Dancin’ on the Avenue bash calls it quits after two decades
The music is coming to an end after 23 years for Dancin’ on the Avenue, the popular Willow Glen street fair that heralds the start of summer. The last dance will take place June 16 on Lincoln Avenue, with South Bay cover band The Element headlining one of four stages.
The cost of closing down one of the busiest business streets in San Jose is the reason the Willow Glen Business Association has decided to end its signature event, according to Tim Mulcahy, who has been chairman of Dancin’ on the Avenue for the past five years. The event’s price tag — which includes fees to the city and county, police and private security, and insurance — has gone up over the years to around $50,000, Mulcahy said, making the association more dependent on food and drink sales to make the “admission-free” event pencil out.
Dancin’ on the Avenue is a big draw for crowds, with estimates of up to 30,000 packing onto Lincoln Avenue. But that popularity had a downside, as some people chose to stay away from crowds that seemed to get rowdier — and more wine-and-beer fueled — as the night went on. The street fair’s hours were eventually shifted to 2 to 8 p.m. so there would still be daylight when it ended.
Even though Dancin’ on the Avenue is going away, Mulcahy says the business association is planning a different event next June to make up for any lost revenue, which it uses to keep the business district looking spiffy. He said the new event will probably be more in line with its Wine Walks and BBQ in the Glen.
“I’m going to miss this event, but we intend to reach out to the community to get ideas for a new event that will bring feet to the street without such a huge undertaking,” Mulcahy said. PORTUGUESE CELEBRATION » The 21st
annual Dia de Portugal festival is Saturday at History Park, with free admission and activities that include a parade at noon and dancers from Angola. One of the great things about Dia de Portugal is that the food includes items from Brazil, Macau and Goa — which were all Portuguese colonies at one time. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and you can get more information at www.diadeportugalca.org.
CHECK IT OUT » Santana Row kicks off the season with its Summer Fashion Show on Saturday, showcasing styles from the swanky shopping center’s retailers. The 2 p.m. show at Santana Row Park, once again produced by Beverly Zeiss’ Red Haute Creative, will benefit Dress for Success San Jose, a nonprofit that has provided a network of support, professional attire and development tools for more than 1,000 women since 2012.
Tickets — which are $50 and include seating, champagne and light bites — are available at www.santanarow.com/events/summer-fashion-show.
SUSHI CONFIDENTIAL GETS JAZZY » When the Gordon Biersch brewpub in downtown San Jose closed June 3, it didn’t just deprive people of garlic fries — it also meant that San Jose Jazz’s Sum- mer Fest was losing a stage. At the Summer Fest Preview Party this week at Santana Row, San Jose Jazz Executive Director Brendan Rawson said 14 acts had been planned for Gordon Biersch. Fortunately, Sushi Confidential owner Randy Musterer stepped in as a new stage sponsor this year and will host bands at the eatery’s patio space in San Pedro Square.
The festival — featuring Herb Alpert and Lani Hall, Goapele and Kool & the Gang — runs Aug. 10-12 with the main stage again at Plaza de Cesar Chavez. Tickets and passes are available at www.summerfest.sanjosejazz.org.