ART FESTIVAL DREW LARGEST AUDIENCE YET 100,000 VIEWED BELLA VIA DRAWINGS.

Byline: Kathleen Sweeney Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - Last weekend's Bella Via Italian Street Painting Festival drew the largest crowd in its three-year history, exciting organizers and raising questions about how they will accommodate its growing popularity.

More than 100,000 spectators, many of whom traveled from as far away as Bakersfield and San Diego, packed Town Center Drive to catch a glimpse of the chalk drawings of traditional Italian paintings, cartoon characters, symbols of patriotism and originals. About 80,000 people attended last year.

``Quite honestly, I think some of us had a vision of where this could go,'' said Carol Maglione, programs manager for The Newhall Land and Farming Company, one of the event's sponsors. ``The fact that we've gotten to this point so quickly is an absolute delight and wonderful surprise.''

There were 100 more artists here this year, with 149 sponsored squares worked into masterpieces, compared with 101 squares last year, Maglione said. There also were more attractions, including sculpture demonstrations.

Newhall Land is also counting the number of tickets sold at the Slice of Valencia, and Town Center officials are working to determine how many stopped in the mall.

Early estimates show that sales at the Slice of Valencia were up 12 percent over last year, and the number of children's drawing squares were up about 15 percent to 1,150 squares.

``There's an incredible amount of room to develop this particular event into something extraordinary and deeply enriching,'' Maglione said.

What that entails has yet to be discussed. This year, the squares lined the entire Town Center Drive, leaving little room along the road for new ones. Because the squares took up the road space, the framed art shows and some of the vendors were moved to side streets, and the open space along the sidewalks was filled.

``We haven't talked specifically about how we need to adjust the festival,'' said Maglione, who anticipates that the number of street painters will keep growing. ``Other than, Gee, we are going to need to figure this thing out, we are gathering up and catching our breath.''

Its success can be attributed to at least one reason: Town Center Drive. The atmosphere of Bella Via, Italian for ``beautiful street,'' takes after festivals in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and San Rafael, and is the only festival in north Los Angeles County. Many of the artists who frequent those events are now coming to Valencia.

``It's wonderful how this event showcases the talent and culture that is here, but has also managed to attract incredibly talented people from all over the state and country,'' Maglione said. ``We've actually gone international.''

Once the money is counted, some of it will go toward the fine arts programs in area schools. All proceeds from the sale of squares in Michelangelo's Gallery and a portion of the festival and square sponsorships will go to the Bella Via Fund, part of the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber Education Foundation.