White Elephant Sale

     Every year, for just two days, a mythical sale appears in the Fruitvale neighborhood of Oakland, a sale that offers mountains of clothes, kitchen equipment, furniture, books, shoes, sports equipment, holiday supplies, stationary and more on the cheap. No, this mythical sale isn't a unicorn. It's the White Elephant Sale, and for you bargain shoppers out there, it's most definitely a Bay Area Miss-Me-Not.

     Sale items come from donations that are accepted year round, so each WES has new stuff. A preview sale takes place in January, with shoppers getting first access to the goods for $15 (ticket bought early) or $20 (at the door). Then in March, everyone else gets a chance to treasure hunt, admission free, Saturday and Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm. All proceeds go to the Oakland Museum of California, and an army of volunteers helps rake in those proceeds, which surpassed $2 million last year.

     Though the selection is better the earlier you go, my sister and I always go on Sunday because almost everything is half off. One year, we found a large skillet with lid for just $4. Another, a vintage dark-wood chair for just $15. My sister always finds a huge bag full of yarn and buttons (most of them, high-end or unique) for her small business for 1/3 of the cost she'd pay in store or online. This year, we found like-new jeans for $2 a pair.

      But just the looking itself can be more fun than the buying. Where else can one find a large leather lounger with ottoman for just $150? I mean, that would complete the den, we apartment-dwellers joke. Or a high-end jacket for $4? Perfect for that meeting with the board. My sister and I like to peruse the antique furniture, the fine china, the old typewriters, and the oddball knick-knacks. We like to imitate the art, imagine using a pristine $10 kite surfing board on the Bay, take a trip back to childhood hunting through toys we had as kids, and look through shelves and shelves of books we don't have room for.

     Watching people find treasures is almost as fun as defending those treasures from others, and as the crowds start to thicken as the day goes on, one may have a tense tussle or two. Mine came in the craft section when a woman reached over the basket of yarn I was entrusted with to grab a skein before my sister could scoop it up. I held my ground and put the section on lock down in no time, yarn be saved.

     As with all things in the Bay Area, getting to the WES can be a headache, but with proper planning, that headache can be minimized. There's a free shuttle that goes to the WES from the Fruitvale BART. And free parking can be found in the area around 333 Lancaster Street provided one gets there early; people even park under the freeway by the Fruitvale Station shopping center. We usually get there around 9 am to find a spot, and the line to get into the sale is usually pretty long by 9:30 (the doors open at 10 am). Whichever way you choose to get there, just remember you may be hauling quite a bit home.

     Below are photos from this year's event, but they don't do justice to the size and grandeur. If you want to adorn your home with unique, affordable things that have a history, mark your calendar and start putting together that shopping list because the next sale is only a year away.

The Location

The Line

The White Elephant

The Space

Clothes

Hats

More White Elephants

The Yarn

The China

Kitchen Gear

Furniture

So Much Furniture

Holiday Gear

This Turkey

Cash Register

And Another Cash Register

Stationary Lap Desk

Typewriter

And Another Typewriter

Collectible Stamps

Owl Collectible Stamps

And This Crew...

Side Trips: Old Town Sacramento

     The great thing about living in or even planning a visit to the Bay Area is that there are so many attractions you can make a side trip to or visit along the way. One of my favorite side trips is to Old Town Sacramento. Granted, it's touristy, but in that awesome take-you-back-to-family-vacations nostalgic way. It's like visiting a carnival and running to the Ferris wheel, cotton candy in hand, no matter what your age. You just gotta.
     Old Town Sacramento, as its name implies, offers a trip into California history and the Gold Rush that created Sacramento. There are several museums where you can pick up California trivia, including a car and a train museum. You can even catch a ride on the Sacramento Southern Railroad and see an old diesel train in action. Or if the river calls your name, you can tour the Delta King riverboat that started making trips to San Francisco and back in the late 1920s. Eat at the restaurant on board or even choose to stay the night as the riverboat also functions as a floating hotel.
     Just walking through the 20+ acres of this national and state historic landmark is a walk back in time with the cobbled roads, the horse-drawn carriages (yes, you can ride them), the historic buildings, and glimpses of the original city level (Sacramento was built up due to flooding). There are trails along the river that allow great views of the Ziggurat (which turns out to be just an office building, sorry to say) and the historic Tower Bridge, which opened in 1935 and was painted gold in 2002. In one of the tunnels that connects Old Town to downtown Sacramento, there's a lovely historical timeline to consider as well.
     If you don't care about the history of Old Town, there's plenty of shopping and dining. I got an adorable Totoro wallet at one of the gift shops (attention Studio Ghibli fans), and a lawn ornament of a T-Rex eating garden gnomes for my mom. Many of the gift shops offer a great selection of collectibles from Star Trek to Doctor Who. And I always like to fill a couple bags with hand-selected salt water taffy from one of the many candy stores to share with folks back home. In terms of food, I like to keep it casual with fish tacos from Railroad Fish & Chips, a variety of international fries from the Spud Shack, or pizza from Annabelle's Pizza & Pasta, but there are restaurants and cafes and even bars of all shapes and sizes to suit your tastes.
     Old Town Sacramento also hosts a variety of cool events throughout the year, including Gold Rush Days, a Mardi Gras celebration, a music festival, Halloween festivities, a Christmas tree lighting ceremony, and more. Visit the town's website for more info: http://oldsacramento.com/.
     Driving and parking at Old Town is surprisingly stress-free. In the town itself, you can park with change or credit card at one of the meters (and there are change machines everywhere where you can get quarters) but there's also a parking garage right next to the action. Bathrooms are not only plentiful but convenient. Most are separate from businesses so one doesn't need to ask permission to use them, which any Bay Area resident will appreciate as a rarity. Although tourist traffic gets heavier in the early afternoon, the crowds are not nearly as stifling or annoying as in San Francisco or other Bay Area tourist locales.
     If you want to feel like you're getting away from the city but still enjoy the comforts of city life, Old Town Sacramento is definitely a Miss-Me-Not.

