December: A Month for Artisan and Holiday Fairs
San Diego is the Queen of markets — especially at the end of the year.
Last week, I had the opportunity to attend two: one in Oceanside and another at Liberty Station.
The Oceanside Green Friday Fair offered an alternative way to indulge in Black Friday.
Signate at the Oceanside Green Friday Fair
I never celebrate Black Friday. For the longest time, I didn’t know it existed, and then when I did (online shopping wasn’t quite the thing yet), I envisioned shopping centers packed full of people, like sardines in a can, and decided it wasn’t for me.
Viridian Productions, a company that hosts sustainable events, held the Oceanside Green Friday Fair off of North Coast Highway. The first attraction I stopped by was a BookMobile: a trailer packed with books of all kinds — graphic novels, beautifully bound classics, fantasy books, and the like.
The BookMobile
Each vendor sold sustainable items, from crochet dog wear to rings and jewelry. I later purchased a mostly vegan quesadilla.
Paintings at San Diego Made Market
Volunteers stood by bins, helping passersby sort their trash. I lingered for a few hours, and I left with a Green Friday well spent.
I’d attend the San Diego Made Market the next day with the family. It had been in the works for a few weeks, as the event date was moved due to thunderstorms.
Again outdoors, this time on a grassy turf populated with white tents, we perused handmade items after another. Live music made the atmosphere welcoming, and there were a few craft stations, with little ones coloring to their heart’s desire.
Items ranged from paintings and bakery goods to stationery.
One artwork that particularly impressed me was what appeared to be wire art. The artist (I didn’t happen to get their name) formed wire into complex shapes, such as hummingbirds. I snapped a photo of a large piece of a girl wrapped in a sort of shawl sitting. Underneath her in tiny letters, I later discovered, was a quote, “There is nothing you own; everything is a loan.”
Near the end of our visit, we purchased a few cookies from CAKED. We split them and wondered how cookies could get so fluffy.
I haven’t quite had my fair share of markets, despite attending more this year than I ever had before. This month in December, the holiday markets are going strong. According to the Calendar, five more markets are happening, some with multiple dates:
Makers Arcade Holiday Fair @ Broadway Pier
Lights & Peppermint Market @ Liberty Public Market
Dear Tomorrow Night Market @ Oceanside
Winter MKT @ MCASD
Female Maker Market @ Little Italy
Low-key, good for browsing and inspiration, join us for markets this month in San Diego to support your local artists and makers. We’ll see you there.