Sawdust Art & Craft Festival to Light Up the Town With Annual Winter Fantasy

LAGUNA BEACH, CA--(Marketwired - Nov 8, 2017) -  Sawdust Art & Craft Festival -- a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public and promoting art created in Laguna Beach -- is pleased to announce that its annual Winter Fantasy festival will commence Nov. 18 and will be open every weekend until Dec. 17 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Experience the familiar Sawdust Art Festival's three-acre eucalyptus grove transformed into an enchanting outdoor winter wonderland brimming with festive holiday décor and lit by thousands of new twinkling lights every evening! This year's Winter Fantasy features the work of 180 artists from around the world, who create, display and sell their original creations over the course of five weekends. Art media includes jewelry, clothing, fused and blown glass, ceramics, woodwork, forged metals, painting, photography, sculpture, clothing and textiles.

"Our Winter Fantasy offers the most unique holiday shopping in all of Southern California," said Natalie Haug, Sawdust general manager. "In addition to shopping, the festival offers family-friendly activities and experiences -- memories that will last a lifetime."

Special holiday highlights include a grand community tree lighting ceremony on Nov. 18 at 6 p.m. featuring fourteen community-decorated Christmas trees, daily photos with Santa (and a bevy of more magical photo opt areas all over the festival grounds), Toys for Tots holiday toy drive, Children's Holiday Playhouse featuring puppeteers and a magician, holiday carolers, the beloved Balloon Diva, free holiday-themed art and craft classes offered for all ages in two art booths, and a magical Town Square featuring an ongoing snow machine, Santa's house and a children's playhouse! Additionally, Winter Fantasy has three entertainment stages offering music of all genres, along with four outdoor cafés, an espresso bar, a popcorn booth and the Sawdust Saloon.

Presale tickets are available on the website: $8.00 for adults, $6.00 for seniors (65+) and $4.00 for children (6-12). Admission is free for children five years old and younger. Season Passes are $12.

For more information, as well as a comprehensive list of events and special features at this year's festival, please visit www.sawdustartfestival.org.

About Sawdust Art & Craft Festival: Founded in 1967, the Sawdust Art & Craft Festival is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public and promoting art created in Laguna Beach. Best known for offering two highly attended seasonal festivals, the organization also hosts a variety of workshops and classes throughout the year. Sawdust's legendary summer festival is a nine-week summer celebration of fine art and craft -- the largest in Southern California -- with more than 200 Laguna Beach artists who exhibit and sell their original art and handcrafted items. The festival also offers live entertainment, artist demonstrations, hands-on art workshops for all ages, and a variety of food & drink offerings. Sawdust's Annual Winter Fantasy Festival occurs for five weekends leading up to the holiday season, and boasts an international collection of over 175 artisans who create, showcase, and sell their original, handcrafted artwork on the Sawdust grounds, which are lavishly decorated to resemble a winter wonderland. Special activities include "Winter Art Series" classes, where guests can create holiday-themed works, and a highly anticipated Annual Community Tree Lighting Ceremony. Throughout the remainder of the year, the organization continues to provide its Sawdust Studio Art Classes in a variety of mediums, on-site and off-site. For more information, visit: www.sawdustartfestival.org.