A shopping escape

Winter Fantasy, a cousin to Sawdust, offers an alternative to the mall stores, featuring unusual gifts made by local and far-flung artists.Malls and chain stores can’t compete with Laguna’s Winter Fantasy when it comes to holiday shopping in an unusual setting for one-of-a-kind gifts.

The 15th annual holiday arts and crafts festival will open Saturday, showcasing works by 170 exhibitors that shoppers won’t see anywhere else.

Through trial and error, the volunteer show organizers settled on a four-weekend event that includes live entertainment, artist demonstrations, arts classes, three cafes and special treats for children.

“I have been in the show since it started, and after trying some different ways of doing it, we have come up with a format that really works well,” jeweler and founding committee member Patti Jo Kiraly said.

The show has grown from a shirttail relative to the summer Sawdust Festival to an eagerly anticipated family event that makes holiday shopping an adventure, not a chore. While parents browse in the seasonally decorated booths, children can explore the new Arctic Ice Cave, frolic in the real snow field and, of course, visit with Santa Claus, aka Michael Sullivan -- a member of the Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas.

Santa will light the giant Winter Fantasy Tree at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, assisted by Laguna Beach Mayor Elizabeth Pearson-Schneider.

Opening day entertainment will include the Top of the World Elementary School Honor Chorus at the tree lighting, the Laguna Community Concert Band, Scarlet Sisters Circus Theater, acoustic rock band PointMade, Balloon Diva, jazz musician Robby Longley, blues singer Yvonne Perea and ‘50s musical comedy act Heebie and Jeebie. Xmas Belles and Lil Dickens will carol daily.

Trees decorated by nine community volunteers groups will decorate the Town Square -- the heart of the show.

“The festival provides the trees, the stands and the lights, and the groups decorate them,” said Rebecca Meekma, Winter Fantasy’s media director. “It is our gift to them.”