After a thwarted attempt to open at the end of July this year, our famed Sawdust Festival chose to wait it out a few more weeks They finally opened on Sept. 19th to a scaled back “Outdoor Marketplace” on weekends only. And so far, it’s moving along just beautifully.
While the usual (and my favorite) Winter Fantasy will not be happening this year (I don’t know how Santa can bear it), the Outdoor Marketplace will continue to rotate its nearly 100 gifted local artists all the way through Dec. 20th. And … brace yourselves … just last weekend I began to see the beginning of holiday gifting fare in the booths. While it may seem early to some, I say we attack the holiday shopping regimen with the same early voting mentality we’ve just flurried our way through. I mean … if Ralph’s is already stocking Egg Nog in its dairy section, we all have plenty of stuff to drink while wrapping all those gifts we’re shipping to family, friends and neighbors who live a block away.
There’s nothing better than the Sawdust Festival for awesome, one-of-a-kind gifts. I sometimes suspect that I remain on several people’s gift exchange lists solely because I reside in Laguna Beach with the great Sawdust Festival filling my friend and family stockings. It is an exquisite and bountiful harvest of baubles, jewelry, paintings, sculptures, photography, windmills, wind chimes, gorgeous pottery and, what has become a perennial favorite among my clients – hand-blown glass ornaments.
Admission is $10 for adults and free for kids 12 and under. You can go online to purchase or buy at the Sawdust doors. Keep in mind that safety protocols are in place – everyone must wear a mask, and social distancing is required.