The Art Alliance of Idyllwild staged its highly anticipated Art Walk and Wine Tasting event Saturday, Oct. 10. The 18th edition of this successful event was sold out by noon on event day. More than 1,000 wine glasses were sold prior to the event.

“The maximum number of tickets available this year was set at 1,200 to avoid running out of wine and to allow us to plan accordingly,” said AAI President Shanna Robb. “Because most tickets were pre-purchased, the “will call” lines ran smoothly and attendees could take advantage of the all-day activities around town.” AAI estimates the event drew 3,000 tourists to Idyllwild.

Preliminary results for this fundraising event were impressive: revenue of $29,995.02, expenses of $8,990.29 and net proceeds of $21,004.73.

AAI announced, “The impact that the $20,000 will make in the lives of our youth is why the Art Alliance of Idyllwild continues to build momentum. Our mission is clear and because of the thousands of people drawn to Idyllwild by this annual event, we are in a unique position to keep art accessible to the next generation of artists.”

Proceeds are intended to fund art scholarships for local youth. Robb said, “A final statement with the breakdown will be made via a press release once it is voted upon by the AAI Board of Directors. Preliminary recommendations for scholarships and grants were presented to the board during our Oct. 24 board meeting. Because not all board members were present, a final vote was not made at that time. The public and media will receive a fully transparent breakdown once a vote is finalized.”

Robb said the board appreciated the enormous public support for this event and the mission of AAI to educate young artists. “The feedback received via email and online has been overwhelmingly positive and gives us reason to look for additional ways to make a difference in our community.” Robb noted local merchants were happy with sales on the weekend. “I had my best day in 19 years of business,” said Phyllis Brown, owner of Prairie Dove Boutique. “I think they did a wonderful job organizing it so people had time to visit galleries and go to stores.”

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