Festivals Receive a Free Ride With Bank's Help

The Festival of Arts, the Sawdust Festival, and Art-AFair have recently received a $30,000 grant from the Bank of America Foundation to help fund the free trolley service for summer visitors.

Before the bank's grant, each of Laguna's three annual summer festivals had made a $10,000 contribution towards the 10-week service that runs through their duration out of their own budgets. Now, each festival's contribution can now be redirected for artistic purposes.

"This grant saves these organizations significant money that can go back into the arts, while maintaining the public's access to these wonderful cultural festivals in ways that reduce traffic congestion and utilize environmentally friendly trolleys," said Kim Burdick, Orange County market president for Bank of America.

City officials last week reported ridership this summer is again breaking records, marking this the 15th consecutive summer of rising trolley boardings.

The trolley service fleet is comprised of 22 vehicles that are a combination of open-air trolleys and small buses. Eight of the 15 trolleys run on propane, as do six of the seven busses. The trolley service runs through Labor Day weekend.