For lovers of all things artistic, the 25th annual La Jolla Festival of the Arts kicked off on June 18 and didn’t disappoint. Starting as a simple art festival, the event has grown into a weekend-long celebration with an array of attractions. This year, Bernard Guillas, executive chef of the Marine Room, returned on Saturday, June 18 to re-create a meal depicted in a poster for the 2010 event by artist Cara Brown. Guillas shared the recipe and techniques used in the meal. On Sunday, Amy Finley, winner of the third season of the hit show “the Next Food Network Star” showed how to create a gourmet salad and read from her new book, “How to Eat A Small Country.” Other activities included a screening of a documentary about the Pacific Coast League Padres of 1936 to 1968, a floral arrangement demonstration by designer Michael Gaffney and a reading by author Debra Ginsber from her new book, “The Neighbors Are Watching.” For more information, visit www.lajollaartfestival.org.