The 23rd Abbot Kinney Festival
Sunday, Sept. 30 was a beautiful day in Venice.
By 10 am, a tent city had sprouted from Brooks Avenue to Venice Blvd.
As on 6 pm, three times the 40,000
population of Venice had visited the Festival, according to organizers. There
were more than 300 arts and crafts booths – and a sprinkling of Venice
nonprofits – along Abbot Kinney Blvd. There was a children’s area
with rides in the Westminster school playground, next to the boulevard. And for
the first time, the Festival was green. Food vendors were required to use
corn-based plates, cuts and cutlery. Bio-degradable bags were given out to other
booths to hold purchases.
Musicians
held forth at three stages, one run by the Temple Bar which featured bands from
Brazil, Argentina and Cambodia. Another stage spotlighted Venice
artists.
The Abbot Kinney District
Association was still counting the revenue at press time, however, according to
Cecilia Najar, one of the organizers, the Festival usually takes in from $10 -
20,000 after expenses. Inside-Out Arts receives some of the money, and Venice
nonprofits are invited to submit grant proposals for
funding.
“There were lots of dogs
and families this year,” said Najar. “Venice seems to have grown
up.”
(see page six for more
photos)
Posted: Mon - October 1, 2007 at 08:28 PM