Fremont Festival of the Arts
Category: Arts & Entertainment Festivals Festivals [Edit]
Paseo Padre Pkwybetween Walnut and Mowry
Fremont, CA 94536
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
21 reviews for Fremont Festival of the Arts
21 reviews in English
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Review from Ann L.
8/10/2011
Got there about 10:20am on Sat 8/6/11. It was getting busy, but still manageable since it started at 10am.
I parked a few blocks away at Fremont Hub, but there's lots of FREE lots if you just drive away a bit, even Fremont Bart parking is FREE on weekends.
Follow on Twitter: FremontPD for event updates
NO Pets allowed
FREE stuff I got this yr:
89.3 KOHL - Cowboys & Aliens poster, Ohlone pencil, Circus Circus ticket
stood in line 3 times & lame prizes, but the good ones are: Movie Pass, Great America Pass - hard to win & line can be LONG. Started a bit after 11am.
Fly swatter - I can always use another one
Half Price Books - huge green bag - give up some info, but nice big bag.
Blue bag from Actia
GUARD black t-shirt
Spent almost 2hrs there. Got crowded & hot so left. -
Review from Simon F.
8/7/2011
It's hard to find wine, but my wife and I still think of this as the Fremont Art & Wine Festival. Anyway, we went here yesterday from about 1-3:30 (to avoid the crowds, it's best to go here at 10 a.m.).
Like last year, we parked for free at the Fremont courthouse. You can also park at the Fremont B.A.R.T. station, near 24 Hour Fitness, or at a lot along Paseo (you'll be charged $5 to park in the lot).
Like Madonna, I was "burning up" last year, but the heat isn't as bad now (I was only sweating at the end).
"Some of the people smelled, like you didn't know if they had deodorant on."
My sense of smell isn't the greatest, and so only my wife noticed this (yes, sometimes ignorance is bliss).
A U2 cover band was performing when we went last year. This time, the 2 acts that we heard didn't stand out to me as much. A song similar to "Something in the Air" (the version I'm familiar with is by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers) was played, and it was good, but it mainly made me want to hear "Something in the Air."
On the plus side, there are now a lot of chairs by the stage. There are also some tables with umbrellas providing shade. Last year, people were sitting all over the place, and it made entering and exiting the Festival from the area a real pain.
Overpriced:
They're cute, but $23 for a Young Punks outfit? They don't seem worth it (a few booths, by the way, sell children's clothing).
My wife was drawn to some light switch covers, but the cheapest ones are $23.95 each (they're sturdy and hand painted, but come on).
Great Deal:
Bring your own if you can, but drinks here are only $1 (ex: bottled water; Gatorade; Diet Pepsi; 7UP).
The Wood Crafts & More booth is worth checking out. The signs have cute sayings on them, and the small ones are only $5.95 each (this doesn't include tax).
Arr!!
Like last year, the Pirates of Emerson display is awesome.
This time, there are 2 wenches and 2 male pirates (one of them is in a wheelchair- I wonder if it came from falling off the ship).
When we walked by the 2nd time, one of the pirates was shouting to someone that no woman should ever be called a wench.
Whatever, dude. Wench, wench, wench, wench...
Kinder's BBQ Booth: 8.5/10.
Half Rack of Ribs: $12.
Full Rack (you receive about 10 ribs): $20.
BBQ Pork Sandwich (they look good, but are a bit small): $8.
There are about 5 drinks to choose from.
I had to repeat myself a little, but found the service to be good overall. We received our ribs within a minute, and I was directed to the side of the booth (I only added some Mild BBQ sauce, but I also recommend the Hot).
Our ribs were great and not at all fatty. I just wish that they had been hotter.
Annoying People:
In general, be ready to stop on a dime at any time. My wife also wondered last year why people don't know how to walk (expect to encounter some slow and mindless people).
We ate our ribs while sitting on a bench. I didn't care that the women next to us were loud, but they kept shaking the bench! Their food wasn't in any danger of falling, but ours was (I did a good job, but I'm not used to eating ribs with one hand). I should have poured some sauce on them.
We then had to deal with 2 antsy women while we were leaving (I know you're old, but give us a few seconds to clear out).
"Give me a break":
I don't mind using a portable, but there aren't enough around (in the main area, they can only be found at this one spot).
At one point, I tried to enter a fancy one, but was denied. They were only for the guests of a private function (they were seated underneath a big tent). I couldn't believe it (part of me wanted to clock the "security guard").
