When Kelly Gavin took over as executive director of the Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce last August, she picked an unusual day to begin her new job.
It was the first day of the Scotts Valley Art, Wine & Beer Festival.
“Inside the chamber, we refer to my first day as shock and awe,” Gavin said with a laugh.
Gavin inherited the position from longtime Executive Director Danny Reber, who led the chamber for more than a decade and helped shape the festival into the community celebration it is today. Now, nearly a year into the job, Gavin is preparing to welcome Scotts Valley back to Skypark for the festival on Saturday, Aug. 15, and Sunday, Aug. 16.
The free, two-day event has come a long way since it began in 1999 as Art Under the Oaks. The festival was renamed the Scotts Valley Art & Wine Festival around 2005, but by 2015 attendance and artist participation had declined enough that the chamber board considered ending it altogether.
Instead, Reber and the chamber reinvented it.
The festival became more family-oriented, adding a Kids Zone, food vendors, more music, a merchant row for local businesses and nonprofits, and beer alongside the wine. The changes paid off: festival revenue increased by 75%.
Since then, Dog Day and the Cops ’N Rodders car show have joined the lineup.
The festival was canceled in 2020 because of Covid-19, but returned in 2021 as the first festival in the area to receive approval after the pandemic shutdowns. With Skypark still being used as a staging area for first responders following the CZU Lightning Complex fires and subsequent storms, the festival moved to Siltanen Park that year — and drew record attendance.
This year, Gavin is continuing the festival’s tradition of evolution while adding something new: a Wellness Day on Saturday.
Created in partnership with Therapy Works, the Wellness Zone will bring together local therapists, fitness professionals, acupuncturists, skincare experts, nonprofits and other health and wellness providers.
“The thing is, feeling better starts with awareness,” Gavin said. “Wellness starts with awareness.”
The goal isn’t to create a clinical environment or turn the festival into a sales event. Instead, Gavin said, the zone is designed to give residents an informal opportunity to ask questions, learn about healthy living and meet local professionals before they need their services.
The partnership has a bit of history, too. Gavin discovered that Reber and Therapy Works had tried to establish a similar program years ago, but the effort was derailed by the events of 2020.
“This year, we’ve reinvigorated the partnership,” she said.
The festival’s longtime attractions aren’t going anywhere.
Wine and beer remain central to the celebration, with chamber volunteers Becky McMillion and Tobin Shaeffer helping curate those offerings. The Cops ’N Rodders car show returns Saturday, with classic cars traveling from the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk to Skypark.
Music will again be a major draw, with KPIG’s Joe “Mojoe” Bac helping assemble this year’s lineup. SambaDa will close out Saturday, followed by The Joint Chiefs on Sunday.
For Gavin, however, one of the festival’s most important features is something attendees may overlook: the art.
The festival is a juried art show, meaning artists are intentionally selected rather than simply given space to sell their work. Gavin said the chamber works to ensure the merchandise is unique and artisanal rather than mass-produced, with an emphasis on local artists.
“I’ve never seen such a stellar group of artists,” she said.
The Kids Zone is also getting a makeover this year. After struggling in 2025, organizers are working with Megan St. Charles of Enchanted Little Forest Friends to make the area more interactive, hands-on and art-focused.
And on Sunday, the dogs take over.
Dog Day returns with competitions and activities for four-legged festival-goers, along with a new Doggy Luau Pool Party. Organizers Kim Pursley of Kalani Day Spa and Danielle Ratliff of The Good Times promise that “all paws are welcome.”
For Gavin, the festival is ultimately less about any single attraction than the opportunity to bring Scotts Valley together.
“It’s a great way to celebrate the end of summer enjoying all that Scotts Valley has to offer,” she said.
She also credits the volunteers and chamber staff who make the sprawling event possible, particularly festival manager Cheyanne Donald Diaz and Operations Manager Andrea Konrad.
“Most of my board will be working at the festival,” Gavin said. “They’ve been showing up to all the meetings, they’re so kind and helpful and really have been extremely supportive.”
After a first day she describes as “shock and awe,” Gavin has had a year to get acquainted with Scotts Valley’s personalities, traditions and intricacies.
Now she’s ready to celebrate, and perhaps, enjoy the party she helped organize.
The Scotts Valley Art, Wine & Beer Festival takes place Aug. 15-16 at Skypark. Admission is free. More information is available at svartfestival.com.
