37th Annual Labor Day Festival of the Arts at Mammoth Lakes
110 artists to celebrate “all things trout” in beautiful forest setting, surrounded by family fun, food and live entertainment.
Mammoth Lakes, CA (PRWEB) August 17, 2006
Family fun will be plentiful in the Eastern Sierra this Labor Day weekend, September 2,3 and 4, 2006, as Mammoth Lakes celebrates “all things trout” and the art of fishing with its 37th Annual Labor Day Festival of the Arts.
In addition to the 110 fine art and contemporary craft booths, activities will include live music, trout cooking demonstrations, wine tasting, food and beer from local restaurants, fishing product booths, roving entertainment and a special kid zone with trout-related games and contests.
The festival will be held at Sam’s Wood Site, a 4 ½ acre forested area on Minaret Road between Main Street and Meridian. Hours are 10 a. m.- 6 p. m. on Saturday and Sunday, and 10 a. m.-5 p. m. on Monday. Admission and parking are free.
“This event is simply magical,” said Festival Director Gaye Mueller. “Held in the most beautiful forest setting, the festival offers fine art and contemporary crafts of amazing quality. The calming music and whimsical entertainment create such a pleasant atmosphere.”
Mammoth’s Labor Day Festival of the Arts is presented by the Mammoth Art Guild in conjunction with the Town of Mammoth Lakes’ Million Dollar Troutstock, also happening over Labor Day Weekend with its headquarters at Sam's Wood Site.
As expected, mountain and nature themes will be prevalent in the arts and crafts available – log furniture, photography and paintings of the Sierra, handmade jewelry, metal art for the yard, ironwork and pottery for the home, hand-painted and hand-woven clothing, tapestry handbags, intricate antler art, and, true to the event’s theme, “trout everywhere,” said Mueller.
Attendees will be treated to a variety of offerings in the food court area – including traditional “kid-friendly” foods – hot dogs, etc., homemade pies, Thai Chinese, and a wide variety of teas from a local tea gallery. Beverages will include wine tasting and selections from Mammoth Brewing Company.
Entertainment will also be plentiful at the festival, with the main stage area featuring Bolivian flamenco fusion with an Afro-Peruvian beat, the Sierra Studebakers Blue Grass Band, and The Bishop Big Band, a festival favorite, playing swing music at 1 p. m. and 3 p. m. on Sunday.
Roving clowns “Sonny” and “Twinkie” will offer balloon creations for children of all ages. The Magical Moonshine Puppet Theater will entertain the younger art enthusiasts with their outrageous folktales.
“There’s plenty of lodging and camping in Mammoth,” confirmed Mueller, “and we’ll have our usual mild temperatures, clean air and sunshine. We encourage everyone to spend their last weekend of summer playing in the Sierra at Mammoth’s premiere art festival. What could be better?”
For more information about the 37th Annual Labor Day Festival of the Arts at Mammoth Lakes, call 760/873-7242 or visit www. mammothartguild. com. For more information about Million Dollar Troutstock, call 800-367-6572 or visit www. troutstock. com. This festival is funded in part by the California Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Sneak Peek of Summer 2007 “Trail of the Trout”
Those attending the festival will also get a sneak peek at a few of the sculptures to be included in the Mammoth Art Guild’s largest undertaking to date, a 150-mile “Trail of the Trout” that will debut in Summer 2007. The trail will include around 50 six-foot fiberglass trout sculptures hand painted by local artists and placed along Highway 395 from Lone Pine to Bridgeport.
About The Mammoth Art Guild
The non-profit Mammoth Art Guild was established in 1970. The Guild’s mission is to support the arts throughout Mono County by sponsoring art festivals that encourage local talent and facilitate appreciation of the arts. The Guild is in the process of transitioning into the new Mono Council for the Arts and works in partnership with many organizations in Mono County to provide greater access to the arts in this isolated rural Eastern Sierra corridor.
Annual guild projects include other festivals around the Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s and President’s Day Holidays, as well as support of ESCAPE (Eastern Sierra Children in the Arts Project) to bring arts in education into the local schools.
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