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On a recent, still Indian summer-like Saturday, I headed over to Montecito’s Upper Village to check out a coterie of artists and their wares that filled the grassy Plaza del Sol, on the corner of East Valley and San Ysidro roads.
The inaugural Faire on the Green was hosted by retail fashionista Wendy Foster and her husband and business partner, Pierre Lafond. It was expertly curated by Shelley Koury, the buyer and guardian of Upstairs at Pierre Lafond, an oasis of the Santa Barbara lifestyle for more than 23 years.
Always an advocate for artisans, Koury has masterfully choreographed an environment that is so smooth you feel like you are in someone’s home rather than a retail store. Whether customers are shopping in the boutique or browsing the Faire on the Green, she wants them to feel as if they’re leaving with something incredibly special.
On this day, the small park was filled with balloons, a sea of white umbrellas shaded artists and customers, lemonade and water were freely dispensed, and music by Otto Spicolli and Renee Stahl filled the air.
Artists in and around the green included Emily Rosendahl, purveyor of handmade masterpieces from her E.R. Leather Goods; Kristin Cramer and her ceramics from Global Eye Art Collective; South African artist Karen Bezuidenhout and her paintings; Erika Carter with her devotional folk art; Susan LeVine, a painter of birds and botanical forms; Virginia McCraken, who creates small-scale dioramas; and Don Scott, who crafts woodturning bowls, trays and containers.
Jewelry was presented by Marit Rae, Danielle Welmond, and Kay Matthews and her Sirena Home sea glass creations. Stationery was offered by Caroline Winneguth of Saltwater & Feathers, Paste paper products by Denise Fiedler, floral arrangements by Bright Inc. and French cutlery by Claude Dozorme.
Also on hand were textile artist Cathy Callahan, Edie Kahula Pereira and tarot card reader Mary Wessley.
Food and drink included Lafond and Santa Barbara Winery wine, poured by Michael Cervin and Peggy Buchanan; a selection of homemade marmalades and jams from Jason Banks and Michelle Decaris of Chapala Farms; Tagaras Olive Oil; Mark & Stephens locally sourced mustards and vinaigrettes; Ann’s Bakeworks Belgian chocolate brownies and vegan bite-size cinnamon buns, Cinnies; and Joan Bowman featuring her family cookbook, La Cucina Marinello.
Most items at the Faire on the Green are available at the Wendy Foster and Pierre Lafond shops, Upstairs and in the deli, and presented by Catherine Greenup and her husband, Carl Finley, the design team behind all the visual merchandising and seasonal window displays throughout the Wendy Foster and Pierre Lafond family. In addition to their visual prowess, they also create and produce one-of-a-kind handcrafted homemade gifts and custom furniture not seen anywhere else.
No one went home hungry or without a great memory of the new Upper Village tradition, especially me.
Whether you stopped in for a minute or spent the better part of the day, it exemplified what the Santa Barbara lifestyle is all about. It was a small-town event, relaxed, casual and filled with talent and tastes of Santa Barbara County.
The success of the Faire on the Green speaks to our community’s enduring magnetism for locals and tourists, reminding those who live here or wish they did what they like best about it.
Upstairs at Pierre Lafond is located at 516 San Ysidro Road. Click here for more information, or call 805.565.1503.
— Judy Foreman is a Noozhawk columnist and longtime local writer and lifestyles observer. She can be contacted at judyforeman@noozhawk.com. Click here for previous columns. The opinions expressed are her own.