POP-UPS AROUND OUR AREA... often take a fanciful tack, calling upon the elements found in a fictional tale or time-honored storybook. So, too, do our local theme parks, when it comes to particular attractions. And people looking for a bit of uplifting escapism regularly visit these places, all to spend time somewhere quaint, cool, especially pretty, and beyond the everyday. But our region is also home to enduring events and historic places that aren't pop-ups or limited-time experiences, and, on occasion, those happenings possess the charm and character we so regularly seek when browsing the local pop-up buffet. One of the jewels in this particular Southern California crown? It's the celebrated Sawdust Art Festival of Laguna Beach, a seasonal must-do that can trace its culture-loving story back to the 1960s. It's a summertime treat, with a holiday-happy wintertime version, and it involves dozens upon dozens of artists showing inside a...
WHIMSICAL WONDERLAND... of passageways, nooks, and tucked-away corners. It's all sort of inside-outside, with old trees standing proud throughout the open-to-the-sky walkways, and, yes, sawdust is on the ground. But all around? Look for glass art, photographs, jewelry, textiles, and so many beautiful expressions of the creative spirit. The goods are for sale, and, very often, you'll meet the artist inside the booth. Live music adds a spirited soundtrack to your wanderings, and there are art-focused demonstrations, too, in case you'd like to pick up on the finer points of glass blowing or plein air painting technique. As for noshables sold on site? For sure, you can pick up a snack, should you need a bit of sustenance as you wander among the stalls. After all, seeing pieces created by 200 artists can raise the appetite.
THE FESTIVAL... opened at the very end of June 2019, and it'll remain open, daily, through the first day of September. It isn't the only amazing thing in Laguna Beach going on as summer heats up, for the Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters are just ahead. Tickets? Find them here, then prepare to enter an old-world-y village that isn't a pop-up but part of the fabric and heart of this art-lovin' beach town.
