A Free Street Painting Fest Breezes Into Ventura Harbor Village

OCEAN, ART, SUN, FUN: So much goodness can flower over Labor Day Weekend, from outdoor festivals to major food happenings, that the second weekend in September can feel a little, well, sigh-worthy. It's almost as if things have settled down, and searching for an outing with a bit of fizz, and fun, and free things to see isn't quite as easy as it was over the holiday that just ended. But wait: Ventura Harbor Village will deliver on the "making September merry" front on Sept. 10 and Sept. 11. That's when the Annual Ventura Art and Street Painting Festival will place its easels, chalks, and brushes near the water, all to give visitors a little late-in-the-summer lark.

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT... will provide the soundtrack to the breezy days out, which will stretch from 10 a.m. to 5 o'clock on both Saturday and Sunday. Look for madonnari around the sidewalks, where chalk-based artworks will slowly and spectacularly swirl to life over the course of the weekend. There will also be a line-up of artists selling a host of wearable and/or displayable pieces, including "paintings, pottery, photography, metal work, jewelry, and more." Where to see these lovely items? Make for the area between Andria's Seafood Restaurant & Market and Brophy Bros Clam Bar & Restaurant.

A CHILDREN'S CHALK AREA... will give youngsters the awesome opportunity to try making sidewalk artworks of their own. The cost? It's $10. The entire weekend, by the by, serves as a fundraiser for FOOD Share of Ventura County; read more about Ventura County Art Events Inc. and the whole whimsical, water-close weekend now.