The Ziggurat

Tower Bridge

View of a train car.

The Delta King

You can visit the original city level through that gate to "Pioneer Park."

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!

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.

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

Treasure Island Flea Market

     The best thing about flea markets is the unique items one can find: historical relics that contain the traces of a thousand owners and their stories, odd-shaped furniture that would look perfect in the upstairs hall, a statue of a plump and quirky quail to amuse visitors, and even lawn creatures made out of odd bits of old metal. Flea markets are as much for the looking as the shopping. They are literally a treasure hunt, so it's fitting that the largest flea market I've been to occurs monthly on Treasure Island.
     Despite renewed concerns about radiation contamination on TI, I love visiting because it's a beautiful place with panoramic views of both spans of the Bay Bridge and San Francisco. The large palms that circle the island and the time-worn and abandoned buildings scattered here and there give TI a mystique that can be found nowhere else in the Bay Area.
     Treasure Island Flea is held in and around the World Fair building, and with over 300 vendors, the space still doesn't feel large enough. I was quickly overwhelmed by the amount of merchandise and the size of the crowd. The vendors outside the front of the building form a large market by themselves, but the bottom floor of the building is filled with more vendors. Vendors even fill most of the second floor. I was alarmed to make it through all these vendors and find even more gathered outside the back of the building.
     Vendors include craftspeople as well as antique and collectible sellers. We saw old war uniforms, cameras, typewriters, furniture, art, frames of every shape and size, fine and antique jewelry, new and vintage clothing, scarves, shelves made from skateboards, picture hangers made from crates and shutters, and much more.
     There were also quite a few of the famous Bay Area food trucks in attendance. We ate pork and chicken sliders and had a scoop of gourmet, preservative-free ice cream. There were also bartenders circulating through the market with carts where one could pick up mimosas, Bloody Mary's, and beer. In the back of the building an excellent DJ kept feet tapping and hips swaying, and trampolines entertained the kids.
     This event, like the Jack of All Trades Market that Treasure Island Flea hosts, is dog friendly. We passed many happy pooches enjoying the sunshine, crowd, and each other. The market organizers even had a jar of dog bones at the front entrance that were free for four-legged guests. Another bonus is the free parking, and we had no problem finding a spot.
     Even though the views, weather, and atmosphere of the market were beautiful, the crowds were the biggest I've seen at a Bay Area market or festival. It was nearly impossible to look in any depth at vendors inside the building because of the people trying to file past. Trying to make our way through the building felt like being stuck in rush hour traffic before a three-day weekend. The vendors outside the building were easier to shop, but the crowds were still large. If you don't like crowds, this event will probably not be enjoyable for you.
     There's also the cost to consider. There is a fee to get into the market (a modest $3). And the prices at the market were higher than I expected, even on the items that were not antique.
      Even with the crowds and higher prices, this market is a must. The variety and amount of vendors is unparalleled, the atmosphere is friendly and welcoming, and the location is beautiful. You can like Treasure Island Flea on Facebook or follow them on Twitter. The next market dates are February 22nd and 23rd, March 29th and 30th, and April 26th and 27th. Visit www.TreasureIslandFlea.com for more information.

The views:

The vendors in front of the building:

The biscuit bowl and a couple dog visitors:

The crowds: