Arts & Wine Festivals are long-standing annual events in Silicon Valley that celebrate the talents and passions of those who wish to share their abilities with others. With booths lining the streets of downtown Capitola, as is the case of the city’s own festival, the community is brought together to admire artistry, from paintings to hand-sculpted vases to glass-blown pumpkins to delicately embroidered quilts. The theme of every festival is creativity. The magnetic draw of the festival expands even beyond the community, calling people from other cities to catch up with their favorite artists, some of which have passed through their respective Arts & Wine Festivals.

Each person meticulously sets up their booth, displaying the works that they are most proud of to intrigue passersby. Artists charismatically chat with the people, talking about their inspirations—whether it be the hair of prominent 70’s stars or the halo of sunlight sanctifying colorful buildings—and how they started—their first painting or the first time they burned themselves whilst glass-blowing. They hand out their business cards in hopes of getting their work the recognition it deserves; as for many artists, these festivals are their only source of income.

At the Capitola Arts & Wine Festival, the booths follow the winding streets, and extraordinary pieces of art lured me further into the maze. (The wine aspect of the festival is never appealing to me, partly because I am not of drinking age, but the adults seem to enjoy it.) The watercolor paintings of flowers recently astonished me while my dad exclaimed, “Isn’t that amazing? There will never be another painting like this because water spreads differently every time.” I was in absolute awe. There was one artist who did woodwork, shaping different types of wood into remote holders or convenient revolving trays. This artist even made games—mancala, chess, and more. I saw one game (whose English name is Solitaire) that I used to play a lot when I was younger. My dad, seeing my gaze stubbornly fixated on it, bought it for me. I held it carefully in my hands, admiring the different colors and the carvings of the game. It now rests on my bookshelf, a beautiful piece that I indulge whenever I wish to play.

Arts & Wine Festivals are a testament to the potential of humans, as they in and of themselves create grounds that celebrate the uniqueness of self-expression and artistry. In imagining a judgement-free zone that moves with the festival’s location, they consistently manifest the best of unfiltered human creativity while simultaneously supporting the efforts of artists and small business owners.