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Arts & Entertainment

Friendship Factor is a Novato Festival Tradition

The annual event serves as a reunion for high school pals, organizers say.

Live music, great weather and enough food and wine to keep crowds of up to 90,000 pleased as punch are some of the  Novato Art, Wine and Music Festival's best known traditions.

You can rest assured that all of the above-mentioned boxes have been checked off ahead of this weekend's 30th anniversary bash, which will feature some 26 bands playing an eclectic musical mix on separate stages.

But one important tradition for locals doesn't show up on festival marketing flyers.

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But for locals, the Friendship Factor is one of the event's chief attractions, Chamber of Commerce CEO Coy Smith said.

“It seems like it's the kind of festival where not only do people come to enjoy the day and have some fun but a lot of people use it as a reunion to meet old friends that they went to high school with, or they lived here and they come back and they meet up at the event and and have a class of wine,” Smith said.

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Are you planning to meet up with old friends? Please tell us about your experiences at the festival in our comments section.

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