In a generous land where row crops and wine grapes thrive in neighboring fields, the happy activity of harvest calls out for a celebration. As Central Coast farmers bring in their crops, chefs create edible masterpieces, and artists interpret the colorful interplay of life all around, what better way to acknowledge the bounty than with a great big party?
Slated for the first Saturday in October, Santa Maria’s annual Autumn Arts Grapes and Grains Festival showcases the very best of the Santa Maria Valley. Only one day long—but robust enough to salute a year’s worth of agriculture and creative spirit—this free, downtown street fair and fine art show offers the perfect venue for saying goodbye to summer, hello to autumn, and “here we come!” to winter fun.
“This is always one of the bigger festivals on the Central Coast,” said Rudy Gutierrez, recreation technician with the City of Santa Maria. “It’s where we celebrate what Santa Maria is all about.”
Residents of the region know that “what Santa Maria is all about” covers a lot of territory, from fine wine and fresh produce, to long views and coastal breezes. At the heart of the local experience, though, lies a dynamic core of talented citizens engaged in serving and celebrating their community.
Every year, these folks volunteer their time, energy, and sometimes even their wares, to make the festival memorable and truly representative of the Santa Maria lifestyle. Winemakers, brewers, artists, teachers, and handcrafters all turn out to share their enthusiasm and expertise with residents and visitors alike.
This year, to mark the 25th anniversary of the event, organizers have nudged the action a block or so north of its previous location near the Abel Maldonado Community Youth Center. The festival still unfolds along both sides of McClelland Street, but is now bounded by Cook and Orange streets on the north and south, respectively.
“The festival is closer to the new public library, along the McClelland Street corridor,” Gutierrez explained. “We wanted to bring it back to the civic center, where it was originally held.
“This year, the [Santa Maria] Recreation and Parks Department is handling the Autumn Arts part,” he added, ”while the Kiwanis are doing the Grapes and Grains part.”
A showcase for local talent, the festival puts artists front and center, as 52 of them display their work at the new plaza and Shepard Hall associated with the public library. Four of the 100 pieces in the juried exhibition will receive cash prizes—one Best of Show and one Popular Choice each for painting and photography—to be awarded at a reception held the night before the festival.
“Friday, we’ll have the Autumn Arts Evening,” Gutierrez explained, “where we recognize some of our local artists. It’s a social thing, open to the public, so there will be music and appetizers, along with a presentation from the Arts Council.”
Sponsored by the Town Center Gallery, Los Padres Artist Guild, and Santa Maria Arts Council, the art show will remain on display throughout the day of the festival. Both accomplished and aspiring artists wandering the aisles are sure to find inspiration among the landscapes, portraits, and colorful abstracts.
In a community of vineyards and boutique breweries, liquid art naturally plays a leading role, too, so when thirst strikes, adults 21 years and older can head over to the tent nestled next to the Paul Nelson Aquatic Center. Here, the Santa Maria Noontime Kiwanis offer samples of wine and beer, with proceeds from ticket sales helping to buy the helmets they’ll give away to kids at next spring’s bicycle rodeo.
“We’re trying to make it look like a garden,” said Marjorie Gjerdrum, spokesperson for the local Kiwanis, as she described the tent area. “We’re bringing in plants, setting out chairs and tables covered with table cloths, because we want to make it friendly and inviting.
“If you get hungry,” she added, “the Vocational Training Center will be selling trays of cheese, crackers, and grapes as a fundraiser for their programs. And we have someone from La Bella Olives coming from Oceano to do wine and beer pairings with olives!”
Among the wineries scheduled to pour are local favorites, such as Rancho Sisquoc, Byron, Cottonwood Canyon, Costa de Oro, Addamo, and McKeon-Phillips. Coming all the way from Glendora, the proprietors of Phantom Rivers Wine (who used to live in Santa Maria and still source their fruit from Central Coast vineyards) will also offer samples.
On the grain side of the equation, Firestone Walker, Lagunitas, and Santa Maria brewing companies will be on hand to dispense their creamy suds, while Pacific Beverage has promised to tap a kegger of one of their new beers. Six select microbreweries will round out the roster, pouring an eclectic line-up of specialty brews.
