By Robin GOLDSWORTHY

McGroarty Arts Center invites the community to its annual Holiday Festival – now in its 20th year – on Saturday, Dec. 7 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Approximately 30 vendors will present their wares at the historic location according to facility director Annette Bethers.

“We’ll offer a wide selection of merchandise for sale – jewelry, glass art, stained glass, apparel and ceramics,” she said. She added there will even be products on sale for pets – truly something for everyone.

What makes the McGroarty Arts Center Holiday Festival unique is that shoppers, for an additional price, can purchase a ceramic bowl made by one of the Center’s artists then enjoy a bowl of chili in the bowl.

Bethers shared that the chili bowl aspect is especially popular at the Festival.

“I moved here nearly 20 years ago and had never heard of chili being sold at a Festival,” she said. She explained the bowls are made by McGroarty Arts Center students and some of the Center’s instructors. 

“These are longtime students who are very experienced and very talented,” she said. “Our instructors are master artisans.”

She added that it takes an “enormous amount of work” to create the wide selection of chili bowls with an estimated 1,000 man hours utilized.

The chili is made by volunteers and students of the Center and for a nominal fee can be filled with hot chili. In addition, purchasers can dress up their chili with a variety of sides: sour cream, onion, cheese, crackers, etc. and also enjoy freshly baked corn bread. All types of chili are served: vegan, vegetarian and traditional.

For those who want to gift the bowl, for an additional charge it can be filled with holiday candy ready for gift presentation.

In addition to the goods for sale and the chili, the Festival will feature demonstrations by artists, including a demonstration by potters on how to make one of the popular bowls, plus there will be paintings for sale. A longtime supporter of the Center – Laurelle Geils – recently died and left to the McGroarty Arts Center her extensive collection of art. The works will also be on sale at the Festival with proceeds benefiting the Center’s scholarship fund. An exhibit of student work will be on sale as well with a portion of the proceeds going to students and a portion to the Center. 

A bake sale, live and piped in music, poetry readings, and a visit by Santa Claus will fill out the day.

McGroarty Arts Center is located at 7570 McGroarty Terrace in Tujunga.