Last year I noticed some public restrooms on the side of a building, but I couldn't find the building yesterday. Anyway, I had to hold it until we got to Target after 4.
XFINITY Booth: 9.5/10.
I'm not the biggest fan of Comcast, but my wife and I finally had enough of AT&T (because of an ongoing issue, we dropped them as our phone company before we left for the Festival). Anyway, the employees at the booth are very friendly and helpful.
We placed a Triple Play order with Teresa (our Comcast bills are high now, but we're soon going to receive more for less). She's from Chicago (my wife and I just went there last year), and her eyes lit up when she talked about the pizza, Italian ice, and Italian beef there. To say that she was easy to talk to is an understatement (we even laughed at this lousy Sprint phone that she was given to use).
We received some free items (a red bag; a children's CD; toy sunglasses; a giant A's sign/schedule- you can also pick up a giant Giants sign/schedule). I almost expected to be given a free DVR.
The wine glasses are nicer this year.
I think beer "pours" are $5.
The Potatoes on a Stick booth is doing mad business (for $5, you receive about 15 fried potato chips).
I believe there are 12 flavors to choose from (ex: Barbecue; Pizza).
There are some cool booths, and the area for kids is great.Listed in: Hayward In The House
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Review from Hummer W.
Milpitas, CA
8/9/2011
Its been a few years since I've been to this event. Back in the day it was called simply, 'The Fremont Art and Wine Festival'. Like many of its Bay Area neighbors, it was simply just that. A showcase of local artisans, businesses, entertainment, food and commerative glasswear with your options of beer and/or wine. The thing that seperated Fremont from the others is that its HUGE.
Bigger doesn't necessarily mean better.
Though impressive in size, it was disappointing to see that the event hasn't grown in quality. I know that many organizations sign up to be part of the festival as part of their fundraising. But there seems to be a disconnect with the times. Not that I'm dissing, but just saying. For the sake of improvement.
Obviously I'm zeroing in on the food. Not many choices. Just the standards: Burgers, dogs, nachos, fried stuff, etc. Being in ethnically diverse Fremont, I would have expected a wider choice in offerings. No Afghan. No Indian. No Filipino. The only exciting foods offered were some twister spuds and ribs on a stick. There was one tent offering Spam musubi so one star for that. I'm not a huge food truck fan, but if there was an opportunity to showcase the mobile munchies, this would have been the place.
Puting on an event like this takes a huge amount of planning and logistics and its certainly reflected here. Quality seems to be lacking however. Walking down one of the venues was a bit clausterphobic with tents in the middle of the walkway. City of Fremont services were not up front, but in the background. Good luck if you need first aid.
An event of this size and caliber needs to step up its game. -
Review from Eric J.
8/7/2011
Used to to be the Beer & Wine festival ..... then the Art & Wine festival ....not PC enough so now it's the Festival of the Arts. Whatever!
I call it the Art & crap Festival. If you recently went to the Alameda Fair or any other festival in the area recently, you'll see that it's the same art & crap vendors. We saw 3 kewl vendors, 1 hand done embroidery that looks almost like it was painted, sugar masks, and piggy banks.
I saw only 5 different beers, 1 was MGD. There's more variety in the wine selections, different booths have different brands.
All of the food booths are for charities. There are some kewl spice & food vendors.
Parking is a nightmare & be prepared to be repeatedly hit with strollers. -
Review from Allison C.
Fremont, CA
8/6/2011 4 photos
I like coming to the Fremont Festival of the Arts or is it Fremont Art and Wine Festival?
This year it seems like there are more vendors, which is a nice change. Only glitch is that there seems to be many vendors selling the same thing. Or did I read the signage incorrectly and its a vendor with two locations?
The kid area also looked like they were offering more rides and attractions, which is always great. This gives the parents a place the chill as they sip their wine and beers as their kids burn off some of the ants in their pants.
Parking is a little difficult, but if you find that secret parking lots, its gold! -
Review from Amy K.
Newark, CA
8/8/2011
I've been to many of the Fremont Art & Wine Festivals dating back to the first one at the Hub....
It has expanded & expanded, now covering many blocks of Central Fremont.
Again, this year, I was very disappointed with the complete absence of either bicycle racks or an area to park bikes! With approximately 385,000 people in attendance, it is nearly impossible to park a car. You would think that the city and planners would welcome bicycles. In fact, if anyone can locate a bike rack anywhere between Paseo & Fremont Blvd., I'd love to know where one is. Fremont as a whole offers little to no bicycle parking.
