It’s an annual ritual, one that’s lasted not quite four decades, that marks the passing of summer into fall in Seal Beach. The 36th Annual Seal Beach Arts and Crafts Faire will be held the weekend of Sept. 7 and 8 at Eisenhower Park.
“It’s always the weekend after Labor Day weekend,” said belinda, the artist and chief organizer of the faire. She had her name legally changed years ago to be simply her first name spelled with a small “b.”
Anyone with questions should contact Carolyn Yamaoka, a volunteer, at (562) 714-6524.
“I will return phone calls,” said Yamaoka, a Long Beach resident who used to live in Seal Beach.
Yamaoka, of Carolyn Yamaoka Advertising & Design, said she has provided graphics for the art faire for about 25 years.
Yamaoka has volunteered to be the contact point for the 2013 faire.
The 2013 event was organized by belinda, formerly of Art on Glass on Main Street.
She has always organized the annual Seal Beach Art Association event.
Yamaoka said she was looking forward to this year’s event.
“Pretty much everything is set up,” she said.
Belinda said the event will be the same size as always, with about 80 booths all together, including vendors and non-profits.
Participants will include the Seal Beach Lions Club and the Seal Beach Animal Care Center.
Last week, the Sun reported that some artists had not been able to reach belinda. Seal Beach officials confirmed that a special event permit for the art faire had been submitted to the city.
The only contact number on the art faire website was for the Dankha Gallery on Main. The gallery’s number was also on the special event permit.
This week, belinda said the show is full. All the applications have been filled.
“It’s been a lot more work than it used to be,” belinda said, referring to the art faire.
She said she even wrote what has become a book on organizing the event.
She said this was the first time in the faire’s history that there had been any glitches.
She also said this was the first year the Seal Beach Art Association had a website to promote the faire, courtesy of John Dankha of the Dankha Gallery on Main Street.
Belinda said she had not expected poor cell phone service where she now lives, in the mountains. She said nine out of 10 text messages get through to her. She also said that now most people text her.
She said it had been frustrating.
However, she also said people had been able to reach her. Last week, artist Linda Knight told the Sun she had not been able to reach belinda. This week, belinda said she had spoken with Knight.
In addition to the poor cell phone reception where she now lives, belinda’s back-up-person in Seal Beach had a family emergency.
“John (Dankha) was just the last-minute backup,” belinda said.
Now Yamaoka will be serving as the local back up.
However, belinda said people had been able to reach her. “Everybody knows how to get through to me,” she said.
Although she no longer lives in Seal Beach, she said she visits every other week and stays for two, three and sometimes four days.
She said she has pretty much ironed out the kinks in this year’s faire.
