When I was a child, Memorial Day weekend meant parades, hot dogs and badminton. But since I’ve moved to Santa Barbara, the start of summer is marked by the ‘I Madonnari’ festival held at the Mission. I first saw this festival in the 90’s when I was here as a visitor, and was as amazed then as I am now by the artistry and dedication of the people spending hours laboring over a hot parking lot, covered in colored chalk as their images came to life.
The images range from simple ‘chalk art’ to intriguing 3D scenes. Many are of a religious theme, since the concept started in Italy where artists drew images of the Madonna on the streets. Now these festivals are held all over the world, with local artists drawing their favorite scenes.
Some of the works look like one image as you walk by, but show another image if you take a photo, like the one below.
This image looked like several people hunched over and walking along until you put the camera up to it and then suddenly a woman’s face appears.
Once you’re finished admiring the art, Santa Barbara’s festival offers live music and Italian food to sit and enjoy the rest of your afternoon. With seating around tables under market umbrellas, you can enjoy Italian Sausage sandwiches, calamari, roasted chicken, and Italian gelato. You can even have some Italian Prosecco instead of the usual beer and wine offerings.
Luckily, we’re not expecting rain anytime soon, so you can drop by the Mission and see the art for weeks after the festival, sometimes months, until they finally wear away with the breezes. And now, with the festival season in full swing, Santa Barbara is about to party for the next several months. More info to come on upcoming fun stuff.
To get more information about Santa Barbara, call 805-470-1002 or email karenSBrealestate@gmail.com.
Living in Santa Barbara 