Fall is festival season in Avalon and one of the biggest festivals is also the oldest. For more than half a century, the Catalina Island Festival of Art has brought artists and art fans together in the middle of September. Scheduled this year for Sept. 18 to 20, this popular weekend attracts artists from throughout the country, who set up booths along Crescent Avenue, sharing their inspiration and creations with hundreds of art fans who return year after year for the festival.
Free for the public, the Catalina art festival provides a wealth of opportunities to experience – and purchase – art in a variety of mediums, including oil, photography, watercolors, mixed media and crafts. Catalina Island itself is a frequent inspiration, with much of the art created either on or about Santa Catalina. A children’s art competition brings out some of the next generation of artists, who vie for a prizes including an array of art supplies.
The festival is organized by the Catalina Art Association, one of Catalina Island’s oldest organizations. In addition to the Catalina art festival in September, the association also organizes a spring festival and operates an art gallery in the lobby of US Bank.