As wheelbarrows full of sawdust roll onto the grounds, people are scrambling left and right. The festival grounds are buzzing with activity as the artist booths begin taking form and they hammer the last nails into their booths.
June 26 marks the day the doors will open for the Sawdust Art Festival’s grand opening. From 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily until August 30, the grounds will be open for visitors to browse more than 200 artists’ arts and crafts. Attracting more visitors than any other summer art festival in Southern California, the Sawdust Art Festival will be celebrating its 49th year of offering a variety of paintings, photography, glass, ceramics, jewelry, sculptures, woodwork, textiles, clothing, furniture, mixed media and more.
In keeping with nearly half a century of tradition, Sawdust artists are encouraged to display and demo their art for visitors. It’s not unusual to walk past a glassblower making a piece come to life in front of an audience, and a painter teaching a brushstroke technique in the same aisle.
Art classes are an interactive addition to the festival, including the year-round Sawdust studio art classes, which are celebrating their fifth year. Special events including a ceramics booth and kids’ arts and crafts bring the visitor a unique hands-on art experience.
Daily live entertainment rounds out the day, filling the Sawdust grounds with local jams. Relax and refresh with an array of different vendors from espresso drinks to the “largest and coldest draft selections in town” at the Sawdust’s Saloon to fresh, organic fare from Evan’s Gourmet Bistro.
With less than a week left until opening, the Sawdust Festival is ready to kick off summer in Laguna!