Pasadena Chalk Festival

At first I was a little bit annoyed when I heard about the Pasadena Chalk Festival today. I wanted to get some serious shopping in at the Colorado Paseo - Macy's, Loehmann's, and DSW for starters - and a chalk festival would certainly impact my mobility.

I am so glad I ventured out! It was amazing to see the chalk artwork, and especially cool to see the artists working. Highlights included a Spider-Man costumed artist working on a super heroes piece, Cat in the Hat, Underdog, The Simpsons, two different koi ponds, a Renoir-esque ballerina, and a WPA-style San Francisco poster. This dragon was my favorite piece. It was one of two three-dimensional pieces. The other had a 90 degree backboard to his space, and the bottom part was his chalk drawing of meat cooking on the grill, with the backboard replicating the inside of the grill hood. He even had dry ice to the side to replicate the sizzle. So clever!

In addition to the artists, Colorado Boulevard was closed for several blocks around the Paseo. Classic cars were displayed on the Boulevard, and a classic-rock band played a stage in the median. In the heart of the Paseo (near the Antique Mall) was a second stage with salsa/jazz band rocking out.

And, if that wasn't enough, one of the vendors was selling street dogs! Those are the hot dogs I've been craving. They are wrapped in bacon and grilled along with onions and peppers. Delish!!

Note that I did get some shopping in, although it was hard to tear myself away from the Chalk Festival energy. Next year, be sure to check it out for yourself!

Click here to go to the Pasadena Chalk Festival's Web site.