“You’ll get to choose between a beer glass or a wine glass,” Gjerdrum laughed, “but if someone wants to drink beer out of their wine glass, we won’t mind at all.
“We’ll be located in the heart of things,” she said, “so step into our garden and enjoy the afternoon at this community event. You’ll get to visit with friends, taste some great local wines, and in the process, you’ll be supporting the Kiwanis’ wonderful programs.”
Paying tribute to the broad scope of Autumn Arts Grapes and Grains, the festival’s logo features a paintbrush, camera, grape cluster, and sprig of wheat. Missing from the graphic, however, are the carnival games, food booths, and tapping toes that also figure in this family-friendly tribute to regional life and industry.
Children can test their skill—and maybe even win a prize—at such challenges as the ring toss and hole-in-one golf, or hop on a miniature train for a leisurely ride. After taking a spin on the kid-sized Ferris wheel, they can head to the petting zoo, where Santa Maria High School’s Future Farmers of America present an array of cuddle-worthy critters.
As a treat for antique auto buffs, the Santa Maria A’s, a Model A car club, will line McClelland Street with two-dozen pristine vintage Fords. And while parents browse the dazzling cars or check out the many craft booths, children 12 and older may want to test their strength on a 15-foot tall rock-climbing wall.
On the upper level of the library’s parking structure, look for the Chalk Art Expose;, where local youth put colored chalk to pavement, working in separate squares to create stunning, perishable art. Nearby, youngsters can explore their own artistic abilities through a variety of hands-on craft projects.
To satisfy appetites inevitably stimulated by all the fun, a dozen vendors will be on hand to provide everything from tri-tip sandwiches and Thai specialties, to buffalo wings and corn-on-the-cob. For dessert, try a whipped-cream-topped mound of the region’s signature strawberry shortcake, while enjoying live music played by area favorites Still Evolving and Soulamente.
The roots of the festival reach back to 1968, when a group of local art teachers mounted a show of student work at Allan Hancock College, playfully dubbing it Arti Gras. In 1975, what had become an annual exhibition was folded into the 70th anniversary celebration of Santa Maria’s cityhood.
On a parallel track in 1986, the city-sponsored Culture Corner Gallery joined with the Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department to sponsor Autumn Arts, an exhibition of work by local artists. Eleven years later, the Chamber of Commerce hosted the Grapes and Grains Festival, a daylong event designed to highlight local food and beverage.
Sensing a perfect fit, organizers merged Autumn Arts with the Grapes and Grains Festival to create the popular street fair that brings friends, neighbors, and out-of-towners together each fall. The outdoor festival and community party showcases the foods, beverages, art, and artists that make the Santa Maria Valley such a special place to live and play.
Accurately describing the festival as “an awesome community event,” Gina Keough, manager of the Santa Maria Valley Visitor & Convention Bureau, one of the festival’s sponsors, estimates that close to 10,000 people attend the daylong event each year. Aiming to please toddlers, teens, and adults of all ages, Autumn Arts Grapes and Grains truly offers something for everyone, especially those who just love a great big party.
“We want to showcase art and food on the Central Coast,” Gutierrez said, summing up the spirit of the festival. “We want people to come out and enjoy the fun, music, great weather, and all the wonderful things the Santa Maria Valley has to offer.”
INFOBOX: Fruit and hops
The Autumn Arts, Grapes & Grains Festival takes place Oct. 4, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to the festival is free. Food will be available for purchase. For more information, call 925-0951, Ext. 260.
The Autumn Arts Evening reception runs from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 3 at the public library.
The wine and beer tasting tent is open from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at the door ($25 each, $5 for designated drivers) or in advance, at a discount (two for $40, 20 or more for $18), by calling 937-1112 or 878-5662, or visiting www.santamariakiwanis.org. The cost includes a commemorative beer cup or wine glass.
K. Reka Badger aims to please toddlers, teens, and adults of all ages. Send comments to rekabadger@hotmail.com.
This article appears in Oct 2-9, 2008.