The selection of beers was sad. Four beers? No imports?
On a positive note...
I caught Los High Tops performing Saturday. They are a fun rockabilly-surf band from Santa Cruz.
This year also had a few unique vendors, the sugar skull artist's work was amazing! Inkies Tattoos has proven itself to be a valuable asset in our local community. Not only is the studio reputable and classy, the owner is involved in many local charitable organizations. Dianne who has the Swarovski Crystals had beautiful, handmade jewelry.
My suggestion for visitors, take Bart! Avoid a DUI & the parking madness. The Bart station is only a block away from the Festival. -
Review from Shari B.
Union City, CA
8/7/2011
I was disappointed in the fact that you cannot bring your own lawn chairs. I am a larger woman who needed to sit down often. There was no where to sit except on the edge of the curbed streets in the sun. We asked 3 different vendor booths if they knew where to sit, they did not. We asked the first aid booth, they said go to the end of the business' aisle. Under a nice shady tarp, there were maybe 15 chairs and they were all taken. Where did all the chairs go? (This was on Saturday afternoon around 4pm)
Also, it seemed rather crowded when trying to walk past the vendor and food booths. Do they have to all be clustered in one area? I would of liked to see the food booths spread out so we could get something to drink or eat while walking along the streets. Not, get really thirsty and have to walk back to the part of the festival where the drinks were. -
Review from Diana B.
4/10/2011
Everyone loves when the Fremont Festival of Arts comes around. It's great, but crowded!
Any time, any day it's open...
But overall, lots to see guys- -
Review from Kyle S.
Fremont, CA
8/1/2010
You've been to this once, you've been every time. That said, this year (2010) seems the worst yet - eh, I end up going there for whatever reason year after year it seems.
Expensive food, $11 for your beer ($5 pours are understandable; $6 mugs without a single drink ticket are not). The "crafts" get weirder and weirder, kitschier and kitschier.
The fundamentalist Christians will put on a song and dance, and volunteering high school clubs will make poor food for you.
You will buy a trinket or two, and wonder why, why,,, -
Review from Bill F.
Fremont, CA
8/1/2009
It was "Awesome" walking around the festival today. It was sunny with a nice breeze - just remember to bring some water and some SPF 30 sunscreen. It is several city blocks long - lots to see and buy!
There is a lot of variety of food available from various groups and it all looked great. Many great restaurants are in the area, also - Panera, Chipotle, McDonalds, etc. There is even wine, beer and Margaritas, available at the festival - you can even drink while walking the festival, which is "Cool".
Really enjoyed visiting and buying from the craftsman in the festival. My wife got some nice earrings. Some of the businesses in the Fremont area were handing out promotional items - just be sure to listen to their presentations.
It was an enjoyable way to spend a day. Looking forward to next year! -
Review from Angela H.
Daly City, CA
8/6/2007
Touted as the West Coast's largest free street fair, the Fremont Festival of the Arts was a great way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon in the East Bay. It is indeed a HUGE street fair, and it was exhausting walking from one end to the other, snacking and browsing the many, many different booths. Spread out over this weekend, it was a great way to get some exercise in, support the community, and have a good time.
There are hundreds of artists selling their wares- from original photography, glass vases, and metal sculpture to handmade jewelry and watercolors on silk. In addition to these artists, there are also plenty of food booths selling garlic fries, teriyaki chicken bowls, hot dogs, lumpia, ribs, and brisket sandwiches. The proceeds from the food sales went to different community groups and it certainly made you feel less guilty about eating so much. All sodas and water were $1, which helped because it was such a sunny day and it was easy to get dehydrated.
For $7, you could pick up either an official Festival wine glass or beer mug, which then entitled you to $4 pours of beer or wine. I didn't get a chance to see what they were offering in the wine section, but they have 5 selections for the beer (Coors, Bud Light, Lagunitas Pale Ale, Heineken, and a Pear Cider).
As for entertainment, there were plenty of bands playing some good 'ol rock 'n' roll for the adults on two stages, while there was a special Kid Zone for the rugrats. A puppet show was going on when I was there and there were also some carnival rides. In addition, there was also the Western Regional Firefighter Combat Challenge, which I missed because we started off in the opposite direction.
Parking was plentiful, as long as you didn't mind walking a bit. The BART station was also close by in case you were feeling like using public transportation. Overall, a fun way to spend the day or weekend....I'm looking forward to visiting again next year, which will be the 25th one! -
Review from Tony L.
