Category: Jade Festival

Jade Festival, 2012 & Rocky Creek Viaduct closure update

This morning, all campgrounds down here on the South Coast were full in anticipation of the Jade Festival. The heat wave has broken, so expect foggy and chilly mornings, burning off in the afternoon for beautiful sunshiny afternoons. The festival starts tomorrow at noon and continues Saturday and Sunday from 10-6 pm. Our wonderful Jewell of the South Coast is the featured star, with a supporting cast of great food, live music and wonderful friendly people. This is a family gathering, on a school, so no drugs or alcohol are permitted on site. Fur kids must be on a leash.

New schedule for viaduct closure:

Today’s Date: Thursday, October 4, 2012
District: 05 – Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito
and Santa
Cruz Counties
Contact: Susana Z Cruz (bilingual) or Colin Jones
Phone: (805) 549-3138 or 549-3189
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HIGHWAY 1/ROCKY CREEK VIADUCT PROJECT IS UNDERWAY—
OVERNIGHT CLOSURES TO BEGIN OCTOBER 15

MONTEREY COUNTY – After further consultation with the contractor, the hours
for full closures of Hwy. 1 at Rocky Creek (PM 59.5) will be 9 pm to 7 am
beginning Monday, October 15 through the end of February, Caltrans
officials have announced.

Roadwork will occur seven days a week, 24/7 with one-way signalized traffic
control. Traffic will be stopped for 10 minutes at a time. However, full
overnight closures will take place five nights a week Sundays through
Thursdays. No full closures will occur on Friday/Saturday nights.

The project to construct a permanent viaduct about 15 miles south of Carmel
near the Rocky Creek Bridge along Highway 1 began on Sept. 4. Completion is
scheduled by Labor Day 2013, weather permitting.

Daily roadwork schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions
and other factors.

If my calculations are correct, that is four and one-half months of overnight closures, five days a week.

Big Sur Jade Festival, road closures, and other stories

First let me notify everyone that the 21st Jade Festival is almost here. It will be held, as always, at Pacific Valley School. It will be held Friday, Oct.5 from noon to 6, Saturday, 10-6, and Sunday 10-5. This year, it will be important to close down on time on Sunday so that vendors can pack up and get through Rocky Creek before they close the road. Other than that, the closure should not affect the festival. As has become standard, we have lots of music, good food, jade, and other gems, good family fun. As it is held at the school, and is a family event, no alcohol or drugs allowed and all furry family members must be on a leash.

Second, I am getting lots of inquiries regarding the Rock Creek closures. I will post all announcements of closures right here on my front page as soon as i get them. I have posted six different times so far, so I will give a simplified or Readers Digest version here. Basically, if you plan on night closures every Sunday-Thursday night from Oct 8th thru the end of January, you won’t be surprised and caught off guard. (we will know the exact 10 hour closure time next week, but so far, it is looking like 9 pm-7am?) During the day, the road will be one lane, controlled traffic. While delays are supposed to be only 10 minutes, I got reports of 1/2 hour delays today. Give yourself extra time to make it to work, or your lunch reservation, or whatever brings you down our way. Get to know the visitor in the car behind you or in front, take photos of the stoppage, enjoy your time here.

Other stories? Okay, I admit. I made that up. Let me see if I can find a photo for you.

20120926-192924.jpg

Weather, Jade Festival, Photo Contest

Weather is a bit unsettled, or at least I am getting conflicting reports of possible thunderstorms tonight or tomorrow, and then a second storm next week (before Jade Fest, so far).

I have been busy with preparations for the Jade Festival, as well as work, but continue to work on the photo contest. I apparently lost my mind when I said everyone could submit up to 5 photos – I’ve recovered, but still getting them all downloaded and filed.

20th Annual Jade Festival …

… is fast approaching. Get ready for 3 full days of fun and frolic on the South Coast of Big Sur.

It will be held Friday, October 7th from noon to 6 pm; Saturday, the 8th from 10 am to 6 pm; Sunday, the 9th from 10 to 5 pm. It is to be held at the Pacific Valley School, across the street from Sand Dollar Beach. Live music all day, every day. Jade pieces for all pocketbook sizes, jewelry, art, and raffle.

Here’s this year’s postcard, available for sale only at the Jade Festival. Due to costs, number of people, and new technology, we are no longer sending out the postcards, but they will be for sale at the main booth and designed so that you can send them to friends, if you choose.

Jade Lady

Jade Lady carving by Gary Gowdy of Cambria; Photo by Avis Latone of Lucia; post-processing, design lay-out, and printing by former Pacific Valley student (one of mine!), Everitt Chase, currently of: AV8 Studios for all your graphic and printing needs

Jade Festival, Day 3

If this link works, here is a video Meade Fischer took today at the Jade Festival posted to youtube: Jade Festival video
Meade, if you object, I will take it down – and nice to meet you!

