COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS

We are so fortunate to live in a community with so much heart . There never seems to be a shortage of places to go , people to see , and organizations to support .

As you will see in the following pages , these past few months have provided an abundance of all of the above . Gilroy Today is happy to include as many of these wonderful events and activities within its pages , as space allows . And we encourage community organizations and businesses to let us know about their efforts to support our community . We thank them for continuing to make Gilroy a wonderful place to live and raise a family .

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FIRST ANNUAL GILROY PORCHFEST

Gilroy ’ s First Ever Porchfest took place on Saturday , September 20th on Hanna Street between 3rd and 6th Streets . It was produced by Barbara Bottini , Eileen Cuevas and Carol DeSantis . Porchfest is an event during which local musicians play for free on various porches in a neighborhood .

The concept began in Ithaca , New York about seven years ago , and has spread gradually over the United States and Canada . The only other one in California is in Napa .

The intent is to showcase local musicians , either amateur or professional , in a neighborhood setting , encouraging people to walk or ride their bikes between well spaced porches .

A secondary intention is to promote neighborliness . By getting out and walking in an area , people meet people , and when a neighbor volunteers his porch , his neighbors get to know him a little better .

Next year ’ s Porchfest Gilroy is planned to cover not just Hanna Street but three parallel blocks on Dowdy Street .

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Photos by John “ Rally Rouser ” Russell