How to Enjoy Summer Art Festivals and Fairs

My city of Paso Robles has several summer festivals that focus on one or more of the arts. I have participated in two of them -- the Festival of the Arts in 2010 and 2011, and the 2010 Lavender Festival. Both were all day events with a multitude of vendors and activities for all ages. For the sake of simplicity, I will focus on the Paso Robles Festival of the Arts. But what I suggest will work for any festival or fair you plan to attend that has multiple vendors, activities, and exhibits. 

When I attended my first Festival of the Arts last year, I had no clear plan. I picked up a brochure at the beginning and scanned it for activities that might interest me, but I also wandered around just to see what I could see. This year I was better prepared. Here's what I did differently this year.

If you have attended the same festival before, it will help you plan. Past experience may help you cross off activities you don't need to participate in again. It also might encourage you to explore certain events more closely this time around. When I attended the Paso Robles Festival of the Arts in 2010, I felt like Alice in Wonderland. I'd never heard of plein air painting, for example. I got a bit acquainted with it at the art festival last year, but this year I knew I wanted to learn more and watch the plein air quick-draw artists more closely. I will be writing a separate article later on what I learned. But I made sure that this year I made watching the plein air artists and seeing the auction of their paintings a priority. 

Of course, it's hard to make a plan when you don't know what's happening when. Most event planners post a schedule on the sponsoring organization's web site. The City of Paso Robles, for example, had a whole page devoted to advertising their Festival of the Arts. One could click through to the entire schedule of events so one could decide what was most important to see. That's what I did. 

I discovered that this year's festival would offer activities in many of the arts, including performing arts. Musicians and dancers were scheduled throughout the day for both adults and children. Interactive educational sessions and guided tours in painting, photography, and crafts were available at different times of the day. There were also a multitude of art enrichment and education activities for children on the schedule, from face painting and making zany hats, to painting and experimenting with real musical instruments in the musical petting zoo. Parents could decide ahead of time which activities their children would enjoy most.

Even landscaping art did not escape the notice of the planners, who are concerned about environmentally friendly and water-conserving gardening. There were several environmental activities aimed at both adults and children, including even a falconer who brought working birds used for sustainable agriculture. The California Native Plant Society was also represented. 

All these activities were in the City Park. A whole different schedule was available for Studios in the Park, a co-sponsor of the event, right across the street. They had another six musical performances, several art studios, and at least two juried art exhibits on display. I had been there the night before for the kickoff reception for the festival, so I had seen everything there but the musical performances that were only on Saturday. Perhaps you see now why a plan is necessary. Without one, you many miss some of what you are most interested in.  In case you are curious, I made a plan for this year, and this is how I spent my Saturday at the Paso Robles Festival of the Arts.