Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Monday, September 21, 2015
The Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival is Coming Soon!
Followers of my blog know that the Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival is my all-time favorite Bay Area festival. It combines my favorite holiday, Halloween, with one of my favorite flavors. Check out my post on the festival to learn more, get tips on making the most out of your trip to the festival, and see pictures from this annual favorite! I'll be posting more photos from this year's event later.
See more here!
Saturday, August 1, 2015
The Fremont Festival of the Arts
This festival was actually recommended by a neighboring vendor at the Park Street Art and Wine Festival, and it did not disappoint. The festival is one of the largest I've seen in the Bay Area (of art and wine festivals, not fairs) with more than 700 vendors, three stages for live music, a kid's area they call "Kid City," and lots of space to mill about in without feeling crowded.
The first thing that struck me when we arrived at the festival was the layout. The vendors are arrayed along both sides of a street divided by a meridian. This gives shoppers plenty of room to walk, stop and chat, and generally move about without reducing the flow of foot traffic or making the festival feel overcrowded. The wide open spaces were also a refreshing break for someone used to the packed-in feel of the big city, though Fremont is plenty large. Another thing I appreciated was that the festival producers put most of the service vendors on one of the side stretches, so those looking for something like window replacements or health coverage could wander that stretch and those who don't require any services (No, for the love of breakfast cereal, I do not own a house!) can avoid it.
I was also happy to see many vendors I haven't seen at other festivals. Sugarbird Hollow was selling adorable little houses and campers, seasonal and not. Black Tie Caramel was selling handmade caramels in unique flavors like Coconut Lemongrass as well as caramel sauce. And the Washington High School ceramics program was selling wonderfully unique cups, bowls, plates, and more for absurdly low prices, and proceeds went into the program. There was a good variety of art, although few of the vendors sold prints and many of the canvases were very large. And many vendors that I've seen at the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival and other events had new work or different items on display. The Bubble Wands vendor was there filling the festival with a magical assortment of bubbles.
In terms of food, I wasn't actually impressed with the variety and amount of vendors. Indeed, I didn't eat at the festival. But there was a lot of lemonade, well, everywhere. There were also a couple of Oasis booths selling slushies in kid's and adult's cups, which were refillable for a lower price. In terms of alcohol, this festival had margaritas in addition to various beer and wine choices, which I found unique.
Another bonus of this festival is the amount of freebees handed out by businesses. Places like Blaze Pizza and a couple radio stations were letting people spin a wheel for prizes. Pacific Commons, a Fremont shopping center, was giving out free lip balm. And Lucky was giving out strawberries stuffed with goat cheese and topped with a lemon jam.
Now, onto challenges and tips for enjoying the festival with the least amount of headache. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Free parking was sparse, and most spots required a fair walk to the festival. If you don't get to the festival early, as in shortly before the start, you might have a traffic meltdown. The BART isn't far from the festival, so if you can BART, I'd recommend it. Also, the early bird gets the best freebees without waiting in long lines.
In terms of weather and what to wear, Fremont is HOT. I regretted wearing a t-shirt and jeans, wishing instead I'd chosen a tank top and capris. Sun screen is a must, but it won't be enough. I strongly recommend sun glasses and a hat. There is a lot of open space and very little shade so it feels like the sun is pummeling you the whole time. Fortunately, there were several hat vendors if you forget your own.
If you drive, don't forget about the shopping opportunities around the Pacific Commons area. There's a lot of big box stores, but there's also great food joints like Blaze Pizza, Which Wich, and Buffalo Wild Wings to name a few. And the Century theater is not only large, but its food offerings are unique. They have an ice cream counter that also serves a variety of beer (beer in a theater?!). And the food section is a walk-through affair where you can pick out your own hot dogs, burgers, nachos, candy, kettle corn, drinks, ice cream desserts, and even hummus.
I would definitely put the Fremont Festival of the Arts at the top of my Bay-Area-Miss-Me-Nots list.
The first thing that struck me when we arrived at the festival was the layout. The vendors are arrayed along both sides of a street divided by a meridian. This gives shoppers plenty of room to walk, stop and chat, and generally move about without reducing the flow of foot traffic or making the festival feel overcrowded. The wide open spaces were also a refreshing break for someone used to the packed-in feel of the big city, though Fremont is plenty large. Another thing I appreciated was that the festival producers put most of the service vendors on one of the side stretches, so those looking for something like window replacements or health coverage could wander that stretch and those who don't require any services (No, for the love of breakfast cereal, I do not own a house!) can avoid it.
