Sunset Beach will celebrate Mother’s Day again this year with the 46th Annual Sunset Beach Art Festival, a two-day arts and crafts bazaar from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on May 11 and 12. Most of the action will be centered on the 12th Street community center and greenbelt that runs through the town.
Visitors have a great opportunity to take mom shopping for her special day along the greenbelt where artisans and craftsmen will show off their unique creations in over 150 vendors’ booths lined up along the greenbelt. The booths offer a delightful variety of goods, including hats, clothing, decorative items for the home, wood furniture, ceramics, and lots of other handcrafted items both beautiful and whimsical. All the offerings are handcrafted and can’t be found in stores.
Larry Squires, a ceramics artist, has been participating in the festival for 25 years. When asked why he kept coming back, he said: “I enjoy the opportunity to connect with so many other talented artists here, and I greatly appreciate the friendly support that the sponsors and the Sunset Beach community give to the artists.”
So much shopping will bring on some hunger pangs, so visitors can wander down 12th Street for delicious food, including the popular bacon-wrapped hot-dogs, tacos, steak and cheese sandwiches, and even some Greek specialties. Drinks, including wine and beer are available in the 12th street community center, where festival-goers can sit and enjoy music on stage from local bands as they munch and sip.
A visit to The Firehouse Art Gallery includes original graphics arts, with oils acrylics, pen/ink and print techniques on display in a gallery setting. The show is juried, and visitors will see the winners of each category of art.
The festival’s Kids’ Zone, located in front of the Firehouse, is spectacular this year. Kids can make a special Mother’s Day present from seashells that have been collected along local beaches, and create a card to go with it. Circle art will inspire young artists and kids can participate in games, win prizes and get a tattoo (temporary, of course!)
Raffles are a big part of the festival and take place at various times during the festival. The Sunset Beach Quilt, made from squares crafted by members of the community to represent beach settings and other local scenes. Quilt winners from previous festivals treasure these one-of-a kind local mementos. Quilt raffle tickets are $5 each and can be purchased at the quilt raffle table in front of the Firehouse Gallery.
Another favorite raffle booth sells $1.00 tickets for chances to win one of the creations donated by each of the vendors in the festival. Those raffles are held at various times during the two-day festival, so there are many chances to win something unique. The Sunset Beach Art Festival is sponsored by Las Damas, a local women’s service organization. Proceeds from the festival will help fund Casa Youth Center for at-risk teenagers, NAMI Orange County, the local mental illness support organization, and other organizations for homeless families. Cash-strapped art programs in our local schools get a boost from the festival, too, as a portion of the proceeds help the schools buy the paints, paper, and other necessities for their successful art programs. For information, e-mail: mail@sunsetbeachartfestival.org, call (408) 674-5549 or (562) 972-4245 or visit www.sunsetbeachartfestival.org.
