Celebrity Meet and Greet: Cast of Hit CBS Show "Criminal Minds" to Make Special Appearance at the Festival of Arts; Fans Get a Chance for Photos, Autographs August 20th From 7-8pm

LAGUNA BEACH, CA--(Marketwire - Aug 11, 2011) - The cast of TV's Criminal Minds will spend the evening at the Laguna Beach Festival of Arts on August 20th, where they will greet fans, take photos, sign autographs and enjoy the fine art of Festival exhibitors before they take in a performance of this year's acclaimed Pageant of the Masters production, Only Make Believe.

Cast members scheduled to attend this special celebrity meet and greet evening include Joe Mantegna, who plays seasoned Supervisory Special Agent David Rossi, Matthew Gray Gubler, who portrays Dr. Spencer Reid, the youngest member of the profiling team, Shemar Moore, playing Special Agent Derek Morgan, A.J. Cook, who plays Special Agent Jennifer "JJ" Jareau, and Paget Brewster as Special Agent Emily Prentiss. In the show, an elite group of profilers analyze the nation's most dangerous criminal minds in an effort to anticipate their next moves before they strike again.

Celebrity meet and greet evenings are a new addition to the Festival of Arts' world-class special events series and offer a rare opportunity for fans to meet their favorite stars as they enjoy all that the Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters have to offer.

"We always look forward to welcoming Mr. Mantegna and his colleagues as special guests at the Festival of Arts each season," said Sharbie Higuchi, director of marketing and public relations for the Festival of Arts. "This year we're sharing the fun with everyone!"

The Criminal Minds meet and greet will take place from 7-8pm on the evening of August 20, 2011 at the Festival of Arts, 650 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, CA 92651. Visitors interested in getting an autograph or photo are encouraged to bring their own camera and paper.

Just preceding the meet and greet will be the Festival Runway Fashion Show, wherein Festival exhibitors create couture designs made from at least 80% reclaimed, reused or recycled materials. Festival Runway Fashion will hit the runway on the Festival green from 1-4pm. Celebrity meet and greet evenings and Festival Runway Fashion are free with Festival of Arts admission ($7 for adults, $4 for seniors and students).

The Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters are sponsored in part by Acura, Fidelity Investments, KOST Radio 103.5, the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, Vizio, Cox Communications and the Orange County Register. The Festival of Arts is a non-profit organization that produces The Festival of Arts -- California's Premier Fine Art Show and the Pageant of the Masters -- Where Art Comes to Life. For general information, call 949-494-1145 or visit the website at www.LagunaFestivalofArts.com. The event is located at 650 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, California. Proceeds support the arts and art education in and about Laguna Beach.