I was also happy to see many vendors I haven't seen at other festivals. Sugarbird Hollow was selling adorable little houses and campers, seasonal and not. Black Tie Caramel was selling handmade caramels in unique flavors like Coconut Lemongrass as well as caramel sauce. And the Washington High School ceramics program was selling wonderfully unique cups, bowls, plates, and more for absurdly low prices, and proceeds went into the program. There was a good variety of art, although few of the vendors sold prints and many of the canvases were very large. And many vendors that I've seen at the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival and other events had new work or different items on display. The Bubble Wands vendor was there filling the festival with a magical assortment of bubbles.
In terms of food, I wasn't actually impressed with the variety and amount of vendors. Indeed, I didn't eat at the festival. But there was a lot of lemonade, well, everywhere. There were also a couple of Oasis booths selling slushies in kid's and adult's cups, which were refillable for a lower price. In terms of alcohol, this festival had margaritas in addition to various beer and wine choices, which I found unique.
Another bonus of this festival is the amount of freebees handed out by businesses. Places like Blaze Pizza and a couple radio stations were letting people spin a wheel for prizes. Pacific Commons, a Fremont shopping center, was giving out free lip balm. And Lucky was giving out strawberries stuffed with goat cheese and topped with a lemon jam.
Now, onto challenges and tips for enjoying the festival with the least amount of headache. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Free parking was sparse, and most spots required a fair walk to the festival. If you don't get to the festival early, as in shortly before the start, you might have a traffic meltdown. The BART isn't far from the festival, so if you can BART, I'd recommend it. Also, the early bird gets the best freebees without waiting in long lines.
In terms of weather and what to wear, Fremont is HOT. I regretted wearing a t-shirt and jeans, wishing instead I'd chosen a tank top and capris. Sun screen is a must, but it won't be enough. I strongly recommend sun glasses and a hat. There is a lot of open space and very little shade so it feels like the sun is pummeling you the whole time. Fortunately, there were several hat vendors if you forget your own.
If you drive, don't forget about the shopping opportunities around the Pacific Commons area. There's a lot of big box stores, but there's also great food joints like Blaze Pizza, Which Wich, and Buffalo Wild Wings to name a few. And the Century theater is not only large, but its food offerings are unique. They have an ice cream counter that also serves a variety of beer (beer in a theater?!). And the food section is a walk-through affair where you can pick out your own hot dogs, burgers, nachos, candy, kettle corn, drinks, ice cream desserts, and even hummus.
I would definitely put the Fremont Festival of the Arts at the top of my Bay-Area-Miss-Me-Nots list.
Panorama of wide open spaces...
The Nathan village. Hot dog anyone?
Plenty of seating areas scattered throughout.
A map of the festival.
Fremont Fire Department
Homemade Caramel?!
You could sit in the mini-BART. Always wanted to do this.
Halloween house from Sugarbird Hollow (hey, it's never too early for Halloween).
Camper from Sugarbird Hollow
Monday, July 20, 2015
Park Street Art & Wine Faire
Alameda is a charming little island nestled between Oakland and the San Francisco Bay, and it has plenty of charming little festivals. Around Mother's Day, Park Street hosts the Spring Festival, complete with live music, a variety of vendors, delicious food booths, activities for kids, and beverages for adults. In June, Webster Street on Alameda's west end hosts a festival honoring the historic Neptune Beach area (see my post on the festival here). In October, Park Street hosts one of the best classic car shows around (see my post on that one here). But in July, Park Street hosts one of my favorite Bay Area festivals, the Park Street Art & Wine Faire.
I've already written a post on this wonderful festival with tips on how to make the most of your visit. You can read that here. In that post, I highlighted a couple of vendors I enjoyed visiting. However, this year, I'm happy to announce that my sister will have a booth at the fair. She started her own business, Handmade Hill, in January. As her business name suggests, she makes a variety of handmade items--hats, quilts, scarves, jewelry, etc.--and many of these items will be on sale at the faire. She'll also have a variety of local prints and paintings for the art lover. And she'll be selling sticker bundles, including authentic Playland tickets she has turned into stickers. I'll be helping her with the booth, so I'll be able to give those of you who have considered doing booths at festivals feedback on the experience in a later post.
Besides my sister's booth, the fair will have over 300 vendors and will stretch from Encinal to Buena Vista. For Island natives and those nearby, there will be free bike parking so you can avoid the traffic. For all others, there's a very affordable parking garage around the corner from the Alameda Theater. When that fills up there is plenty of parking in the area, but you'll have a bit of a walk.
Stay tuned for photos and feedback from this year's event, and learn more here!
And here's your promised FEEDBACK:
My sister and I had a lot of fun as vendors at this event, but it was definitely a lot of work. Vendors are allowed to start setting up a little after 6 a.m. on the day of the event, and because this was my sister's first craft fair as a vendor, we got there at 6 on the dot. We were able to pull up to our spot, unload, and find free parking very close to the event. However, I did hear other vendors who arrived much later complain about the lack of vendor parking. Our booth space was located across from one of our favorite Alameda cafes, the Blue Danube (they have tea, coffee, Italian sodas, breakfast and lunch items, and more!), which proved very convenient for quiet rest and meal breaks, and we were within sight (but not smell) of the portable toilets.
In terms of setup, it took us four hours to get everything put together, signed and ready to go. Granted, we had a couple fixtures to build and a lot of signs and tags to make. We also had some struggles with the E-Z Up canopy, as did a neighboring vendor with the same type. However, a nearby vendor, Julie, gave us a hand and some valuable advice for the best shows in the Bay Area in terms of foot traffic and profit.
We were surprised to learn that many vendors simply leave the booths at night with no take down or wrap them in tarps. Julie recommended lowering our canopy on top of our fixtures, which we did, but we did take our merchandise with us. After manning the booth for eight hours, we were very much ready to call it a day at 6 p.m., when the faire was officially over each day, but there were a number of late shoppers that made it difficult to close up. This was especially annoying on the last day because it made it very difficult to get vehicles next to booths for loading.
We were also surprised, and we heard many others vendors echoing our concerns, by the amount of foot traffic. My sister and I go to this event every year as shoppers, and it always seemed like a very busy festival. However, this year, the foot traffic seemed light, and a lot of people passing our line of booths walked quickly and didn't even seem interested in looking at the booths. While walking around the faire on Sunday at the busiest hours, I discovered that most foot traffic was concentrated in the middle of the faire in between the rides and the kids' area. People seemed reluctant to push through the crowd gathered around the Water Ballerz in order to see the last line of booths. Indeed, it was hard for me to push through to get back to our booth. However, most of the people who ventured into our booth purchased something.
On the plus side, the event page for the event featured our booth on Facebook and retweeted a lot of our tweets, which I thought was sweet. The weather was lovely, with the perfect breeze. The music was wonderful (at one point, I could hear the Mario Brothers theme song drifting on the breeze from the stage), and our neighbors were great. I loved our location, even if it meant a decrease in foot traffic. And we did great for our first festival.
Here's some advice if you want to be a vendor at this faire in the future:
1) Pack snacks and water
2) Make sure you have the inventory to cover your booth fee and bring in a profit
3) Introduce yourself to your neighbors (they have a lot of wisdom!)
4) Get there early for setup, and have parking scoped out early
5) Prepare mentally for the long days (around 13 hours a day with setup and takedown)
6) If coverage allows, take breaks to walk around and have a little fun
7) Utilize social media
8) Take advantage of your canopy by hanging items from the front so they are more visible to the casual passerby
A big shout out and thank you to Alameda and everyone who visited our booth! We hope to see you next year! I've provided a link on my right side bar to upcoming festivals other vendors recommended.
I've already written a post on this wonderful festival with tips on how to make the most of your visit. You can read that here. In that post, I highlighted a couple of vendors I enjoyed visiting. However, this year, I'm happy to announce that my sister will have a booth at the fair. She started her own business, Handmade Hill, in January. As her business name suggests, she makes a variety of handmade items--hats, quilts, scarves, jewelry, etc.--and many of these items will be on sale at the faire. She'll also have a variety of local prints and paintings for the art lover. And she'll be selling sticker bundles, including authentic Playland tickets she has turned into stickers. I'll be helping her with the booth, so I'll be able to give those of you who have considered doing booths at festivals feedback on the experience in a later post.
Besides my sister's booth, the fair will have over 300 vendors and will stretch from Encinal to Buena Vista. For Island natives and those nearby, there will be free bike parking so you can avoid the traffic. For all others, there's a very affordable parking garage around the corner from the Alameda Theater. When that fills up there is plenty of parking in the area, but you'll have a bit of a walk.
Stay tuned for photos and feedback from this year's event, and learn more here!
And here's your promised FEEDBACK:
My sister and I had a lot of fun as vendors at this event, but it was definitely a lot of work. Vendors are allowed to start setting up a little after 6 a.m. on the day of the event, and because this was my sister's first craft fair as a vendor, we got there at 6 on the dot. We were able to pull up to our spot, unload, and find free parking very close to the event. However, I did hear other vendors who arrived much later complain about the lack of vendor parking. Our booth space was located across from one of our favorite Alameda cafes, the Blue Danube (they have tea, coffee, Italian sodas, breakfast and lunch items, and more!), which proved very convenient for quiet rest and meal breaks, and we were within sight (but not smell) of the portable toilets.
In terms of setup, it took us four hours to get everything put together, signed and ready to go. Granted, we had a couple fixtures to build and a lot of signs and tags to make. We also had some struggles with the E-Z Up canopy, as did a neighboring vendor with the same type. However, a nearby vendor, Julie, gave us a hand and some valuable advice for the best shows in the Bay Area in terms of foot traffic and profit.
We were surprised to learn that many vendors simply leave the booths at night with no take down or wrap them in tarps. Julie recommended lowering our canopy on top of our fixtures, which we did, but we did take our merchandise with us. After manning the booth for eight hours, we were very much ready to call it a day at 6 p.m., when the faire was officially over each day, but there were a number of late shoppers that made it difficult to close up. This was especially annoying on the last day because it made it very difficult to get vehicles next to booths for loading.
We were also surprised, and we heard many others vendors echoing our concerns, by the amount of foot traffic. My sister and I go to this event every year as shoppers, and it always seemed like a very busy festival. However, this year, the foot traffic seemed light, and a lot of people passing our line of booths walked quickly and didn't even seem interested in looking at the booths. While walking around the faire on Sunday at the busiest hours, I discovered that most foot traffic was concentrated in the middle of the faire in between the rides and the kids' area. People seemed reluctant to push through the crowd gathered around the Water Ballerz in order to see the last line of booths. Indeed, it was hard for me to push through to get back to our booth. However, most of the people who ventured into our booth purchased something.
On the plus side, the event page for the event featured our booth on Facebook and retweeted a lot of our tweets, which I thought was sweet. The weather was lovely, with the perfect breeze. The music was wonderful (at one point, I could hear the Mario Brothers theme song drifting on the breeze from the stage), and our neighbors were great. I loved our location, even if it meant a decrease in foot traffic. And we did great for our first festival.
Here's some advice if you want to be a vendor at this faire in the future:
1) Pack snacks and water
2) Make sure you have the inventory to cover your booth fee and bring in a profit
3) Introduce yourself to your neighbors (they have a lot of wisdom!)
4) Get there early for setup, and have parking scoped out early
5) Prepare mentally for the long days (around 13 hours a day with setup and takedown)
6) If coverage allows, take breaks to walk around and have a little fun
7) Utilize social media
8) Take advantage of your canopy by hanging items from the front so they are more visible to the casual passerby
A big shout out and thank you to Alameda and everyone who visited our booth! We hope to see you next year! I've provided a link on my right side bar to upcoming festivals other vendors recommended.
Hill's hat and sticker table
Hill's painting and rug fixture, made out of a pallet
Hill' quilt wall and base
Hill's flower scarf display
Hill's jewelry, print, and keychain table
Hill next to her shop banner
The apron Etsy shop owner isewmuchtime made for us. Thanks JoAnn!
Hill, feeling a little overwhelmed during setup. Is it coffee time yet?!
Alameda's Park Street Bridge. Love ya, Alameda!
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Richmond Art Center's Upcycle
You really can't say you've fully enjoyed the Bay Area until you've taken advantage of its unique creative opportunities. This is an area filled with artists, crafters, and visionaries. It's also an area where people look at the everyday and see the fantastic, and their materials matter just as much to them as the things those materials make. When you see all the wonderful creations that give the Bay Area a lot of its character, it's hard to resist the urge to participate in that creation. So why try? The Richmond Art Center's Upcycle fair is one opportunity to get your hands crafty in an earth friendly and conscientious way. The whole focus of Upcycle, as the name implies, is to reuse materials for art and practical items that are considered trash or leftovers.
Upcycle is still new (this year was its second go), and already it's run like a years-hardened event. The organization, atmosphere, and layout create a low-stress, high-fun environment. There are many great things about this art and crafting extravaganza, but two of my favorite are that it's free, and it's not just intended for kids. The event is held at the Richmond Art Center, mostly in the inner courtyard, and this year it took place on Saturday, April 12, from 1-4 p.m. Driving is probably best for this event, and parking is available (and also free) on the road and in the Center's parking lot.
The variety of things to do at Upcycle pretty much guarantees that no one will be bored. Even grownups seemed unable to resist the gleeful cries of their inner child when presented with the opportunity to make something like a drawing robot. I went to the event with a seasoned crafter, and while she put me to shame at many of the booths, I still walked away with something I was proud of. We tried most activities, and though some booths were busy and required people to wait to participate, the wait was worth it. Besides, it was entertaining just watching what everyone chose to make.
The first activity we did was make screen-printed patches with Joyce Shon and Monica Gyulai. They explained how screen printing works and what to do and then let us apply the ink to our patches. My sister, the crafter, then made a robot that draws by itself at the California 4-H Foundation. The gentleman at the booth taught everyone how to attach markers to a paper cup and to attach the battery pack and rotor to the top of the cup. The table and the nearby ground was covered with paper, so when a robot was finished, it could be set loose on a blank canvas. This was my favorite station. I loved seeing all the robots humming away and imagining the chaos they would happily cause in each creator's home.
