Local fairs bring people together, uniting citizens and artists in a joyful celebration of shared culture and interests.
The Art and Wine Faire in San Carlos happens every year and brings excitement to locals, who can view various art pieces and try diverse foods at the fair. The event’s festivities have a lot to offer.
The enthusiasm for the event causes some community members to plan trips to see the stalls local artists have set up. Varying from face paint to selling glass pumpkins, the fair offers many types of artistry. But glass pumpkins aren’t the only thing the festival has to contribute to the community.
This event has accumulated a community of artists over the years, with many artists at the stands being repeating artists who have participated in the event for many years. The fair is an excellent opportunity for many artists to promote their artwork and business.
“It’s a good opportunity for us artists. I do a lot of my marketing and selling online, but many of my fellow artists don’t. This makes it a good opportunity for many artists to sell their products,” said Saadia Kamal, a local artist who has been participating in the Art and Wine Faire since 2019.
“It’s a good opportunity to show to the public the work that we do, and it’s open to everyone so that anyone can access the art,” said Linda Donohue, an Art and Wine Festival participant for the past ten years and an artist for thirteen years.
Including promoting art, the fair offers a way for artists and other locals to meet. From concerts and puppet shows, the fair offers many the chance to get to know their neighbors. For many families and friends, it’s a way to link people together and have activities to bond over.
“It’s hard to imagine a community that doesn’t gather people together, even if it is just Friday night concerts in the summer. I love it when you can see such joy in people,” said Wendy Schettino, Recreation Supervisor for the event.
While the fair encourages artists to promote their artwork, most of its revenue doesn’t go to the artists. Most funds produced at the event find their way into the community and other resources for citizens to use.
“The festival, unfortunately, doesn’t show a lot of profit for the artists since artists have to pay a fee to have a stand, but many different organizations around here do fundraising events for donating to the Arts,” Donohue said.
The funds accumulated from the event are used to support other community events and organizations, such as community centers in the San Carlos area.
“Most of the money that we make here goes back into the Parks and Rec. Department. It goes toward recreation activities like the Youth Center and the Adult Community Center in San Carlos, so a lot of the money is funneled right back into the community,” Schettino said.
After COVID-19 especially, the fair and other local events anticipated the return of community events. The fair was another way to help reconnect with other community members.
With the fair coming to a close, there are prospects for similar future events. San Carlos is celebrating its 100th year soon, and plans for how to celebrate are anticipated.
“When people are smiling, stores are busy, and there are families enjoying time together, I take a breath and say to myself, ‘Look how great this is,’ and I think that I’m just fortunate to do what I do,” Schettino said.
