The Catalina Wine Mixer sounded like a great concept but in reality was a poorly executed event…read morethat was not worth the ticket price. The organization was fine but there were so many tickets sold and the space was so cramped that the wine tasting area was almost shoulder to shoulder. Long lines at every tasting booth, and many inebriated people in a small area meant you were more likely to get your feet stepped on than get to taste more than one wine from a vendor. PROs: The few wines that I tried were all quite decent. Check-in was very easy. The DJ was good as well. CONs: The lawn area was far too small for the hundreds of people in attendance. The live bands on stage played their own music rather than covers. No one came to the festival to see those bands, but they tried emphatically to get the crowd to jump, clap in time, etc. (which did not work of course because everyone was holding wine) all to their music which no one knew. Limited food options, all overly expensive. Lastly, May gray/ June Gloom was in full effect and it was so cold, with no indoor areas accessible for non-VIPs. In summary: I love Catalina and wine, but I think visiting on another weekend would be my recommendation.

The catalina wine mixer was awesome!! My fiance and I had the most amazing time. The wine was…read moreamazing and the crowd was super fun. The artists were also great. We thought the stage setup was very cool. Security was super professional and helped us when we lost our phone. They were kind and extremely helpful. Their shirts said TPE so thanks TPE! I would highly recommend.

We had a fantastic time visiting Catalina Island. If you're…read moredeciding on what to do while you're here, I highly recommend booking one of the island tours. It's a great way to get a layout of the land, we learned a ton about the history of Avalon, and the views from the overlooks high above the harbor are absolutely spectacular. Another major highlight was doing the self-guided tour of the historic Catalina Casino. Getting to walk through the grand ballroom at your own pace is great, but the real prize is stepping out onto the massive wraparound terrace. The views of the harbor and the ocean from up there are incredible. It's easily one of the best photo ops on the entire island.

It isn't what it used to be like in 2014. It's a pain trying to book the Catalina express from Dana…read morePt. Small boats and not as many. So you're stuck with having to go to Long Beach. Plan for three hours if you're coming from San Diego due to the absolutely horrible traffic issues. If you take the toll rd, expect to pay the fine if you don't pay ahead, you get the ticket.Late. That being said, I was so taken aback, from how lovely it used to be in 2014.The ocean in front of the beach right off the dock used to be kept clear all the way the docking area. Now, they just fill up the bay.There's about 30 ft of beach and then about fifty feet of water before it is blocked off by buoys. Filthy. Smelly. Filled with screaming kids.Foot traffic going over u. I imagine the pcb's in that area are immense. The epa should be taking tests. Many of the private homes have been turned into hotels and Airbnb's.The Catalina Hotel was a dump, you can't secure windows.Loud.Dirty. Everything we wanted to do was booked up many days in advance, so give months of advance for your reservations and expect to pay a lot for whatever you do. We were going to the ghost tour, but they said he decided to take the night off.So the buffalo tour. Nope.Spa day.Nope.Don't even think about doing much on a Sunday a lot of businesses r closed.There are also a lot of restaurants,not many had good yelp reviews. Food & service terrible. Chinese restaurant we went to in 2014?Closed years ago.The new one got such bad reviews we didn't even bother. Herds of people.Loads of gas smoke from idling carts.U have to walk everywhere because cart drivers don't want to take you anywhere except back to the shuttle.If you are handicapped, forget it! I have contacted the ADA about this situation. There's one company that has the monopoly, I think it's illegal to do this. I have sent an email to the state attorney general about such a monopoly. Forget it if you need to catch a shuttle - you need to get a cab at least an hour before. It took us 45 minutes to get a shuttle back to the boat - after calling three cabs. I wonder if the Wrigley's only gave this one company permits for cabs?No real competition. They couldn't care any less about you.Line upon line for food, and I don't know if it is just there are no health regulations, or what.i used to review food for Knight-Ridder.I was disgusted.The things we saw the waiters do-clean the floor, the chair and then the table with the same towel.I threw up a little in my mouth.I guess a private island doesn't fall under California health laws. I plan to see what health dept regulates them, if any. Maybe it's up to the Wrigley's and they just don't care. It was a sorry excuse for the Wrigley's preservation of the island (they now have a university teaching preservation on the mainland! Really?), the golf carts are spewing gas fumes - there are so many now-and they rent out four seaters, no two-seaters and forget about having it a weekend. That will cost you a grand. So all these vehicles are clogging the roads and they have a Von's now. Trust me when I tell you you'd have a way better time on the mainland, anywhere else. I once included the island in a travel book, not now. Many of the hotels do not have elevators, or anyone to carry your luggage. The streets there are just packed with people. Herds. It is very difficult to get anywhere. There is no elegance. There are very few stores where there are not people harassing you to make a sale, and the nice people have been there for a while and thinking about selling because of these rude people traveling there. Loud - always. Save your vacation for somewhere lovely.Go to Malibu. Chico. Anywhere else. We took the 5:00 (or thereafter) shuttle out and that whole trip we had to listen to this retired guy from the shuttle fleet who didn't sit in his chair, he stood up talking to a member of the staff who was telling his whole life story. Both of them very loud and the guy leaning on the galley snack bar and swearing, and talking about things that really should have been talked about elsewhere. The guy next to my daughter always standing and leaning into the back of his seat with his hands on the chair like he was humping it, so his crotch was about two feet from my daughter and he kept pushing the seat back and forth. Aren't you supposed to sit in a seat? She didn't want to switch seats with me. She put her ear buds in and leaned up against me. I got a migraine from just coming home. Going there people had slept, but it was impossible with those two carrying on nearly the whole time. Employee. The whole trip was disgusting. Save your money, go somewhere you'll enjoy yourself. Seriously. If the Wrigley's don't care, neither should you. So many other places to go. If you've been before and loved it, save those memories, it's just a garbage can now.

