Community Corner
San Juan Capistrano Art Fair to End Permanently Dec. 13
Lack of downtown parking has become an unsurmountable challenge.
From Randi Peshkin, Second Saturday Art Fair Coordinator:
In 2008 there wasn’t much going on between Sarducci’s and the Swallows Inn., the theater and much of Verdugo Street was empty. Empty storefronts were found in almost every downtown plaza, and Los Rios Park was an RV storage lot.
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That was the setting for the first Second Saturday Art Fair. The event was designed by a committee drawn from the SJC Chamber, Camino Real Playhouse, SJC Mission, and the City to help the downtown. The Art Fair’s intent was to place artists in locations that show off our beautiful downtown and encourage visitors to return to shop, dine, explore, and help our historic district grow.
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Today we live in a city with a historic downtown we are all proud of. Great restaurants and intriguing independent shops line our streets and plazas. Lively day and night, our downtown is the beautiful gathering spot we all envisioned seven years ago.
Sadly sometimes, with growth comes change.
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The Second Saturday Art Fair, designed to help draw attention to the town, has done its job so well it’s become a victim of its own success. New stores and restaurants now fill the empty spaces where artists used to be. Visitors are plentiful and downtown parking is now a serious issue. With parking spaces in high demand on weekends, the Art Fair has had to discontinue using the parking lots and spaces on the east side of Camino Capistrano.
The last two Second Saturday Art Fairs will be held in Los Rios Park on Nov. 8 and Dec. 13, 2014.
The SJC Art Fair team & artists would like to thank the community for their support over the past seven years. Please come out to these last two art fairs and help us celebrate our success!
PHOTO Patch file photo.
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