The 51th Annual Sunset Beach Mother’s Day Art Festival, will be held Saturday, May 12, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sunday, May 13, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
The Sunset Beach Quilt, made from squares crafted by members of the community to represent beach settings, is being raffled off again this year. The first quilt was made in 1976. Quilt raffle tickets are being sold at the Sunset Beach Post Office.
The festival is held each year on Mother’s Day weekend. It’s a weekend of fun with free admission to all of the events. There will be a free shuttle from Starbucks all day, both days. On the greenbelt, more than 100 artists and craft persons display their wares; in the community center, local bands and musicians entertain all weekend. There will be food, a Beer & Wine pavilion, a Kid’s Booth and a juried art exhibit at the Firehouse Art Gallery, where you can admire and buy fine art and enjoy art submitted from seven local schools and hundreds of students.
The local charity Las Damas was started May 8, 1948 by a group of young women interested in promoting education and social activities. On July 10, 1948, they held the Beachcomber’s Carnival, which was the forerunner of the Sunset Beach Art Festival. The money they made was donated to a community fund, which was used to buy the 12th Street lot on which the Sunset Beach Fire Station and the Community Center stand today.In 1982 Las Damas incorporated as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
The money raised at the Art Festival goes towards education grants for local individuals heading to college or looking to change their careers; art programs for our local school; and charities for the mentally ill, homeless families and women in abusive situations.
