Here are a few more from the 17th Annual Jade Festival:

Belly Dancers performing for a packed crowd

A Matt Glassby creation (BTW, sorry I did not get the color on this quite right.)

Warren Doyle of the Big Sur Volunteer Fire Brigade speaks to a visitor.

Syd Carr, Music Director, Big Sur Jade Festival

And now, we get back to our regularly scheduled program, with more photos from the 17th Annual Jade Festival. The Chalk Fire gave us a break for the festival, and then came unhinged. I’ll be adding a few new photos to this post every day or so, until I get all the ones I want to share up.

Here are a few more photos:

My favorite sound man, Dan Singer

 

Before I get to the photos, a comment on the Chalk Fire. It had a little activity last night, around 50 acres, I am told. The flare-up is below Vincente Flats, working its way up toward Cone Peak, and down toward Limekiln State Park. No threats, however, still within containment lines, and being monitored. There were to be helicopter drops, but I have not heard any. Maybe I am not in the flight path. I would note that there may be intermittent closures of Highway One due to fire traffic, and perhaps rolling debris.

Here are a few more photos for your viewing pleasure.

“Chinook” is a 9 year old female “Peales” Peregrine Falcon. She got hit with West Nile virus a few years ago and is partially blind. Her owner/falconer is Chad Carvey, former Principal/Superintendent of Pacific Valley School.

A wooden hawk on a beautiful Jade pedestal.

I will try to upload a few photos today, but the internet connection seems to be incredibly s-l-o-w for some reason.

This is Fred Ward, one of the elders of our Jade World. Each year, he comes and gives a slide presentation on our local jade, and it’s retrieval.

The belly dancing troupe who performed for us on Saturday.

Saturday’s crowd was the largest ever. I was afraid that we’d have a lot of people, but that due to the economy, they would not be buying. According to the vendors I talked to, my fears were ungrounded.

And what would a Jade Festival be without the Jade? This was just one of the 49 vendors present (excluding food and non-profits). Note the “Jade Cov” license plate in the back. That’s it for today. Check back tomorrow for more photographs.

17th Annual, and the sweetest yet. I have so many photos, and so many stories … I will tell them, as I can. I will post photos, as I can. But I am one tired woman, after reporting live for … how many days on the Chalk Fire, and then sequeing straight into the Jade Festival? I am one tired lady.

So, tonight, it is sunset on the Jade Festival.

There are SO MANY people to thank for the success of this year’s festival. I will mention a few tonight, and mention others in the days to come. I must admit a bias, in those I thank tonight. But others, I hope to remember tomorrow. I beg you to remember, I am brain-dead, after almost two weeks of non-stop reporting for the Chalk Fire and the Jade Festival. If I forget someone, please email me so that I can report their contributions. We are family, and we ALL contribute what we can!

The main “dudes” are Kirk Brock, of Rock Solid Jade, who made the vendors happen. The booth fees they pay are our major source of income; and Sid Carr, our music director extrodinare, and his second in command, Dan Singer, who line up incredible music to bring people in to experience our Jade. These guys provide the backbone and structure to our “happening.”

Two other “dudes” that are usually “behind-the-scenes” and who provide unbelievable assistance are Gary and Steve. Gary makes sure the main booth (mine) is set up and taken care of. Steve makes sure everyone has what they need. I love you both, guys!! Oh, and Todd, who has done the announcing for us for several years now. He also makes sure he is available to help out where needed.

Among the women, we have Lisa , paying the bills and arranging permits; Mollie, supporting the main booth, and one of the original founders; Cat, who has arranged the raffle for many years running, and Avis back after being gone for a few years to Ohio, to help support Todd in the announcement category, and my support team this year — Mollie and Mary.

This year, our BSVFB was incredibly supportive, especially, Warren Doyle and his crew!! You guys and gals rock!! I asked Warren where he got his energy. God knows he could bottle it! After almost two weeks of fighting the Chalk Fire, only 2 months after the Basin Fire, these volunteers show up at the Jade Festival, and support us, handle an emergency, and still have energy to dance. How do you do it? I swear, we could make a fortune, if we could bottle it!!