We then made bracelets out of bike inner tubes with Holly Carter. There were numerous examples available to guide one's design, and Carter was generous with advice and instructions. All of the equipment and supplies one could want were available, and we were impressed with everyone's results. There was a young girl next to us who created two bracelets like a pro.
The final activity we did was make a metal leaf with Ed Lay. He taught us how to fold the metal, cut it, pound the side to elongate it to the shape we wanted, and then fired the metal to make it pliable enough to open and finish. He was able to tailor his instructions to any skill level and age, and everyone seemed to be happy with the result of their work.
Other activities that were a joy to observe was the creation of a garbage can by Daud Abdullah and visitors using glass shards, glass beads, and other items, the blending of smoothies by stationary bike with Urban Tilth, the weaving of small rugs with Susan Sterling, and the creation of hats with Kiki Rostad. There were many more booths and activities to choose from. While enjoying the activities, we were treated to the otherworldly yet delightful sounds of the Crank Ensemble. They had a variety of what appeared to be hand-crafted instruments that made a music to resonate with one's inner funk and quirk.
We walked away from this event with a wonderful variety of creations, and everything was free! However, many booths had donation jars to help make up for the materials used. All of the activities were quick and easy to complete, and visitors of all ages seemed to enjoy them. If you want to participate in a family-friendly event that has a good purpose and teaches valuable lessons, then this is a definite miss-me-not. Check out the Richmond Art Center website to learn more about the booths and performances: http://www.therac.org/html/calendar.html#upcycle.
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Upcycle is still new (this year was its second go), and already it's run like a years-hardened event. The organization, atmosphere, and layout create a low-stress, high-fun environment. There are many great things about this art and crafting extravaganza, but two of my favorite are that it's free, and it's not just intended for kids. The event is held at the Richmond Art Center, mostly in the inner courtyard, and this year it took place on Saturday, April 12, from 1-4 p.m. Driving is probably best for this event, and parking is available (and also free) on the road and in the Center's parking lot.
The variety of things to do at Upcycle pretty much guarantees that no one will be bored. Even grownups seemed unable to resist the gleeful cries of their inner child when presented with the opportunity to make something like a drawing robot. I went to the event with a seasoned crafter, and while she put me to shame at many of the booths, I still walked away with something I was proud of. We tried most activities, and though some booths were busy and required people to wait to participate, the wait was worth it. Besides, it was entertaining just watching what everyone chose to make.
The first activity we did was make screen-printed patches with Joyce Shon and Monica Gyulai. They explained how screen printing works and what to do and then let us apply the ink to our patches. My sister, the crafter, then made a robot that draws by itself at the California 4-H Foundation. The gentleman at the booth taught everyone how to attach markers to a paper cup and to attach the battery pack and rotor to the top of the cup. The table and the nearby ground was covered with paper, so when a robot was finished, it could be set loose on a blank canvas. This was my favorite station. I loved seeing all the robots humming away and imagining the chaos they would happily cause in each creator's home.
We then made bracelets out of bike inner tubes with Holly Carter. There were numerous examples available to guide one's design, and Carter was generous with advice and instructions. All of the equipment and supplies one could want were available, and we were impressed with everyone's results. There was a young girl next to us who created two bracelets like a pro.
The final activity we did was make a metal leaf with Ed Lay. He taught us how to fold the metal, cut it, pound the side to elongate it to the shape we wanted, and then fired the metal to make it pliable enough to open and finish. He was able to tailor his instructions to any skill level and age, and everyone seemed to be happy with the result of their work.
Other activities that were a joy to observe was the creation of a garbage can by Daud Abdullah and visitors using glass shards, glass beads, and other items, the blending of smoothies by stationary bike with Urban Tilth, the weaving of small rugs with Susan Sterling, and the creation of hats with Kiki Rostad. There were many more booths and activities to choose from. While enjoying the activities, we were treated to the otherworldly yet delightful sounds of the Crank Ensemble. They had a variety of what appeared to be hand-crafted instruments that made a music to resonate with one's inner funk and quirk.
We walked away from this event with a wonderful variety of creations, and everything was free! However, many booths had donation jars to help make up for the materials used. All of the activities were quick and easy to complete, and visitors of all ages seemed to enjoy them. If you want to participate in a family-friendly event that has a good purpose and teaches valuable lessons, then this is a definite miss-me-not. Check out the Richmond Art Center website to learn more about the booths and performances: http://www.therac.org/html/calendar.html#upcycle.
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Jack of All Trades Market at Jack London Square
Jack London Square is a beautiful area that resembles a ghost town many days of the week, but great fairs and markets are starting to bring the foot traffic it deserves. Besides Patchwork and the Sunday farmer's market, Jack London also hosts the Jack of All Trades Market on the second Saturday of every month. This market is from the same folks who do Treasure Island Flea. My sister and I visited January's market, and we were impressed by the variety of vendors and pleased to see some of our favorites like OodleBaDoodle and hrvst/3D.
