by Noella Noelophile®
Crafts alert!
With just TWO MONTHS till Christmas Day (I know! Where’d the time go?!?), now is a great time to think of shopping “crafty”.
And, of course, of supporting the talented indie artists whose passion is creating colorful quilts, breathtakingly gorgeous ceramics, “this-smells-good-enough-to-eat” scented soaps, eye-catching jewelry, and all kinds of other unique treasures.
With that thought in mind, here are just a few of the upcoming California crafts fairs at which you might like to shop.
Patchwork Show, Chino Hills, Sunday, October 27th, 11 am – 5 pm, 13920 City Center Drive, FREE.
Dear Handmade Life starts off their round of autumn shows at The Shoppes at Chino Hills, this Sunday, October 27th! Sorry to say that I don’t have much information on this one yet; while they say the program’s available on their Instagram, for some reason I couldn’t access it.
What I can tell you, is that I’ve yet to be disappointed in a Patchwork Show.
All-handmade items, a DIY crafts workshop area, food trucks and local musicians have all be a part of their shows I’ve attended in the past.
Of note is that this Chino Hills show is, according to Dear Handmade Life’s website, the first of six Patchwork Shows.
Look for Patchwork Show Modern Makers Festival in downtown Ventura, Sunday, November 3rd, 11 am – 3 pm, at California and East Main Street, and once again, admission is FREE
And mark your calendar–the talented artists of Patchwork Show will be headed to Redwood City, Oakland, Long Beach and Tustin, before a final return trip to Chino Hills to wrap up the fall season on December 1
Renegade Craft Fair, Los Angeles State Historic Park, summer, 2012.
Renegade Craft Fair, San Francisco, November 2nd and 3rd, 11 am – 5 pm, Fort Mason Center Festival Pavilion, 2 Marina Boulevard, $5 suggested entry fee.
In this first of their six shows for the Christmas-shopping season, Renegade Craft Fair brings more than 250 artists to Fort Mason.
Their subsequent weekend shows will be happening in Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, Brooklyn and New York City, with a show every weekend except for the weekend of November 30th and December 1st. And note: while there’s a suggested fee for four of these shows (which, Renegade’s website says, supports their vision of a creative economy and of which they donate 10% to The Nature Conservancy), Renegade Brooklyn and Renegade L.A. have FREE admission!
Jackalope Indie Artisan Fair, Pasadena, November 9th and 10th, 10 am – 4 pm, 275 South Raymond Avenue at Del Mar. FREE.
More than 200 hand-selected local artisans will showcase their work in Old Pasadena’s Central Park. Home decor, original fashion, artisanal foods, jewelry, art–one of my favorite experiences shopping here was running into one of the organizers.
She had more shopping bags of just-purchased special things than I did–and that’s saying something!
Jackalope Arts will also be on hand at the Winter Arts Festival, in downtown Burbank, December 7th and 8th.
Have fun shopping, and find lots of treasures as you support these talent-laden small handmade businesses!