During our first few months of planning, we checked out many parks and facilities around the Los Angeles area.  Some awesome gems in the mix, others… not so much.  So many parks are residential --- or in downtown areas where they are characterized with the smell of pee.  With that being said, it took a lot of research to finally find the perfect fit. 

We landed at Central Park in Old Town Pasadena and knew right away that this was the place for us.  

After hitting so many fairs and markets around town with booths set up on hot hot pavement, we welcomed the grass and tree-lined environment providing shade and a sense of cool.

Going back to our mission of integrating the local community into our events, we especially love how centrally located in the heart of Old Town this park is. There is definitely a community vibe!  

After eating at the Luggage Room, with a view of the park right from their patio - we're pretty happy to be a neighbor of theirs.  That avocado, sun-dried tomato, lemon zest pizza was pretty unbeatable! 

The other thing that makes this location awesome?  Parking.  There are TONS of nearby lots for shoppers.  Even free 90 minute structures.  Check out this cool compilation of parking choices we found in google maps.  And for non-drivers: it's right across the street from the Del Mar stop on the gold line.  

We're super excited to make Central Park in Pasadena our home and can't wait to share all of the festivities with you this coming April!  

It was another beautiful day in the city of Los Angeles and Jackalope Arts took full advantage on our Saturday Art tour!  The day began in lovely Pasadena, the future home of our inaugural spring fair, with Dim Sum brunch at Equator where we plotted the day's adventures.  After an excellent meal, we were out on the streets in Old Town Pasadena heading to the Pasadena Art Walk!

Pasadena Art Walk

The Pasadena Art Walk filled one block through the Playhouse District with about 40 fine arts booths, live painting classes, and fun crafting stations for the kids!    While taking in the art, Jackalope Arts also won the Pasadena Art walk instagram scavenger hunt.  We followed the scavenger hunt clues to Monopole Wine Bar where we snapped a photo and won a pocket knife wine bottle opener!

The next adventure led us 40 minutes across town where we arrived at the Crafted at the Port of Los Angeles market ready to be impressed with what LA Weekly claims is the best craft fair in all of Los Angeles.  While the space itself (a giant warehouse) is pretty neat, a lot of the booths were empty and the crowd was sparse but we can imagine that in it's full glory, the fair is fabulous!    

As the afternoon came to a close, the Jackalope Art Fair team made one last stop in the DTLA arts district.  The team was re-inspired by some really great art exhibits where we sipped on refreshing craft beer!   Officially, the best way to end a day of art adventures. 

DTLA Arts District

Check out some photos from our adventure on our instagram page @jackalopeartfair!  On your own art adventure?  Share your photos with us by tagging #jackalopeartadventure!

As we gain momentum I am sure the question has come up of what exactly is Jackalope Arts?  The Jackalope is a mysterious and mythical creature, but lets take a second and shed some light on our Jackalope.

Let us be the first to tell you that the mission of Jackalope Arts is to create a 2 day shopping destination bringing the community together and featuring 200+ local artisans, crafters, and DIY enthusiasts, with an emphasis on quality artistry.  

Our tagline? A Community meets Artisan Event

The Jackalope Arts Experience: We want you to meet the maker behind the one of a kind indie goods that you will find at the Jackalope Art & Craft Fair. Our first round of Jackalopes will feature at our inaugural event on April 25th and 26th at Central Park within Old Town Pasadena

Who are the Jackalope Artists? They are the artisans and crafters who think out of the box and provide trendsetting handmade quality goods that you can’t find anywhere else. Things you will find at the Jackalope Art & Craft Fair may include:

• Clothing- for adults, kids and maybe even your dog!

• Accessories-Jewelry, handbags and backpacks, leather goods, wallets, shoes, aprons, hair accessories, eyewear, scarf’s and other cozy accents, neckties, cuff links and more

• Art-Ceramics and Pottery, Woodworking, Illustration, Mixed Media, Photography, Fiber Art, Drawing, Painting, Sculpture and other Paper Goods including bookmarks, calendars, cards, gift wrap, journals, stationary and beyond

• Home Goods- Home décor and house wares such as unique furniture, lighting, terrariums, candles, blankets, vases, clocks, coasters, frames, & rugs

• Bath and Beauty-Bath and Shower products, Lip Balm, Lotion, Skin Care etc.

Please bear in mind that this is not a comprehensive list and we are open to other handmade creations!

Does this intrigue you? There are several different options for booth rentals at our fairs, please visit the Vendor Info Page for details. We encourage everyone to submit and we look forward to hearing from you!

XOXO The Jackalope Team :)

At Jackalope Arts, our mission is to bring community together and support local artistry and that doesn’t stop with the Jackalope Art Fair!  In between our events, we love going out and supporting all the other local markets and artists.   Plus, we love to shop and local markets provide a relaxed and creative place to do this with unique artists you can’t find anywhere else!

Last weekend, Jackalope staff spent Saturday afternoon shopping  & networking at the Artists & Fleas market in Downtown L.A.!  Artists & Fleas happens once a month in a small open warehouse space right in the arts district of DTLA.  It’s a chill, indie atmosphere with only about 32 vendors, a few food trucks, and plenty of shade under the open warehouse roof. 

In addition to shopping, guests could enter their dogs in a contest to see who was the cutest in a kids blow up pool, partake in a game of corn hole, or buy a beer from Angel City Brewery’s pop up tent.   All the while, a local DJ made sure we had beats to inspire creative shopping. 

One of our favorite vendors was Teysha, a company whose shoes and boots are crafted from traditional fabrics by artisans in under privileged countries.  Teysha provides income and pays for the studies of these crafters to provide better lives for them and their families!  Learn more at http://www.teysha.is

Teysha's shoe on display!

Haus & Home and Fox Boxes

Other vendors that ranked high on our favorites list were Fox Boxes, custom map flasks, Haus & Home, hand sewn decorative pillows made from silk scarves, and Brown Bag Books with their journals crafted from old book covers!   Check out this “A Family of Foxes” journal we purchased to write down all of our Jackalope Art Fair ideas!

Brown Bag Books repurposed journals!

Artists & Fleas has markets in NY, Brooklyn & L.A. but even if you aren’t close to a market, you can explore the Artists & Fleas vendors on their website at http://www.artistsandfleas.com/vendors

Want to recommend a vendor you’d like to see at the Jackalope Art Fair in Spring 2015?  Write us at info@jackalopeartfair.com !!