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Overview
Overview
Laguna Beach's kaleidoscope of artisans, crafts and galleries mixes with just enough Beach Blanket Bingo-style fun to be the perfect stomping ground for the rich and crafty.
The town has been a mecca for artists since the early 1800s, when the painter Norman St. Clair arrived to paint landscapes of the beach, attracting other artists to capture the vistas of crashing surf, sparkling sands, and steeped cliffs and hillsides. Word of St. Clair's paintings spread, and soon other artisans began to flock to Laguna
. In 1918, the Laguna Beach Art Association formed, known today as the Laguna Art Museum, which features a comprehensive history of Southern California art. Summer arts festivals began to crop up, including the still renowned Festival of the Arts and Pageant of the Masters.
As rumor of this creative seaside town traveled up the coast, it attracted the likes of Hollywood's hottest stars, such as Bette Davis, Judy Garland and Charlie Chaplin, who made Laguna their personal playground. Exclusive hotels and resorts and a variety of gourmet restaurants were born, quickly followed by increased prices.
The main beach is the place to see and be seen, or to kick up your heels and play in the sand; volleyball and basketball courts line the perimeter, and the tan and the beautiful flock to the water to flirt, frolic or simply look gorgeous. Today, Laguna is one of Orange County's most fashionable towns, as well as one of the most culturally rich.
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