Sawdust Art Festival — Attraction in Laguna Beach

If you're up for an adventure that involves navigating parking lots like a pro and walking on paths comparable to an extreme hiking trail, then the Sawdust Art Festival is just the place for you! Brace yourself for a day filled with art, music, and more sawdust than you ever thought possible.

Let's start with the parking situation. Now, I must warn you, it's like a real-life game of "Where's Waldo?" Trying to find a spot can be an absolute nightmare. The uneven paths will make you question if you're at an art festival or auditioning for a reality show called "Parkour with Picasso." But hey, once you've successfully parked your car, you'll feel an unmatched sense of accomplishment. It's like winning a gold medal in the Olympic sport of parking gymnastics!

Now, let's talk about the main attraction: the sawdust. It's everywhere! It's like the festival organizers dumped a truckload of it and said, "Let's make art while we're at it!" You'll find yourself tiptoeing through the sawdust like a ballerina trying to avoid a landmine. One wrong step, and you might find yourself sinking like quicksand. Who knew art could be so risky?

But fear not, my fellow adventurers, because despite the parking and sawdust challenges, there's a silver lining. The staff at the Sawdust Art Festival are genuinely happy to be there, and their friendliness is contagious. Their enthusiasm will make you forget about your sore feet and questionable parking skills. They're like the ray of sunshine on a cloudy day, except the clouds are made of sawdust.

And let's not forget the live music! Picture this: you're strolling through the festival, sawdust clinging to your shoes, and suddenly, you hear the distant sound of music. Follow the melody, and you'll find yourself at the stage area, where talented musicians will be serenading you. It's the perfect soundtrack for your sawdust-filled adventure. Just remember to bring your sense of humor, a sturdy pair of shoes, and maybe a mini vacuum cleaner for those inevitable sawdust souvenirs....

Update July 2023: Returning post-Covid and happy to see the festival is still thriving. I enjoyed the display of photography of the original buildings and various other art on display. I did not leave with a souvenir shirt again. They are now offering tank tops and I really liked the artwork on it. But, it failed in not having the date on the print. Epic fail in my book. For me, as a collector of t's, having a date stamp on them is a thing. I suggest all apparel be date stamped. I believe you could be missing sales opportunities. Because, you did with me. Perhaps next time. The festival is always enjoyable. After having attended this for many years, I was pleasantly surprised that little had changed and the artwork and artist are still amazing. My complaint is with their choice of wearable souvenirs. Typically, I purchase a T shirt or tank that features the selected artwork for that season. Not this year, they did not offer a shirt, hoodie or tank with the full representation of the artwork as seen in the poster. I did, however purchase a poster to add to my rather large collection. This has not been the only time I was disappointed in the souvenir attire, I suggested several years in a row that they offer tank tops and out of the 20 some odd years I have attended, I have acquired 1. This years tank looked like a throwback to the 60's and the work resembled Erte. This was not appealing to me and did not warrant a purchase. Better luck next time. I will suggest once more that a better selection of tank tops be offered and that you include a full depiction of the exact same poster which represents the festival in any...

Pay an entry fee to window shop or shop for high-end art. Don't bring the kids. They will get bored and restless. Not pet friendly, but of course, you can bring a service dog if you have a disability. Good music was playing, Gg's Mediterranean cafe was very tasty, there are clean bathrooms but it is a bit upscale for an art festival/show.

Mostly targeting a women demographic, there's isn't a lot of variety in what's offered. There's an abundance of jewelry (the pewter booth is the most diverse, in my opinion, something for most, feels like the ren faire. Reasonable pricing), photography, paintings by different artists and different styles, a couple of glass works, some pottery, a single wood furniture booth, a simple wooden toy booth... And a couple of booths that fit in between. It was neat to look at, but unless you're looking at spending $$$, there isn't a lot to offer.

I enjoyed it but was able to walk through in about an hour and didn't find much personally that was my style.

I enjoyed the setup, I enjoyed the atmosphere, but I feel like there weren't as many shops or types of variety as I was hoping for. Maybe it's just me, though. Go for yourself and decide! It's within walking distance of the beach and shops down there to check when...