The 2011 Laguna Canyon’s Sawdust Art Festival and Pageant of the Masters
Laguna Canyon is well known for its spectacular art festivals. If you have been here, you know you should get your tickets now.
Throughout the year, hikers and local artists roam the Laguna Wilderness and call the canyon home; but the summer when the art festivals start Laguna Canyon is the place to be.
The Sawdust Art Festival opens Friday June 24th and runs through August 28th. Forty years of tradition attracts the shoppers who roam the sawdust paths snapping up paintings, textiles, sculptures, blown and fused glass, leather, metal, photos, flags, natural fiber fashions and art in wood.
Also, there’s live music, jugglers and face painters abound and espresso. To complete the party, the Sawdust Art Festival will have popcorn, and tacos, along with its Sawdust Saloon.
On Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00am to 2:00pm, you can take lessons from festival artists creating your own jewelry and learn how to make about blown glass, ceramic, silk, metals and pottery. The Sawdust is located at 935 Laguna Canyon Road, in Laguna, running from 10:00am to 10:00pm.
The Festival of the Arts and Pageant of the Masters begins July 3rd and runs through August 31st. This famed show is known for its “living pictures.”
Beautifully staged in a lovely outdoor amphitheater, the Laguna Pageant of the Masters offers an evening of surprises. A live cast of people in elaborate costumes defy gravity as they pose in ten foot high structures to recreate familiar works of art and sculpture.
Some 20 scenes are showcased combined with both an orchestra narration
When the curtain goes up, each scene reflects hundreds of hours of work by over 500 volunteers–the costumes and backdrop production began in January and many of the headpieces took days to create. This year’s overall theme is “Only Make Believe.” Bring your binoculars and a blanket for cool evenings and savor this Laguna tradition (that dates back to the thirties).
The Festival of Arts that accompanies the Pageant features works of over 140 known artists with exhibits of blown glass, metal, wood, jewelry and paintings.
The festival and the pageant are in Irvine Bowl Park, 650 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna. General admission to the festival is $7 and pageant tickets start at $15.
Cap the evening with drinks or a late supper at the Villa Nova or the Bluewater Grill in Newport, or Mozambique in Laguna. Tivoli’s Terrace and Gina’s Alfresco restaurants are available at the Pageant if you want to have dinner before the show.
