A Place At The Table
An Encinitas Community Story Project
Celebrating the daily contributions of our Affordable Residents
The second Summer Fun on the 101 Festival, Michael in front row wearing hat.
Michael Schmitt
FUN ON THE 101, ORGANIZER & FOUNDER
COMMUNITY ARTS LEADER
Michael Schmitt is the founder and organizer of Summer Fun on the 101 as well as the Poetry Ruckus at Ducky Waddles. He is also a Board Member of Leucadia 101 Main Street Association, an Arts Commissioner for the City of Encinitas Arts Commission and a Lifeguard/EMT for the City of Encinitas. Michael is currently substitute teaching and in school to become a credentialed elementary school teacher.
HOUSING STORY
“Due to limited income from our multiple jobs, my wife Brittany and I ended up squeezing in with her parents in Leucadia where they rent a home. We originally had a place by ourselves on Hermes Ave, but the owner passed it on to her children and the rent went up significantly. They moved us to a month to month lease and so we left. The next place we rented off Santa Fe was sold to a property management company ten months after we moved in. They immediately raised the rent by $300 and also placed us on a month to month lease. After three years of struggling to find secure housing, we were fortunate enough to have some close friends in town rent us a lovely granny flat at a rate that we can afford. And yet, we still face financial hardship. It’s frustrating that we will have to leave Encinitas and possibly even San Diego County if we ever want to own a home.”
I see the writing on the wall. Most of our friends who still live in Encinitas struggle with housing in some way and the rest were priced out long ago.”
“I see the writing on the wall. Most of our friends who still live in Encinitas struggle withhousing in some way and the rest were priced out long ago.”
How did you get involved with the arts in Leucadia Michael?
Quote below directly from SoundDiego, NBC 7
"I was walking around, just enraptured with this funky old surf town I’d fallen in love with and how beautiful the vibe was," Schmitt, the festival's creative director and mastermind, told SoundDiego. " I started strumming this lovely little two-chord phrase on my ukulele and had an epiphany. I decided right then and there to dedicate myself to throwing a surf music festival in Leucadia. 'Wayne's World 2' may have also been a factor. About 10 minutes later, I met Artie Mattson who told me about her twin sons’ jazz band [the Mattson 2] and I took that as a sign. Year one, I used Kickstarter and flew without permits and year two, I convinced the Leucadia 101 Main Street Association to partner with me. We legitimized. Now, I’m on the L101 board of directors. The rest is history. It’s a celebration of Leucadia.
There's nothing as awesome to me as hearing from local families about how much they love and look forward to the event every year ... So long as Encinitas keeps giving me world-class talents to promote, I will keep doing my part in giving them a great community event to rock. I’ve been to plenty of large festivals in my life, but nothing really compares to big talents in a small, intimate setting. I get to make that happen every year. It’s magical."
Learn more at encinitasadvocate.com.
"We had a small but enthusiastic crowd the first few years. It did take a couple tries to do better than breaking even. Free festivals are difficult. But I’ve never been disappointed with the turnout and it grows every year."
Michael reading poetry at Poetry Ruckus, Ducky Waddles, Leucadia.
“I'm really proud of the music festival. I’ve laid down roots here in Leucadia. And, I’m proud of the Poetry Ruckus. Fewer people have experienced it than the music festivals, but it was such a beautiful thing when people got up there and spoke their minds and their hearts. It was special to be a part of that for so long. And it was really sad when Ducky Waddles closed, and very bittersweet when we held that last poetry night with a packed house. Jerry, the owner, is such a cool guy. The city’s arts scene misses him dearly. It’s a shame, it keeps on happening, we keep losing great people and great spaces. And it’s happening everywhere. In Leucadia, it seems like everyone is an artist or has some unique creative passion. There are a lot of really talented people in Leucadia doing amazing things. I don’t ever want to see it lose that “art and soul” we all love.”
