LAGUNA BEACH : Sawdust, Art-A-Fair Will Open Today

The Laguna Beach Sawdust Festival gets under way today with more artists expected to show their wares than at any time in the arts and crafts show’s 24-year history.

Art-A-Fair, another art show located at 935 Laguna Canyon Road, will also begin today. One week later, the Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters, considered the “granddaddy” of the city’s art shows, will begin. All shows will run through Aug. 26.

The Sawdust Festival grounds have been landscaped this year to include a tropical jungle area and a Japanese garden, said Tina Arana, Sawdust Festival director of marketing. This year’s show will boast 258 exhibitors, more than any other year. The display booths, which are the festival’s trademark, will include one styled after a castle and another after an animal cage, Arana said.

Approximately 150 artists are expected to display their handiwork at Art-A-Fair, the only one of the three shows that includes the merchandise of artists from outside Laguna Beach. The works of actors Red Skelton and Buddy Ebsen will be on display this year, according to an Art-A-Fair spokeswoman. Artwork is for sale at all three festivals.

Admission to the Sawdust Festival is $4. Senior citizens are admitted for $3. Art-A-Fair admission is $3.50 and $2.50 for seniors. Children can visit both shows free of charge.

Arana recommended that festival-goers arrive before 11 a.m. on weekends to avoid heavy traffic. Parking is available seven days a week at a free lot one-fourth of a mile from the Sawdust Festival on the north side of Laguna Canyon Road. A tram can be taken from the lot to anywhere in Laguna for 75 cents. On weekends, parking and tram service will be available at Laguna Beach High School, 625 Park Ave.

The Sawdust Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Art-A-Fair will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.