San Francisco, CA
8/1/2009
Went with sister and friend for my first time ever, arriving after opening. Found parking inside a small mall located right next to the festival; note that many businesses have closed off their parking lots and even have security guards to prevent fest-goers from parking in their lots. Walked around in a nice breeze but the sun got hotter and I went to get a hat from the car... that's how hot it was though I've been through worst in Spain! Lots to see and do, plus a HUGE children's area! This is a FREE festival (yay) so NO restrictions on where you can go or bring with you. Lots of food too, though later I noticed a LOT of people going away from the fest to get cheaper water, drinks and food at the nearby mall. I love these types of free events which offer so much to do and see; why charge when you can have the world come without an admission fee?
NOTES:
a. NO signs on nearby roads/streets directing people to the festival
b. tight parking but if you drive around for a few minutes, am sure you can find something
c. the usual food and drinks available for a variety of high- and not-so-high prices
d. don't forget your water, hat, and sunscreen
Have a GREAT time!!!Listed in: I need it, I gotta GO (no…
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Review from Walter P.
9/12/2007 12 photos
With over 100 booths spanning from Paseo Padre Parkway, Walnut, and Mowry the hardest part is deciding where to start. Should I have a glass of wine first? Should I stand in line and wait for a Kahlua cocktail? That smell of BBQ is killing me. Now the festival - the sea of arts and crafts, the local creations and wonders that surprise my mind from unique photography to wind chimes of recycled soda cans. The display of native American blanket making to the visionary works of abstract paintings. I had well over six street blocks to cover.
I still measure the festival as one of the largest free street festival in California. This year's event surely brought in more than just its predicted 400,000 attendees and 700 artists. It was freakin' 98 degrees in Fremont on the day I attended (08/04/2007). Mother Nature really brought it that day! And I arrived around 2:00 in the afternoon. What was I thinking? Well, I've always enjoyed this festival since the days of my airbrushing gigs. Yet the thoughts to "art" and "crafts" can't convey the hidden surprises and discoveries that is presented each year by the participating artists. This year I met Metal Souls: http://www.yelp.com/bi... -
Review from Jim C.
Redwood City, CA
8/6/2007
700 booths of random artsy fartsy stuff where you say to yourself "why did I buy this ugly thing?" after you get home. Do you really need a wooden sculpture of a pelican standing on a vertical log showing white bird crap on it for effect? Do you really need a pumpkin statue as a hello ornament in front of your door? Sorry, I'm not an artsy kind of guy so most of what the vendors were selling was not exciting to me. And sure they had food booths and it was nice that they were sponsored by local orgs, but I didn't see any booths sponsored by real restaurants and that had truly appetizing looking foods (like you see at other local art and wine festivals). Lame.
Bottom line: Worth 2 stars to me but it is the biggest local city festival I have seen so I'll give them extra credit for that. -
Review from Carren E.
Fremont, CA
9/1/2009
It's weird walking on a street I usually drive on packed with people. I bumped into and/or dodged some familiar faces from high school and other random places. I don't remember it ever being full of so many young people dressed to impress?
The wine was mediocre, the art was ok. The glass jewelry was pretty snazzy, but I didn't make any art purchases because all my $$ went to wine refills, souvenir wine glass included. My friend won a free wine-tasting party from one of the booths that was having a raffle. The big bag of kettle corn was delicious. I don't know why I take a whole bunch of coupons and pamphlets (GSW Warriors Yearbook, Raiders schedule) and think they're going to come in handy or I'm going to give them to someone. They're just piled up on my desk.
This guy was a storyteller in the Kid City section: http://wondrous-tales.com/ It was weird!! And his voices were scary. He had a small audience, so I guess some kids liked him. And there was this train conductor who drove a little train for kids to ride on. It went in circles but I kept thinking it was going to crash into us, dangerous.
My bank was down the street, perfect for getting cash out. There was plenty of parking (I just want to add walking in the dirt parking lot is not the business in sandals) and lots of portable toilets (also the festival was along a shopping plaza where you could use the restrooms in the stores). -
Review from po d.
San Jose, CA
7/31/2009
Super festival to walk around sipping beer (or wine). It seems like there's something for everyone here, including the Kid City (for younger kids); beer, wine and margaritas for adults; food for everyone; and,of course, the artists selling their crafts. There's free music too.
