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Published on 06/30/1999 All articles from this issue

Lots of kidding around planned for this year's arts & wine festival

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By Wendy Marinccio

Special to the Town Crier

KIDZONE, an area providing children's games, hands-on art activities and live entertainment at the Los Altos Art and Wine Festival, dons a birthday theme this year to commemorate the festival's 20th anniversary.

"We hope to have a big birthday cake, and we'll be singing 'Happy Birthday' a lot," said Dennis Ronberg, co-owner of Linden Tree Children's Books and Records, who created and sponsored KIDZONE in 1992. This year, Washington Mutual and the Palo Alto Medical Foundation join Linden Tree in co-sponsoring KIDZONE.

Ronberg said he uses his connections with children's performers to line up acts at the Linden Tree Children's Stage. This year's activities include a juggling and contortion act, folk singing, theater, sing-alongs, and storytelling. In addition, KIDZONE will host a tactile play area called Cameron the Caterpillar, a Ferris wheel, and a game to win a free hermit crab.

Lisa Atkinson, a local singer, will serve as master of ceremonies for the stage. Ronberg praised her ability to "jump in and take over."

Previous to 1992, the Art and Wine Festival was "a nice event but there was nothing really for children," said Ronberg. He worked with then-Executive Director of the Los Altos Village Association, Jane Reed, to present a children's stage on Third Street outside the Linden Tree store.

In the beginning, the children's area was mostly entertainment and a few booths. "We had something every hour, on the hour, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., from the first year on," Ronberg said. "Every year it gets a little bigger and changes a little."

KIDZONE moved several years ago to its current location at the State Street parking plaza near Fourth Street, next to the Costume Bank. More booths and activities are added every year, as are more sponsors, but, Ronberg said, it keeps it originality.

"It's really grown and I'd like to think it's one of the best children's sections of all the festivals in the Bay Area," said Ronberg. "And the nice thing is, most of the entertainment and music there is as entertaining for adults as it is for children."

For more information, call the festival hotline, 917-9799.