There are many, many people who worked hard to make this Jade Festival a success, including all the people who showed up to support us. Alabama, who shows up every year, and had to make plans, not knowing if it was going to happen or not. Kansas, who was in the same boat. And MOM from England, who came because her son was one of the many, many firefighters who are our heroes. We can never thank you enough for what you did for us.

Now, this tired Big Sur Mountain Mama, is REALLY tired, and needs to recoup some energy. I’ll post in a few days with photos and commentary, unless life gets in the way, which is likely. 😉

WOW! What a day. Lots of great food, music, and the crowds were phenomenal! But the JADE … ah … the Jade.

Here is one from the Big Sur Jade Company – a gorgeous piece of vulcan, contrasting so beautifully with what appears to be an apple jade base. (Sorry, KC if I misidentified the base!

I will post a wrap-up, and more photos, after the Jade Festival ends. I might need a day or two, to “recover.” It is a lot of work for very few. Thanks to Sid, we had sufficient volunteers to help with details, but it is still a lot of work for the main “cadre.”

Are you ready? Have you made your plans? It is ON!! We got the official word from the USFS yesterday. I had to wrap up the Chalk Fire reporting, and now that I have (unless something comes up with these winds), the South Coast switches gears to the 17th Annual Jade Festival.

The 17th Annual Jade Festival is the ONLY fundraiser for the South Coast Community Land Trust. With the funds we raise each year, we sponsor climbing equipment and other equipment for the South Coast branch of our local fire brigade. We sponsor summer enrichment programs for the students of Pacific Valley School, and we sponsor field trips for classes. We also helped purchase a combination Community Center/classroom at the school. I will be suggesting to the Board, that the SCCLT act as a donation conduit for those who have been impacted by the Chalk Fire and need assistance rebuilding water systems, recovering lost wages, etc. If you want to donate, I will provide details AFTER the Jade Festival is concluded. CPOA is also soliciting donations on the surfire2008 website. While we are greatly appreciative of all the efforts of the CPOA board, and the generous offer of a $300 cash grant to those impacted, as was done in the Basin Fire, we are investigating whether the SCCLT is willing and able to provide donation and distribution services more easily to our specific community than our generous brothers and sisters to the north. Thank you for everything, CPOA!

The Jade Festival provides three days of music, food, vendor booths, in the beautiful setting of Pacific Valley School. I look forward to seeing people from Mississippi who come every year, and others from all over the country who plan their vacations around the Jade Festival. Come join us while we celebrate our South Coast Jade, and this year, the end of the Chalk Fire. We honor all firefighters at this festival, and particularly our own BSVFB, who will be present.

Friday the Festival begins at noon and ends at 6 pm. Saturday we are open from 10-6, and Sunday, from 10-5 pm. Stop by the Main Information Booth near the flag pole and make sure we have your current address for our post card announcement mailing, pick up vendor maps, music line-ups, and to purchase your souvenir t-shirt – we even had a few left from last year, if you did not get yours. Don’t forget to purchase your raffle tickets at the booth next door, too!! You do not have to be present to win!

If you are coming from the north, remember, there are still fire equipment and men and women in the area, finishing containment lines, mop-up, and rehab, so drive slowly and carefully. If you are coming from the east, you will need to cut through to the coast at 68 in Salinas, or 46 in Paso Robles, as Nacimiento-Fergusson Rd. is closed. The fire is still quite active there today, per my sources. Also, if you are camping out, please remember, NO CAMPFIRES, NO BBQ, NO HIBACHIS. NOTHING BUT PROPANE STOVES, EVEN IN DEVELOPED CAMPSITES!!

I hope to meet many of you in person that I have met these past two weeks online. There were so very many of you!!
bigsurkate