You might find a good piece of art at one artist's booth and stroll down and find a similar piece sold down at another artist's booth. That's why sometimes they don't like you to take pictures because they might think you're stealing their ideas and giving them to others. Strange, but it helps to be nice about it.
I recommend going earlier in the day if you have kids, and hit up Kid City first. It's less crowded at the kid city, which has little kid rides (like a ferris wheel, frog hop ride, train)
Also, check out the website to see what food's available. http://www.fremontfest.... You might be eating that linguica sandwich when you realize you wanted a deep fried twinkie down the street. -
Review from monique H.
Hayward, CA
8/6/2007
I went on Sunday, August 5th. Walked through several blocks of booths - saw the regular stuff you always see at street fairs, ie jewelry, clothing, pottery, soaps and candles, etc. There were only a few booths that stood out for me - two jewelry ones, African Thread art canvases, and two or three pottery booths. I bought two small cups for saki, wine - whatever, and was on my way home when I heard that the Fireman Challenge was about to start...I made a beeline for that! I thought that it was held the day before, and I had missed it. Lucky me!
For me, nothing beats seeing a bunch of hunks at one time...I was a lil' disappointed that there was not one brother up in there, but I figure, hey - hunks are hunks.
There were about 8 teams - mostly from the Western US, and one contest was between two women's teams, which was cool.
It was fun watching them all go through the drills - I think a team from the East Bay won, but I forget which town. Another highlight was when some of the firemen - not participating in the contest, but there to cheer for their teams and be eye candy - were strutting around shirtless. I think I said "Oh my God" under my breath, and the woman standing next to me said something like " You damn right, girl!"
For the firemen competition alone, the street fair was pushed to a higher level...4 stars! -
Review from H C.
Fremont, CA
9/29/2010
Very large festival. Fun to walk through though it can be crowded. Don't think I've ever bought anything because many things seem over-priced, but like to go see the art and booths.
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Review from Sara G.
Hayward, CA
8/5/2009
I loved this festival! Way bigger than last year. The music stage on the corner of Maury and Paseo Padre was pretty cool. I drank a margarita and it came to 11 bucks... which was pretty expensive but heres how it worked: first I had to stand in a short line at a ticket booth. I had to pay $5 for the margarita bottle and then $6 for the margarita pour. So i guess if I would have drank more than one the average price would have been lower but I hate then having to use the portapotty's. After you buy your tickets, then you have to stand in a long line for the actual drinks. So getting one margarita took about 20 minutes.
Anyhoo, I bought a beautiful glass ring for $19 and some slammin No Bull steak sauce for $6. This festival is great for all ages. I liked how they had tons of security everywhere so I felt safe walking around. -
Review from Sandy N.
Fremont, CA
8/1/2009
Love coming to this each and every year. Like to come early, get all the cool free things down business alley and enjoy the free massages over at A Perfect Day Spa. We just hop on our bikes and get there in less than 10 min.
The food is reasonably prices as well as the drinks ($1 each) which is nice. Don't you just hate it when people spike the price of water? Great variety of foods - pizza, BBQ, hot dogs, nachos, beer, wine, margaritas.....
The weather today cant be any perfect. Sunny with a nice cool breeze. Remember to slap on that sunscreen and wear a hat.
Head on down to the KOHL radio station booth and spin their wheel to win some cool prizes! I think they have the best prizes out of the whole festival.
I never buy any of the arts & crafts but more of the food items like sauces, dip and stuff.
I noticed that there's a kid zone, but since my kid wasn't with me today I didn't check it out. I'm sure its fun, I happened to look inside and it looked amusing.
So come to Fremont, go down mowry...cant miss it! Its a fun 2 day fest and you get to drink alcohol on the city streets - just like Vegas. But you can only consume the drinks bought at the festival. Cops will be watching out for that.
Bring a backpack/bag with you to hold all the free stuff you get at the festival - youll be glad you did. -
Review from Ryan T.
Mountain View, CA
8/4/2009
For nearly three years, I was rather spoiled, living walking distance from the Festival of the Arts. No need to worry about parking during those times. However, I found myself returning this year after having moved to the Peninsula, and did find parking without too much trouble (although having lived there also helped me). What I love the most about this festival is that it features the truly local and regional artists, businesses, and food vendors. Very cool there are a number of stages available, as well as booths offering promotionals by way of raffles/drawings as well as free tchochke-type items. But the best reason for me to come? Funnel cake!