I visited RUTH MAYERS GALLERY on Catalina Island with some High School Friends . I am also an…read moreartist , so I wanted to go on the weekend when they have the annual Art Festival. Iam so glad I went because I was fortunate to meet Ruth Mayer who was painting another beautiful painting of the Casino & the amazingly beautiful water. She was so friendly & interesting to talk with. My friends & I also went again to visit her Art Gallery which is where we spent at least a hour viewing with awe The many beautiful paintings of Ruth's. Meeting with Ruth's son at the gallery made our visit even more enjoyable. He was very knowledgeable & shared some interesting stories about his mothers art. I highly recommend anyone visiting the Island to see all the gorgeous art in the Gallery located on Summer Pl.

At first impression, this looked like a cute little gallery with prolific and diverse pieces of…read moreart. But a chance conversation with the store manager made me do a complete double-take. I was extremely surprised to find that all these works were completed by the same person! Her paintings included portraits, cityscapes, serene beachscapes, animals, whimsical figures, and abstract collages. She also has an impressive mastery of capturing the movement of light within her paintings. In one framed print that contained sailboats docked along the shoreline amidst the dusk and illuminating moonlight, the store manager (who also happens to be the painter's son) showed us how the setting quickly transformed into an effervescent dawn scene by just adjusting the power on the halogen light bulb that shone onto the painting. It was amazing, and I was soon lusting after the piece. Unfortunately, it was out of my price range, and I had to walk away before I blew off next month's rent. My boyfriend did end up purchasing one smaller print, which depicted vivid blue and rose views of the sunset and the water along the bay. The store manager was very nice and friendly, often telling us stories about a few paintings. We could tell that he was very proud of his mom. We walked away very happy with the purchase, and we look forward to visiting this and the Laguna beach store if we're ever in the area.

It has been a pleasure to be a part of the team since the beginning, and it has been great to…read morealways see the filmmakers be proud of the competition of films. Volunteering for this festival has been a great experience! Can't wait to celebrate the 10th anniversary in 2020!

Here fishy fishy! This is the best stop for a memorable…read morepiece of art or souvenir to bring home from your vacation. Unique items and a unique curator of art Mz Karen. What a wealth of knowledge and a little firecracker

Afishinados Gallery is a small gallery in Avalon, CA that hosts many local artists. No photography…read moreinside, so I absolutely wanted to respect the gallery. But I can say, truly stunning one of a kind pieces, great value. The store clerk inside gave amazing service, selection, and insight to how many artists they carried, history, etc. There were a few local shops in town, but Afishinados Gallery was the best. Highly recommend coming in when you're on the island!

