Southern California's Most Popular Art Festival

For those of you that have been with me a while, you’ll probably remember how last year I wrote about the Laguna Beach Sawdust Festival in Southern California. Well once just wasn’t enough and I had to go back for the celebration of its 53rd year running. Like last year, this 60’s style art community hasn’t seemed to change since the times of tie-dye and groovy VW vans. However, this fun excursion does not cease to get old. And for those of you who have not heard of this amazing festival, let me introduce you to the most well recognized art festival in Southern California.

Set in a three-acre eucalyptus grove, complete with waterfalls, in Laguna Canyon, all forms of arts and crafts are featured and available for purchase and at all price points (200 local artists are featured here). And in case you get overwhelmed with all the art, take the stairs all the way up to the top to find a nice reprieve from the hustle below in the beautiful nature of Laguna Canyon.

Go back downstairs and there’s ceramics to clothing and textiles to glass…

…jewelry to mixed media to painting…

…and finally, photography to sculpture and woodwork.

To make it all a little more interactive, you can find some of the artists working on their craft right then and there. My favorite was watching the glassblowers but I really enjoyed watching the artists drawing, as well.

For those visiting Southern California from out-of-area and want some typical beach souvenirs to bring home, the gift shops at the festival are a great place to look. You’ll find both fun and eclectic options to commemorate your visit.

And, of course, what attraction wouldn’t be complete without live music? Bands rotate throughout the weeks, but each, I’m sure, are entertaining and bring a fun vibe to the experience.

This festival has much to offer and although not much has changed since last year, besides the artist and the bands and…well, ok, it’s changed, but one of my favorite things still remains to be the arts and crafts they have available for patrons of all ages. Of course, some are more suited towards kids, but one of my personal favorites is the potter’s wheel. There is a small materials fee for some of the crafts but the majority of them are free of charge.

There are plenty of food options as well as craft beer and wine too when you are ready for a refreshment break. Unfortunately, those are not included in the price of admission so be ready for that little charge if you decide to partake.

Not much has changed in regard to parking, which can sometimes be a little tricky in Laguna Beach. The easiest is to park at one of the designated lots (found on www.lagunabeachcity.net/parking) and take the free of charge Laguna Beach trolley (www.lagunabeachcity.net/trolley) which drops you off right in front of the Festival. There are parking lots directly on Laguna Canyon too for around $20 and metered parking on the streets as well, but these fill quickly. Either way, you have a few parking options when you decide to go.

There are still a few weeks left to experience this modern renaissance (it ends Sept 1st) and you just might enjoy yourself so much that you want to return for the 29th annual Winter Fantasy too! That festival is five weekends long from mid-November to mid-December and will showcase winter-themed art and live holiday entertainment. But during the summer, the Sawdust Festival is a must see for both locals and tourists alike in the Orange County area. Stay tuned for some more fun things to do in Southern California through the next few weeks and then I’ll return to exploring more of Europe!

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