Art lovers converge on La Quinta Arts Festival

The La Quinta Arts Festival seems to have dodged the wet and windy weather, kicking off its 28th year under sunny skies Thursday.

“The weather has been perfect and the crowd has been strong and steady all day long,” said Christi Salamone, executive director for the La Quinta Arts Foundation, the nonprofit organization that coordinates the festival along with its premiere sponsor the city of La Quinta.

Though Salamone didn't have attendance numbers Thursday afternoon, she did say that she has received a lot of positive feedback and can tell by all the people strolling around the festival that this year's event will be a good one.

“One of the food vendors said to me, ‘Is this Saturday?' because he's already selling like it's Saturday, which is always our biggest day,” she said, laughing.

The more than 230 artists featured at the festival are also faring well so far, Salamone said.

“Art sales have been brisk,” she said. “The artists have been very enthusiastic, which tells me that they brought things that the audience is really liking.”

Madonna Wilson of La Quinta, a former festival docent, said she can attest to that — she has already spent more than she had planned and it's just the first day of the four-day festival.

“I've been attending the festival for the last 11 years and I really feel this year is absolutely superb,” Wilson said. “There aren't enough words to describe it.”

The La Quinta Arts Festival is the primary fundraiser for the La Quinta Arts Foundation. Festival proceeds help the foundation provide art education in elementary schools and have provided $878,002 in college scholarships to date, foundation officials said.

The La Quinta Arts Festival runs from 10 a.m to 5 p.m. through Sunday at the La Quinta Civic Center, 78-495 Calle Tampico.

Cost is $12 a day or $15 for a multi-day pass. Children under 12 are free.