Watched Pirates of the Caribbean here and had an absolute blast! The coolest theater I've ever been…read moreto! Murals are stunning, architecture/ambiance is insane, and the staff is so friendly/nice

This beautiful, historic theater is located inside the Catalina Casino. They were showing older…read morefilms the week we were in town (we saw Clueless). The theater itself is GORGEOUS and was a fun backdrop for our experience. The website isn't clear but you can buy tickets at the door via cash or credit card. I'd definitely return!

Finally took the time and additional funds to see the inside of the Catalina Casino in Avalon…read moreCalifornia during a shore stop aboard the Quantum of the Sea from Los Angeles. It was a great stop, well worth the money and time. My wife and I have been to Avalon before and the outline of the Catalina Casino dominates the view from the harbor when looking North. I made the obvious mistake of thinking it was a place of gambling and didn't bother going, but later learned that during the 19th and early 20th century, the term 'casino' was used to mean 'a gathering place'. That was the goal of the original owner (William Wrigley, founder of the gum company that bears his name), when he built it in 1929, right during the times when 'talkies' started taking over the movie industry. A massive restoration occurred in 1994. It's walkable from where we got dropped off by the cruise port tender, so I bought two adult tickets online for $21.51 each, for the self-guided tour. There is also a guided tour available that takes a group back behind the stage. We got there right when it opened and the ticket taker already had our names to let us in. The first stop was the main theater on the ground floor, and as we entered it, I couldn't help by saying a long 'Wowwww'. There are 1164 original seats (reupholstered) and we sat in the very back row, admiring the theater and watching a bit of the silent movie that was playing. Cell reception did not work inside, and the free WiFi didn't work well in here either. A little while later, the guided tour came in, and we were able to listen to the guide explain the theater. Some fun facts: -- this was the first theater designed for 'talkies'. However, because it wasn't a sure thing that they would replace the old style silent movies, a Page Theatre Pipe Organ was also installed (which is now one of only three still in its original location...the others being in Indiana). It was broken for a while, but has recently been fixed. -- entire ceiling was covered in silver leaf. -- the acoustics are incredible. As the guided group talked in normal loudness near the orchestral pit in front, I could hear each conversation from the back, just as if the person was right next to me. -- the wall murals was designed by the same artist who did the mural at the Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood. -- architects responsible for the building of Radio City Music Hall in NYC, came for a visit to examine the acoustics, as it was that good. The guided tour ended up going backstage. We then took a winding ramp (there is no public elevator) up to the 2nd floor. Here there was one room where a TV show was on, explaining the history of the island. Another ramp took us to the top floor where the 20,000 square foot grand ballroom is. (The ramps reminded me of a ballparks, and later I learned that it was intentional: Wrigley had requested it based on something similar that he liked from his namesake ballpark). The ballroom has been beautifully restored, with wooden floors and a rotating chandelier. One can roller skate on the floor with rented skates, though nobody was doing it when we were there, thus the floor was empty. There is also a concession stand selling snacks. The height of the casino is equal to a 12-story building, and provides some really great views of Avalon, specifically the bay, from the Romance Promenade that surrounds the ballroom. My wife and I slowly circled it, admiring the views. We did notice the small cove where many snorkelers were admiring the plentiful orange-colored garibaldi. The entire stay lasted about 75 minutes which we felt was about the right amount of time. Would highly recommend if not been there before.

One of the coolest parts about visiting is learning the history-most people assume it used to be a…read moregambling casino because of the name, but it actually never was! It was built as a community gathering space, and the word "casino" just meant "social gathering place" in Italian back then. Getting to explore the building at your own pace is fantastic. The inside is beautiful, and I loved seeing the massive, classic ballroom and the old roller skating area. The absolute highlight, though, is stepping out onto the terrace. The views of Avalon Harbor and the ocean from up there are stunning, and it's easily one of the best photo ops on the entire island.