Jack of All Trades is really one of the best markets in the Bay Area to find craftspeople from, you guessed it, all trades, and judging by foot traffic and shopper enthusiasm, I think this market will only keep expanding. There are vendors who work with metal, wood, fabric, plastic, and repurposed items. They sell antiques, art, vintage clothing, jewelry, furniture, food, craft beer, pet toys, olive oil, perfumes, soaps, and more.
January's market was held indoors, but craftswoman Lisa Inez DeFehr told us that the market is sometimes held outside and stretches all the way down the waterfront. Lisa's shop was one of our favorites. She handcrafts unique pieces of jewelry: necklaces with bottle charms containing tiny bird feathers, dandelion seeds, paper roses, or flash mobs. She also had a necklace with three little pig charms and a wolf. She said many of her pieces have an element of fairytale in them, and one walks away from her booth feeling a bit of the enchantment.
One of the best parts of Bay Area art and craft festivals is that you get to meet the designer, creator, or artist and talk with them about their creative process. Artist Sean Murphy ushered me to his booth with the Force. Actually, it was his Star Wars-themed art, specifically a picture of the Millenium Falcon flying over the Golden Gate with the Death Star posing as the moon in the background. He also had a picture of storm troopers sitting in a vintage Batmobile and a Darth Vader Buddha. Besides Star Wars, Murphy had pictures of Smurfs engaged in a little illegal gardening, if you know what I mean, and alien ships flying over the Golden Gate.
All of Murphy's art is funky, surprising, and humorous. He signed the print I purchased and told me about how each is made, what the materials he uses are, and the effort it takes to produce just one. I plan to make my living room wall a tad cooler with the Millenium Falcon print I couldn't pass up.
I was pleased to see hrvst/3D at the market and to check out the new Bay Bridge charm I hadn't seen before. Hrvst/3D makes earrings, necklace charms, and tiny figurines of beloved Bay Area landmarks and features like shipping cranes, the Transamerica Building, Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge, Sutro Tower, and the oak tree (for Oakland). Most of their charms are made of 3D printed nylon, but they also have sterling silver and gold charms. Their pieces are so local and so unique!
We were able to find items that friends and family will love, such as Giants wine glass bottle cap charms and finger puppets/pen toppers. There were multiple vendors selling a large variety of scarves in beautiful and unexpected shapes and sizes. There was a vendor selling rubber ducky soaps, another selling recycled steel drum sculptures, and still another selling repurposed wood tables of all shapes and sizes. And many of the Bay Area food trucks that have become a favorite at Off the Grid were gathered outside the market to satisfy hungry shoppers.
One of the best things about this market is that it's dog friendly. Many people usually ignore the posted "No Pets" signs that are common at Bay Area festivals, but the atmosphere is not welcoming. At Jack of All Trades, pets were warmly acknowledged. I was happy to see the many dogs at the market and to do my shopping beside them.
Overall, this market has one of the friendliest atmospheres of the Bay Area fairs, markets, and festivals. The latest Patchwork Show at Jack London required visitors to sign in at a table and walk down a sort of chute into the show, which made the atmosphere a little less inviting and a tad more chaotic. At Jack of All Trades, there were security guards but the atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming. If you're in the Bay Area, you can't miss this market. Not only will you find items that will surprise and delight you, but you'll be supporting many local and independent craftspeople. And that just feels good.
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Jack of All Trades is really one of the best markets in the Bay Area to find craftspeople from, you guessed it, all trades, and judging by foot traffic and shopper enthusiasm, I think this market will only keep expanding. There are vendors who work with metal, wood, fabric, plastic, and repurposed items. They sell antiques, art, vintage clothing, jewelry, furniture, food, craft beer, pet toys, olive oil, perfumes, soaps, and more.
January's market was held indoors, but craftswoman Lisa Inez DeFehr told us that the market is sometimes held outside and stretches all the way down the waterfront. Lisa's shop was one of our favorites. She handcrafts unique pieces of jewelry: necklaces with bottle charms containing tiny bird feathers, dandelion seeds, paper roses, or flash mobs. She also had a necklace with three little pig charms and a wolf. She said many of her pieces have an element of fairytale in them, and one walks away from her booth feeling a bit of the enchantment.
One of the best parts of Bay Area art and craft festivals is that you get to meet the designer, creator, or artist and talk with them about their creative process. Artist Sean Murphy ushered me to his booth with the Force. Actually, it was his Star Wars-themed art, specifically a picture of the Millenium Falcon flying over the Golden Gate with the Death Star posing as the moon in the background. He also had a picture of storm troopers sitting in a vintage Batmobile and a Darth Vader Buddha. Besides Star Wars, Murphy had pictures of Smurfs engaged in a little illegal gardening, if you know what I mean, and alien ships flying over the Golden Gate.
