Suzie Harrison For 12 years, visitors have...

Suzie Harrison

For 12 years, visitors have been ignoring the sun and sand down

the road for the afternoon and opting for a winter wonderland -- the

Sawdust Art Festival Winter Fantasy.

Beginning Saturday, the Sawdust Art Festival will open its doors

to a three-acre fantasyland designed to transform the festival

grounds into a winter dream.

More than 150 artists from south county will be participating. A

variety of art will be represented, including ceramics, paintings,

handblown glass and jewelry. The summer show is exclusively for

Laguna Beach artists.

The artists’ booths will be decorated with holiday flair for the

judged booth contest.

New this year, 11 community organizations will decorate their own

holiday trees in the Town Square to be judged.

“We go all out, buying all kinds of decorations,” said Rebecca

Meekma, Sawdust media relations. “Lynne Powell, event coordinator,

bought a table-top gingerbread house that was so cute that it became

the model for the gingerbread playhouse that was created this year.”

The Children from the Creekside Home School decorated it as an art

project, putting on the finishing touches.

The community tree to the right of the gingerbread house will be

lighted by Mayor Wayne Baglin at 5 p.m. Saturday. Each Sawdust artist

contributed an ornament for the tree.

A gazebo in the square will be the site of several shows. There

will also be other stages on the grounds, with shows including

marionettes for the kids and holiday carolers. Top of the World’s and

El Morro’s honor choruses, the Laguna Beach High School Jazz

Ensemble, the Laguna Youth Recorder Ensemble, the Laguna Beach

Community Concert Band and a 38 others in blues, rock, harp and

classical guitar will perform.

There will be a touch of snow for those who can’t live without a

white Christmas. Kids can play on a snowfield created from a blower

and 300-pound blocks of ice.

“It’s like the real stuff. We bring in five tons each day of the

festival,” Meekma said. “It’s so cute. The prepared parents bring a

little snow suit for their kids to play in and then change them into

their regular clothes when they’re done.”

Santa will be ho-ho-hoing and ready to listen to holiday wishes.

There will also be a children’s art booth where kids can create

crafts, as well as different art workshops and demos of glass

blowing, print making, ceramics and painting.

Janeen Shagman is returning to the festival after some time off

and has taken up fused glass as a new art to exhibit and sell.

“It’s a first time in a long time to be here,” Shagman said. “It’s

a new medium for me. I’m testing my wings. I haven’t taken my work

out into the public for so long, it’s nice to do it here, to have

feedback -- it’s really fun.”

Jewelry maker Cindy Stalnaker is a new artist to the winter

festival this year.

“I’m really excited to be exhibiting here, I’ve been coming here

for 20 years, so I’m real thrilled about it,” Stalnaker said.

The Sawdust Art Festival Winter Fantasy is at 935 Laguna Canyon

Road. It’s open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 23, 24, 29 and 30 and

Dec. 1, 7, 8, 14 and 15. Tickets are $4 for adults, $5 for a pass for

every day, $2 for children 6 to 12 and free for children 5 and

younger.

For more information, call 494-3030, or visit

www.sawdustartfestival.org.