One sign that summer has arrived in the Oakland hills is the annual Montclair Beer, Wine & Music Festival. This year\u2019s event returns to Montclair Village next weekend from noon to 6 p.m. June 20.<\/p>\n
Presented by the Montclair Village Association, the street festival will feature more than 50 craft beverage tastings, including wine, beer, cider and alcohol-free options, along with live performances from Bay Area musicians such as Prospect, Cardboard People and Bulul\u00fa, DJ BlackWoman and DJ2.<\/p>\n
Attendees will also be able to enjoy family-friendly activities such as face painting, lawn games and an interactive STEM exhibition, as well as browse offerings from local artisan vendors. For Montclair Village restaurants \u2014 many with deep roots in the neighborhood \u2014 the festival is a chance to engage with the community and showcase the food and drinks that have helped sustain their longevity.<\/p>\n
Daughter Thai Kitchen, which opened in December 2016 at 6118 Medau Place, has participated in the festival ever since. Co-owner Ling Chatterjee said one of the event\u2019s biggest benefits is reaching people who may not otherwise discover the restaurant.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really great exposure for us,\u201d Chatterjee said. \u201cWe want people to come (and) try our southern Thai dishes, which are a rare find in the Bay Area.\u201d<\/p>\n
She described the festival as a lively, family-friendly street fair that draws visitors from throughout Oakland and neighboring communities such as Piedmont. For the festival, Daughter Thai Kitchen will serve gai golae, southern Thai-style barbecue chicken marinated in coconut milk with turmeric, lemongrass and other herbs and spices. The meal comes with sticky rice and house peanut sauce. A plant-based version featuring Oakland-based Hodo tofu will also be available, along with fresh coconut and Thai iced tea.<\/p>\n
Teresa Mendoza, co-owner of the Mexican restaurant Taqueria Las Comadres, is also preparing for another busy festival day. The Mexican restaurant at 2081 Mountain Blvd. has been part of the neighborhood since 1991. Like Chatterjee, Mendoza says she\u2019s found that the festival attracts many familiar faces from Montclair but also first-time visitors.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s how we get new customers \u2014 when there\u2019s something like this (festival) going on,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
For Mendoza, continued participation is about maintaining ties to the community that has supported the business for decades.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been here for so long (that ) I feel like I\u2019m part of the family,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Mendoza and co-owner Carlos Mendoza, her husband, are considering offering a taco special during the festival, with details still being finalized. She also plans to continue the tradition of distributing free burrito coupons to festival workers as a thank-you for their efforts.<\/p>\n
Just a few storefronts away, El Agavero, a fixture at 2071 Mountain Blvd. since June 2007, is similarly getting ready for one of Montclair Village\u2019s largest annual events.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople just come out here and enjoy the entire day,\u201d said Maria Pelayo, El Agavero\u2019s co-owner. \u201cEverybody looks forward to the festival every single year because it\u2019s summer, gorgeous and on a Saturday.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pelayo says El Agavero has participated in the festival since its earlier years, when it was held further up the street, where the restaurant operated a separate booth. Today, with the festival taking place directly outside its doors, the restaurant serves attendees from its storefront. For the event, she and her son, Tito Pelayo, El Agavero\u2019s bar manager, set up a small outdoor bar serving their house tequila margaritas alongside a taco stand with selections such as chicken and pork.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve been a big hit,\u201d she said about the offerings, adding that outdoor seating will be available for people to enjoy their drinks and food.<\/p>\n
Or, as she\u2019s seen some do, there\u2019s always the option to stop by for a margarita and taco and then walk around the festival with the items in-hand. When she\u2019s able to step away from her busy restaurant on festival day, Pelayo says she likes to browse the artisan booths herself.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I have the time, I\u2019ll go buy some stuff,\u201d she said. \u201cI support the vendors that come out here, because I think it\u2019s a lot of work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Next year, El Agavero will celebrate two decadess in Montclair Village. Pelayo still keeps the $5 bill from the restaurant\u2019s first sale on opening day (a Negra Modelo beer). It\u2019s a reminder of the longstanding connection her business has to the neighborhood and its fellow merchants.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor our community, everybody putting everything together is what makes the festival wonderful,\u201d she said. \u201cI want it to be a great outcome for everyone \u2014 not just for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
JL Odom is a freelance journalist based in San Francisco who can be reached at\u00a0jlodomphd@gmail.com<\/a>. When they\u2019re not covering the Bay Area, they\u2019re usually training for their next marathon.<\/p>\n FYI<\/p>\n Advance tickets to the Montclair Beer, Wine & Music Festival cost $58, while day-of tickets are $68. Attendees can receive a $20 discount by joining the Montclair Cares Club, a $120 annual membership that supports community programs and events throughout the year.<\/p>\n Tickets are available online at montclairvillage.com<\/a>. Also online are\u00a0Daughter Thai Kitchen (daughterthai.com<\/a>), Taqueria Las Comadres (instagram.com\/taquerialascomadres_oakland<\/a>) and\u00a0El Agavero (elagavero.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n The festival\u2019s Unlimited Tasting Package includes access to all beverage tastings and a commemorative festival glass. Attendees with the package can sample wine, beer, cider, liquor and alcohol-free beverages from a several companies, including Altamont Beer Works, Drake\u2019s Brewing Co., Fathers Brewing, Headyworks Brewing, Ikenga Wines, Bruc Family Wines, Longman\u2019s Gin, SqueakyWheel (cocktails in a can) and Abstinence Spirits.<\/p>\n \t\t\t