Semi-Annual Pacific Fine Arts Sidewalk Festival

It’s a far cry from what it used to be. Won’t be heading to another one in the future…

I love the eclectic mix of art forms on display at the Festival each year — painting and photography, woodcarving, ceramics, and some of the most beautiful blown glass you’ll find. It’s a good thing I don’t have a bigger house, because I’d buy armloads of these artisans’ wares whenever they set up shop downtown. An added municipal benefit of the Festival is to draw customers to the merchants downtown, particularly the restaurants. Bonus feature: lots of friendly dogs to give scritches between the ears!

Just another reason to love living in Walnut Creek. They typically have this in April and September. I’ve got some favorite artists that I’ve seen year after year and then others who just randomly appear from time to time. This Pacific Fine Arts fair also does shows in other areas, such as Montclair, so if you check out their website you can see where they’ll be next.
Great way to wile away a Sunday afternoon. In my experience, September seems to have more variety and a larger artist turn out-​at least that’s what I remember. The April event was a success and I am looking forward to the next one this fall.
The one in September is an especially great time to look for holiday gifts-​I left last year with some great jewelry for and screen printed T’s (all handmade and unique)-except they were gifts for me… ooops!
Check it out-​if nothing else you’ll get to stroll through Walnut Creek and get some fresh air!

This is a big part of why I like living in this area, the frequent art festivals. And there isn’t anything cuter to do on a date than strolling through downtown looking at art before stopping at an outdoor café near the festival for dinner. I enjoy the handmade jewelry the most usually, although the art & photography is at least descent, if not extremely original. But there’s always going to be something amazing to see here, and it’s always been worth it to come check it out. If for no other reason, just ’cause it’s a fun way to spend my weekend afternoon.

I go to this sidewalk festival pretty much every time it’s in town. After 3 years, I am familiar with each artists’ location and what they sell. It’s really nice to see the same people return, especially for those who may collect their art or want multiple pieces.
Just today my husband and I bought two new ceramic pieces for our kitchen. In the past we’ve come home with a cute giraffe who now adorns our living room shelves, and a piece of collage work by a gentleman I didn’t see this year.
There is a good variety of art, but painting/​photographs definitely dominate. If you’re in search of jewelry, there are about 5 booths. I love the hand-​blown glass and ceramic artists, but simply cannot afford to fill my house with all the art that inspires me.
The festival itself is well organized and I appreciate that it closes as few streets as possible (downtown WC traffic is bad enough). The sidewalks get a bit crowded during the middle of the day, but it’s to be expected, and most people accept the slower browsing-​pace.
I like that this group continues to come back to the area from year to year, and look forward to seeing them in town next time.