All of Murphy's art is funky, surprising, and humorous. He signed the print I purchased and told me about how each is made, what the materials he uses are, and the effort it takes to produce just one. I plan to make my living room wall a tad cooler with the Millenium Falcon print I couldn't pass up.
I was pleased to see hrvst/3D at the market and to check out the new Bay Bridge charm I hadn't seen before. Hrvst/3D makes earrings, necklace charms, and tiny figurines of beloved Bay Area landmarks and features like shipping cranes, the Transamerica Building, Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge, Sutro Tower, and the oak tree (for Oakland). Most of their charms are made of 3D printed nylon, but they also have sterling silver and gold charms. Their pieces are so local and so unique!
We were able to find items that friends and family will love, such as Giants wine glass bottle cap charms and finger puppets/pen toppers. There were multiple vendors selling a large variety of scarves in beautiful and unexpected shapes and sizes. There was a vendor selling rubber ducky soaps, another selling recycled steel drum sculptures, and still another selling repurposed wood tables of all shapes and sizes. And many of the Bay Area food trucks that have become a favorite at Off the Grid were gathered outside the market to satisfy hungry shoppers.
One of the best things about this market is that it's dog friendly. Many people usually ignore the posted "No Pets" signs that are common at Bay Area festivals, but the atmosphere is not welcoming. At Jack of All Trades, pets were warmly acknowledged. I was happy to see the many dogs at the market and to do my shopping beside them.
Overall, this market has one of the friendliest atmospheres of the Bay Area fairs, markets, and festivals. The latest Patchwork Show at Jack London required visitors to sign in at a table and walk down a sort of chute into the show, which made the atmosphere a little less inviting and a tad more chaotic. At Jack of All Trades, there were security guards but the atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming. If you're in the Bay Area, you can't miss this market. Not only will you find items that will surprise and delight you, but you'll be supporting many local and independent craftspeople. And that just feels good.
Giants Wine Glass Bottle Cap Charms
Hand Knit Finger Puppets and Pen Toppers
Bottle Charm Necklace with Dandelion Seed by Lisa Inez DeFehr
Visit her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thelisainez
Shipping Crane Earrings by hrvst/3D
Visit their website: hrvst3d.com
Dog Friendly!
Trendy Furniture Pieces
Handcrafted Tables
Food Trucks!
Golden Gate Bridge Pillow by OodleBaDoodle
Visit her shop on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/OodleBaDoodle
Friday, July 26, 2013
Alameda Art and Wine Festival
The Alameda Art and Wine Festival is one of the best festivals in the Bay Area. I look forward to it every year, and it never lets me down. This year the festival took place on July 27th and 28th from 10am to 6pm. If you're thinking you're not an art or wine fan, don't worry. Art and wine are just a fraction of the festival. This event is a shopper's and foodie's paradise.
You can find the best fair food here (teriyaki chicken bowls, BBQ sandwiches, hot dogs, curly fries, kettle corn, funnel cakes, etc.), but you can also find unusual treats if you're wanting something new. You can enjoy deep fried artichoke hearts or asparagus, for example, or a whole mango on a stick. I usually get a teriyaki skewer with a big, juicy heap of chow mien. And I never pass up the opportunity to get garlic fries, even if I have to take them home. If you don't want alcohol, you can get a big glass of homemade lemonade or a fruit smoothie.
You can also find any merchandise your heart could desire: hats, scarves, clothes, jewelry, pet products, beauty products, knick knacks, pins, bags, wallets, belts, local art, wall hangings, bowls and cups, wind chimes, etc. You can even buy Adirondacks, rocking chairs, fountains, hot tubs, and yard decorations. Many of the products you see are handmade, most are local, and the vendors are friendly and proud of their products.
Two vendors I want to highlight from my visit this year are Lix Perle and Salma's Treasures. Lix Perle sells hand-knit scarves, and their small scarf is very chic and one of the most unique styles I've seen (see the picture below). While I was making my selection, one of the vendors was sitting in a corner of the booth knitting while the other helped me try on the scarf and complete the transaction. And the prices at Lix Perle are amazingly affordable. The scarf I purchased was $18, and I've seen other knit scarves and even plain infinity scarves upwards of $90.
Salma's Treasures is also very affordable. I was drawn to the hand painted earrings on wooden discs. You can choose between three sizes. I prefer the medium size, which are only $15 a pair. You can choose between trees, scenes from the Bay Area, Bay Area sports teams, and landscapes. My favorites are the tree designs and the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate designs. Each set of earrings is hand painted, so no one else is going to have the same earrings you have. And I got to meet and chat with the artist herself. You can find both Salma's Treasures and Lix Perle on Etsy.
