Winter Fantasy Returns to the Sawdust, Nov. 20 Through Dec. 20
Laguna Canyon becomes a handcrafted holiday village for five weekends, with more than 180 artists, live demos, Santa and the 2026 Annual Pass at $49.50.
Laguna Canyon is about to smell like pine again. The Winter Fantasy Art Festival at the Sawdust Art Festival returns November 20 through December 20, 2026, running Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 935 Laguna Canyon Road, according to the festival's official announcement.
Winter Fantasy transforms the Sawdust grounds into a festive, handcrafted holiday village each season. Visitors stroll twinkling lights and pine-scented pathways while shopping artist-made gifts, watching live craft demonstrations and catching seasonal music beneath the trees. More than 180 local artists showcase handcrafted jewelry, ceramics, paintings, photography and more, and every purchase supports the town's artist community.
The five-weekend run is built around the holiday calendar: three stages of live music all day, free art classes, live artist demos, local food and drink, a community tree lighting and tree decorating, and appearances by Santa, marionettes and balloon artists. It's a deliberately slower kind of holiday shopping, framed by the festival as a creative alternative to mass-produced retail.
The practical details for the 2026 season: the festival runs 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on its Friday-through-Sunday weekends. The 2026 Annual Pass is $49.50 and covers admission to both the Summer Art Festival and Winter Fantasy, making it the value play for anyone planning more than a day or two on the grounds. Single-day 2026 Winter Fantasy pricing had not yet been posted as of early fall. Parking is available in Lot 16/Act V at 1900 Laguna Canyon Road for $5, with trolley service to the festival.
Winter Fantasy is the holiday-season sibling of the Sawdust's nine-week summer festival, the largest of its kind in Southern California. The organization behind both, the Sawdust Art and Craft Festival, was founded in 1967 and operates year-round with workshops and studio art classes.
For locals, the run is a fixture: the community tree lighting kicks off the season in the canyon, and the grounds' evening light show is one of the town's most photographed corners of December. For visitors, it's the counterprogramming to the summer crush, a walkable, open-air festival when the canyon cools and the crowds thin.
The artist-first model is the festival's through line. Festivalgoers meet the makers in person across the booths, hear the stories behind the pieces and take home work made in Laguna Beach itself: blown glass, hand-sewn goods, ceramics, tile art, one-of-a-kind wearables and jewelry across every budget. Free art classes run through the festival alongside the demos, keeping the Sawdust's working-studio character front and center even in December.
Behind the lights, the operation is a nonprofit founded in 1967, dedicated to educating the public and promoting art created in Laguna Beach. Beyond the two seasonal festivals, the organization runs Sawdust Studio Art Classes year-round, on-site and off. Admission details beyond the Annual Pass are worth checking before a visit: single-day 2026 Winter Fantasy pricing had not yet been posted as of early fall, veterans receive free admission with military ID, and groups of 10 or more can inquire about group rates through the festival's ticketing system.
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