Cultural Festival fun, educational

Imagine salsa dancing to a live band, with 12-foot-high puppets at your side.

Such was one of the sights at last Saturday’s Calabasas Cultural Festival at Old Town.

The festival in historical Leonis Adobe integrated arts, culture, music and dance, according to Thelma Starr, member of the Calabasas Arts Council, the organization that put on the event.

Hundreds of people attended the free festival, enjoying live music, artistic demonstrations and free tours of the Leonis Adobe, which was built in 1884.

"It was very well attended. The setting was spectacular—the centerpiece was a 600-year old oak tree in the back of the adobe," said Calabasas Mayor Dennis Washburn, who kicked off the fair at 10 a.m.

"Most folks had a terrific time in a unique environment. It was creative … festive … a good setting for a cultural fair," he said, adding that the historical aspect to the day gave citizens a good sense of Calabasas’ and California’s past.

Laureen Morick, director of the Arts Council, said the day was an unqualified success, about 1,000 people in attendance.

"It exceeded our wildest expectations," she said.

Artists included Michelle Berne with her gigantic 12- to 15-foot puppets, which have been featured at the Getty Museum. People of all ages enjoyed the puppets.

The day wasn’t only fun, but educational, too.

Several artists brought their materials to the fair and demonstrated their work process.

Potter Paul Bradford brought clay for the children to sculpt and shape.

Bronze sculptor Arch Bacon brought a model work-in-progress and explained his art.

Various historians also gave talks throughout the day.

Fairgoers also enjoyed the historical exhibits at the museum. Many youngsters were delighted to pump water from a working well pump, which gave them a hands-on perspective of history.

Live music began early and continued throughout the day. Starting the music was the bluegrass duo, Savannah.

Later, classical guitarist Victory Mori played flamenco music to a very receptive audience.

Dance teacher M.C. Callaghan taught the crowd how to dance salsa, which they did, to the music of Tierra, an eight-member rock ’n’ roll salsa band.

Calabasas City Councilman James Bozajian said he felt the day was a success.

He said he thought the historical setting was a good site for such an event, even though the property isn’t really within the city limits.

City Councilwoman Lesley Devine also was impressed.

"Laureen Morick and her Arts Council did an extraordinary job. The giant human puppets were wonderful … the food was terrific … the dollar tacos (from the Sagebrush Cantina) couldn’t be beat," she said.

The Calabasas festival was part of a countywide arts celebration.

The Calabasas Arts Council is a nonprofit volunteer organization that’s part of the municipal government, under the Park and Recreation Department, according to Starr.

"One of our goals is to bring more art projects for the area residents," she said.