I mentioned these two vendors' affordability, but the same is true for all the vendors at the festival. You can eat and shop without decimating your wallet. And because the festival is outside, you don't get a feeling of claustrophobia when it gets crowded. Park street also boasts some of the best businesses in Alameda. You can stop in at one of the shops and take a break from the sun and crowds any time you need. I highly recommend getting ice cream at Tucker's or renting or buying a video from Video Factory.
One of the biggest positives of this festival is crowd control. The booths and food vendors are arranged in such as a way as to facilitate the movement of shoppers, and there is plenty of room to walk, socialize, or even sit and eat. Even though there are carnival rides for children, they are located in areas that ensure other shoppers are not overwhelmed by hordes of screaming children. And shoppers are friendly, polite, and smart. They don't disrupt the flow of traffic by stopping in the middle of the walkway to stare or chat. They pull off to the side, and they apologize if they bump into you.
Another bonus of this festival is that you can park in the large parking garage by the Alameda Theater for free (on Saturdays and Sundays). If you arrive after noon, the garage might be full, but there's plenty of parking in the area. Be sure to check the park behind the KFC.
So if you hate crowds, hunting for parking, or are on a budget, but you love local products, delicious food, and shopping, then the Alameda Art and Wine Festival is the best event in the Bay Area to visit. Check out the photos below to get a feel for the event, and please support your local artists and businesses. They give you products that come with a story and a memory to cherish.
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You can find the best fair food here (teriyaki chicken bowls, BBQ sandwiches, hot dogs, curly fries, kettle corn, funnel cakes, etc.), but you can also find unusual treats if you're wanting something new. You can enjoy deep fried artichoke hearts or asparagus, for example, or a whole mango on a stick. I usually get a teriyaki skewer with a big, juicy heap of chow mien. And I never pass up the opportunity to get garlic fries, even if I have to take them home. If you don't want alcohol, you can get a big glass of homemade lemonade or a fruit smoothie.
You can also find any merchandise your heart could desire: hats, scarves, clothes, jewelry, pet products, beauty products, knick knacks, pins, bags, wallets, belts, local art, wall hangings, bowls and cups, wind chimes, etc. You can even buy Adirondacks, rocking chairs, fountains, hot tubs, and yard decorations. Many of the products you see are handmade, most are local, and the vendors are friendly and proud of their products.
Two vendors I want to highlight from my visit this year are Lix Perle and Salma's Treasures. Lix Perle sells hand-knit scarves, and their small scarf is very chic and one of the most unique styles I've seen (see the picture below). While I was making my selection, one of the vendors was sitting in a corner of the booth knitting while the other helped me try on the scarf and complete the transaction. And the prices at Lix Perle are amazingly affordable. The scarf I purchased was $18, and I've seen other knit scarves and even plain infinity scarves upwards of $90.
Salma's Treasures is also very affordable. I was drawn to the hand painted earrings on wooden discs. You can choose between three sizes. I prefer the medium size, which are only $15 a pair. You can choose between trees, scenes from the Bay Area, Bay Area sports teams, and landscapes. My favorites are the tree designs and the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate designs. Each set of earrings is hand painted, so no one else is going to have the same earrings you have. And I got to meet and chat with the artist herself. You can find both Salma's Treasures and Lix Perle on Etsy.
I mentioned these two vendors' affordability, but the same is true for all the vendors at the festival. You can eat and shop without decimating your wallet. And because the festival is outside, you don't get a feeling of claustrophobia when it gets crowded. Park street also boasts some of the best businesses in Alameda. You can stop in at one of the shops and take a break from the sun and crowds any time you need. I highly recommend getting ice cream at Tucker's or renting or buying a video from Video Factory.
One of the biggest positives of this festival is crowd control. The booths and food vendors are arranged in such as a way as to facilitate the movement of shoppers, and there is plenty of room to walk, socialize, or even sit and eat. Even though there are carnival rides for children, they are located in areas that ensure other shoppers are not overwhelmed by hordes of screaming children. And shoppers are friendly, polite, and smart. They don't disrupt the flow of traffic by stopping in the middle of the walkway to stare or chat. They pull off to the side, and they apologize if they bump into you.
Another bonus of this festival is that you can park in the large parking garage by the Alameda Theater for free (on Saturdays and Sundays). If you arrive after noon, the garage might be full, but there's plenty of parking in the area. Be sure to check the park behind the KFC.
So if you hate crowds, hunting for parking, or are on a budget, but you love local products, delicious food, and shopping, then the Alameda Art and Wine Festival is the best event in the Bay Area to visit. Check out the photos below to get a feel for the event, and please support your local artists and businesses. They give you products that come with a story and a memory to cherish.
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