The residents-only, canyon-grown Laguna festival — 180+ local makers, three live-music stages, and sawdust underfoot.
Sawdust Art Festival is Laguna Beach's residents-only artist-direct open-air gallery, where 180+ painters, sculptors, jewelry makers, glass blowers, and craftspeople set up studios and sell work on-site. Running since 1967, it maintains a vibe of genuine creative work, not mass-produced tourist art. The 2026 run is June 26 – August 30, 2026, Wednesday through Sunday, on the eucalyptus-shaded Laguna Canyon grounds.
If Festival of Arts is the gallery, Sawdust is the soul. You're buying directly from makers—better prices than gallery markups and actual conversations about process. Three live music stages, daily workshops, and the sawdust-on-the-path village atmosphere make it as much community experience as it is shopping. The caliber of work is genuinely impressive and the setting is pleasant even if you don't buy.
Open summers, June–August, Wednesday–Sunday. Admission is in the low double digits; confirm current pricing on the official Sawdust Art Festival site. Parking: Paid and limited in Laguna Beach—use the free Summer Breeze trolley from Act V, or bundle with the Passport to the Arts for one-time entry to all three festivals plus one-time free Act V parking. Ticket prices subject to change—confirm on the official event site before you go. Many artists take cash only, so bring some. Crowds peak midday on weekends—go early or late.
Laguna Beach foot traffic and parking hassles are real. The entry fee is modest but the location makes it slower to access than a gallery. If you're doing the Laguna canyon festival stretch, Sawdust is the most "Laguna" of the three—the community atmosphere is the point. Pair it with Festival of Arts and Art-A-Fair for the full weekend.