Happenstance and the love found in quality handmade items are woven together as tightly as a braided belt or a bracelet made of colorful ribbons.
And happenstance is at the heart of coming across an alfresco market full of handmade goods, at least quite often. One moment you're having breakfast at a new spot, or meeting a friend for a walk on the beach, and then you're strolling through the middle of booths and tables brimming with unique jewelry and quirky crafts and pretty paintings and offbeat wearables and a host of artworks.
That's likely what many people out strolling around Abbot Kinney Boulevard felt a few months back when a new marketplace started up. But there's no need to worry that you'll never, by happenstance, just luckily stumble upon the family-helmed, artisan-lovely event. You can plan your visit, since the market is open on the second Saturday of each month on its namesake boulevard.
The next gathering of goods and the good people who make 'em? Saturday, Nov. 14.
The place? You won't need to stroll far from Abbot Kinney to find the Abbot Kinney Marketplace: It's at Westminster Avenue Elementary.
The cost? Admission is gratis, so save your dollars for a one-of-a-kind and/or interesting purchase within.
Good to know? While the marketplace is currently a monthly thing, there will be an extra date in December, on the 5th, to help with holiday shopping (and then the regularly scheduled date on Dec. 12).
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"A family of artistic individuals" founded the market in early summer, with the wish to "keep the legacy of the street alive." It's got real local cred, and the artists you meet are from the region, so any goodies you buy for gifts were made in Southern California.
Handmade, is, but the marketplace possesses that handmade-y, community spirit. The school that serves as its setting receives a portion of the proceeds, proceeds that go to arts education and after-school programs.
How many vendors are at the Venice pop-up? It can hold up to 75 in all, so count on seeing a caboodle of different buyables, from fluttery hangings for the trees in your yard to breezy tops made for wearing around the beach town to candles, necklaces, and more.
Want to meet the family that came together to build some local love? Ask for Ian while you're sauntering about, and you just might shake hands with a few of the handmade-promoting people who are looking to further stoke that special Venice vibrancy.
