviso Marina County Park. Residents of South Bay and the Peninsula are now more connected than ever and have an easier way to get to San Francisco Bay.

The new boat launch includes a pier for non-motorized craft, such as kayaks and canoes, and another for launching large motorized boats. This improvement effort is part of an ongoing project to revitalize the Alviso area. The Alviso Park upgrade also includes a parking lot for boat trailers. Phase 1 of the wetland improvement project, completed in 2005, involved such improvements as walking boardwalks throughout the slough area, observation decks, picnic areas, natural landscaping and interpretive trails.

Once a hotbed of activity for fishermen and businesses, the local residents believe that the new launch will be good for Alviso. Boaters and non-boaters alike will find something new to do with this ambitious wetland improvement.

Having convenient access to outdoor recreation in such close proximity to Gables End is just one of the many reasons that we love Mountain View and all it has to offer.

If you don’t already have plans for this upcoming weekend, you may want to participate in the 2010 Dream Mile 5K/10K. Vibha’s Dream Mile Walk/Run is a great cause and an excellent reason to get outdoors and help those who are far less fortunate.

The Dream Mile is the flagship event in Vibha’s continued efforts to increase awareness about the plight of underprivileged children. The Dream Mile event has come a long way since its humble beginning in 1998, growing from being a small volunteers and friends event to a permanent fixture on the calendars of runners in the various cities in America.

This year Vibha has partnered with My New Red Shoes(MNRS), a San Francisco Bay Area non-profit organization. Part of the proceeds from Dream Mile 2010 will be donated to MNRS to help underprivileged kids right here in the Bay Area.

Find out more about donating or volunteering for this event by clicking here.

In an ‘07 Article titled “The other Castro Street” by San Francisco Magazine the author wrote: “Mountain View is fast becoming a happening haven for techies who love to eat al fresco—and chase their free citywide Wi-Fi sessions with a few cocktails”. Thanks to its convenient location in Silicon Valley between San Jose and San Francisco, Mountain View has increasingly become not only a destination, but a place where young families can find the space they desire and enjoy urban-style amenities and culture near employers like Google, Intuit, etc…

Gables End is one such place, now offering 3- and 4-bedroom floor plans. But hurry, only 7 homes remain! For quick updates on our community you can follow along on Facebook or Twitter.

Have a look at nearby restaurants through this map (scroll):

View Larger Map

Bay Area Festival season officially launches on May 15-16 in Mountain View where walkable Castro Street will be transformed into a  feast of people and colorful tents for the 14th Annual A La Carte & Art. Thousands of visitors are expected to gather in Silicon Valley for this celebration of the arts.

The open-air festival will feature two days of:

• live music
• a fine arts & crafts show with 200 talented exhibitors showing their handcrafted wares
• artisan specialty food purveyors
• a farmers’ market with fresh seasonal produce
• festive food and drink with premium wine, microbrews and margaritas
• health and wellness displays
• an organic and green products showcase
• home and garden exhibits
• kids’ amusements in the Tons of Fun Zone
• and, making its festival debut, a classic car show — “A La Car & Art”

Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days. Admission is free. More information regarding the event can be found here.

Image from Savvy Cellar Wine Bar and Shop

Anticipation grows, as one of the Peninsula’s favorite wine bars nears its Grand Opening in Mountain View at the Old Train Depot. We feel so lucky to have Savvy so close. Gables End homeowners that have enjoyed Savvy Cellar in Redwood City, now have the option of meeting up with friends and neighbors at Savvy II just minutes from their front door! Need a double date idea? Savvy Cellar was voted “Best Wine Classes in the Bay Area”

Recently posted on the Savvy Cellar Facebook Page:

“Yeah, Mtn View construction complete! Waiting on ABC license . . . sigh. In the meantime, we are cranking on internal operations – tasting a lot of bread to ensure only the best selection!:) 1 to 2 weeks to go. Opening date to be announced soon! Watch this space . . .”

Have a look at these photos of the Gables End homeowners’ newest, local amenity:

Savvy Cellar II – Week 13

Savvy Cellar II – Week 15 (Slideshow)

Image: BRUTE LABS

For those of you who have been following along since March, when we first made run! at Red Rock a “favorite” on the Gables End Facebook page – closing ceremonies will commence on May 8th from 7 -9 pm by celebrating the end of the run! at Red Rock campaign with music, food, and of course prizes (link to the event) ! Together, the run! at Red Rock community has completed 7,761.5 miles.

What was run! at Red Rock, exactly?

BRUTE LABS paired up with Red Rock coffee to get people moving… and now they are expanding run! programs to 15 Bay Area Schools to help promote physical fitness and health awareness! Kudos to  BRUTE LABS (an all-volunteer not-for-profit organization run by young professionals. We aim to change the world by using design and technology to address global challenges). The Gables End team in Mountain View applauds your efforts!

In their words -
“Mission: run! at Red Rock is a 3-month collaboration between Red Rock Coffee and BRUTE LABS to promote health, fitness and community building in the Mountain View, California area. We hope that we can inspire and empower each person who participates to build healthy habits, achieve their fitness goals, meet others along the way, and above all, have fun doing it!

So whether its running, cycling, swimming, rock climbing, going out for a walk, or something else, we want to celebrate and encourage everyone to get outside or to the gym to get their hearts beating and blood flowing.”

Silicon Valley Open Studios 2010 is here!

Every year, during the first three weekends in May, more than 320 Silicon Valley artists open their studios up to the public. This free event lets you discover some exciting new artistic talent, or get up close and personal with some of your favorite artists.

You can visit the studios of your choice between the hours of 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday on following weekends:

Weekend One, May 1st & 2nd
Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, San Jose, Saratoga

Weekend Two, May 8th & 9th
Atherton, Belmont, Hillsborough, Menlo Park, Portola Valley, Redwood City, San Carlos, San Mateo, Woodside

Weekend Three, May 15th & 16th
East Palo Alto, Ladera, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Loyola, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale

For more information regarding this event, visit their website or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.