Blown Glass Chandelier by Seth Parks

The Fiesta Hermosa has been put on by the Hermosa Beach Chamber of Commerce for over thirty years every Labor Day and Memorial Day weekend. According to their website, it is the largest arts and crafts fair in southern California.

However, if you were to arrive at the Fiesta expecting to enjoy the arts, you might be disappointed. It wasn’t that there was a lack of art or talented artists represented at the Fiesta; the problem was that the atmosphere of the Fiesta was less “arts and crafts” and more “flea market”.

If you managed to wind your way through the congested streets and beyond the booths where salesmen attempted to sell energy efficient windows and DirecTV packages to passersby, you could find some truly original and beautiful works of art.

The art ranged from paintings to handmade pottery spun on a wheel to hand-crafted chandeliers of blown glass.

One artist, David Lozeau, was working on a new painting in front of his booth as onlookers stopped to watch. “This is our first time at the Fiesta,” said Lozeau. “We were a little disappointed by it.”

Several of the artists expressed their dislike of the swap-meet feel of the Fiesta, but said that it was a good venue for selling their art.

In addition to shopping and art, the Fiesta offers live music, food and drinks and entertainment for children. It also raises money for charity and through drink sales at its Beer and Wine Garden.

The Fiesta takes place just one short block from the beach, so if a weary Fiesta-goer should want to cool his feet in the surf, it’s no problem.

If you plan on attending the Fiesta on Labor Day, we suggest using the free parking supplied by the city.  You’ll have to catch a shuttle to the event, which may mean enduring long waits for the shuttle, but Hermosa Beach has precious little parking.

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