7;30 pm and the Jade Festival is closed down for the year. It was THE most incredible Festival ever. All of us who have worked them these last ten years agree that Saturday we saw the biggest crowd we have ever witnessed. It was HUGE – basically shoulder-to-shoulder. And? Despite all the people, it was mellow, no emergencies, no problems – a wonderfully peaceful and utterly enjoyable crowd. We were very blessed to have so many wonderful people visit. The vendors all reported a stellar year. We like to keep our vendors happy, as besides the raffle sales and the donations, the fees they pay are the only income our non-profit makes. Thank you all for such a successful Jade Festival. As usual, the weather was completely cooperative and beautiful.

There were some problems Saturday night, mostly from a few very unconscious individuals – one of whom thought it was a great idea to build a campfire in the middle of the school’s garden. One, no campfires outside designated campgrounds, certainly not the school. Two, in the middle of the garden? What planet was this guy from?

We all hope you will join us next year for our 20th Annual Jade Festival.

Here’s one of some incredible jade, that Dan Danbom caught with the light. Yes, it really is that color!

11 am – “She Folk” lead by our own Cat Madama

Here is a photo by Dan Danbom of Mowtowners and the crowd dancing yesterday. You Cambria folk may recognize Lady Tie Di in the crowd.

10 am – Every morning we kicked off the Jade Festival with a drum circle. It is our tradition. Everyone brings their drums and joins in.

And again, our leader, the gorgeous Tracy Morgan.

From yesterday, I was not able to upload the photos of Chad Carvey, the falconer, and his rescue red-tail with the broken wing.

Jade Festival, Day 2

The Mowtowners sure got me up and on my feet – as well as the rest of the crowd. Woohooo …. wish I could post video so you could hear them. Cheryl, the Hawaiian is the lead of this group.

And here is one of the whole group, I think. I might have missed Frank.

11 am – the Central Coast Arts Institute Drum and Dance troupe

10 am drum circle led by Tracy Morgan

It is almost 8:30 am, I have had my 2 cups of coffee, am dressed and ready to rock ‘n roll, boys and girls. Saturday is always our biggest day, and the weather is picture perfect. I am ready to pack up the Jeep again and head down the hill. Today, I will be taking and posting photos throughout the day, if I can get on the wi-fi. Stop in and say “hi.” Remember, we open at 10 am and go to 6 pm. What better way to spend your Saturday?

Jade Festival, Day One

An hour and 1/2 into the festival, I finally was able to hook up to the wi-fi. Photos when I can, but the weather is absolutely beautiful. Perfect temperatures, mellow crowd, great music … a wonderful way to spend a Friday afternoon.

And now, for the very rare photo of BigSurKate seen with Steve Finch, SCCLT Board President.

Not many photos today, busy with volunteers, t-shirts, coffee mugs, and meal tickets. Hopefully, more tomorrow.

Remember, we open at 10 am tomorrow, and the weather should be even better! This from NOAA: “THIS [the stronger ridge of high pressure] WILL TRANSLATE TO ABOUT 5-10 DEGREES OF WARMING EACH DAY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.”

Woohoo! Bring it on. See you tomorrow, right?

Sunshine in time for the Jade Festival

It is glorious and warm this morning. Looks like it is even clear on the coast. Beautiful way to start the Jade Festival tomorrow – noon – Pacific Valley School. See you there.

Jade Festival Music Schedule

Here it is! Now you can plan your visit accordingly. Later today, I will be reporting on the weather, in all likelihood. I am loving the wetness after so much dryness for so long!

19th. Annual Big Sur Jade Festival
Free Entertainment

Friday October 8, 2010
Morning Drum Circle w/ Tracy Morgan
Jim Sweetwater
David Morales
Dan Singer
Jud Davidson
Jimmy Chavez
Erin Montgomery
Three Legged Dawg
Lun A Rion
Big Sur Mountain Jam

Saturday October 9, 2010
Morning Drum Circle w/ Tracy Morgan
Central Coast Arts Institute Drum and Dance
Too Young to Marry
Valerie Johnson & the New Sound Boogie Band
Benot Serat
Kathy Raven
David Talmadge
Mowtowners
Scarlet Furies
ZZAH
The Demos

Sunday October 10, 2010
Morning Drum Circle w/ Tracy Morgan
She Folk
The Mighty Croondogs
Hazey Jane
Rough House
Trouble Hoof
Bootsie Merango

(Subject to change without notice)

Jade Festival Weather

5:00 pm – yup, it is here. The first rain of the season. Oh, so nice.

4:15 pm – look at the difference one-half hour can make in the Nexrad.

4:00 pm – in the last 15 mins the band of yellow has pushed its way to just over 1/2 way to the coast from the Salinas Valley. It should be here shortly, boys and girls.

Update, 3:45 pm: Here it comes:

At this point, this is what NOAA says we can expect: “ON THURSDAY THE LOW BEGINS TO TRANSITION OUT OF THE AREA AS A WEAK HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE BUILDS ALONG THE CALIFORNIA COAST. THE RIDGE WILL STRENGTHEN OVER THE WEEKEND RETURNING WARM AND DRY CONDITIONS TO THE REGION. AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BE AT TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL BY SUNDAY.”

Despite the great prediction, dressing in layers is always a good idea this time of year down here on the South Coast. See you all Friday!

In the meantime, scattered showers possible today and tomorrow, thunderstorms possible on Wednesday afternoon, and those of us in the mountains can expect temperatures down into the 30s by Wednesday.