San Jose might not be as well known as San Francisco or Lake Tahoe as a vacation destination, but it stands as one of the top destinations in Northern California. It features the 10th largest population of cities in America, and visitors can enjoy a spectrum of community events, activities for all ages, historical sites, restaurants, and much more.
The San Jose Harvest Festival has been a staple in the community for over four decades and event planners expect over 10,000 people to attend in 2016. The festival is the ideal location for holiday shopping or just increasing the size of your art collection. Patrons will encounter unique handmade items that include jewelry, toys, furniture, art, artisan food, and more. The event will also include entertainment options such as live bands, a comedian, and an activity-filled Kidzone. It's an excellent opportunity to support local artists, buy American made crafts, and help the festival’s community partner, the Humane Society Silicon Valley. We talked to Liz Rosinski, representative for the event, to learn more about what attendees can expect.
RAL: How long has the event been running?
LR: The first Harvest Festival took place 44 years ago in San Francisco. It has grown immensely since that time and is now known as the West Coast's largest indoor art and craft show.
RAL: How many annual participants do you draw?
LR: Our attendance varies by each show, but San Jose typically draws anywhere between 10,000 to 12,000 people throughout the three-day event.
RAL: What is the typical demographic makeup of the event? Children? Families? Couples?
LR: Our crowds are typically dominated by families. We often see multi-generational groups who come and shop together, making it a fun annual tradition.
RAL: What makes this event unique?
LR: What makes the Harvest Festivals unique is the fact that we have over 24,000 different items available for purchase, all made by hand in America. The show offers original art, jewelry, toys, accessories, specialty foods, home decor, and more.
RAL: Take me through a day at the event.
LR: We offer incredible music and entertainment throughout the day. This year James Garner's Tribute to Johnny Cash will be headlining our musical acts, and we will also have comedian John Park. Park spins plates and pulls audience members up on stage to the delight of everyone in attendance (even those pulled into the show).
The Harvest Festival also features a hands-on Kidzone where children can be a part of make-and-take crafting activities. We have gingerbread cookie decorating from Gingerbread on the Go and eco-friendly art projects from Nature of Art for Kids.
RAL: What can an attendee expect to find for local lodging?
LR: San Jose offers a multitude of lodging options and is very affordable when compared to other large city such as San Francisco.
RAL: Are there any lodging specials that are set up specifically for the event?
LR: We work closely with Hilton San Jose since they are located in the convention center. They are the preferred hotel for our vendors and also do a few promotions with us.
RAL: Does this drive business to your local economy?
LR: The event drives business to the local economy. More importantly, it supports independent artists and entrepreneurs. Some of these artists who we feature don't have brick-and-mortar stores and rely on events like the Harvest Festival to get the word out about their products.
RAL: Does the event support a special cause in the community? (School funds, etc.)
LR: We always choose a community partner and donate a portion of our shopping bag sale proceeds to them. For the San Jose Harvest Festival, we've selected Humane Society Silicon Valley (HSSV), a wonderful nonprofit which offers some important services to the community including affordable adoptions, spaying/neutering, microchipping and much more. HSSV receives .50 cents of every dollar that we collect for our shopping bags, as well as a direct donation from our show.
RAL: Why should people come to your event?
LR: People should come to the San Jose Harvest Festival because it's truly a unique shopping experience. It takes all the stress out of Black Friday and makes shopping fun again. Visitors can shop from hundreds of vendors, enjoy a delicious lunch, watch some of our fabulous entertainment, and leave with some amazing gifts.
For more information about the San Jose Harvest Festival, please visit their website.