This event was much smaller than I anticipated. There were only a handful of vendors, and not much…read morethat I found interesting. I bought a pair of earrings on my way out, so I guess it wasn't all bad. The artists who were painting canvases at the front were pretty cool, but we didn't have enough time to sit around and watch them. We spent the most time in the food truck food court. There were five or six trucks. I wished there were more, but then again, I can only eat so much, so it ended up being alright. This would have been much better if we didn't have to pay five bucks each to get in.

The 2nd Make It Funky Festival presented by the Flock Shop LA was just as hoped it would be. A…read moresmall festival with great musical acts, both by DJ's and Bands, unlike the huge festivals with mediocre acts all day. If you are in the likes of KCRW and anything other than top40 than the $10 entrance is very much worth it. Funk sounds from Connie Price, lyricism from Wildchild, brass horn's blairing from The Rebirth, to all the wonderful DJ's that play in some of the most renowned underground venues will keep you two stepping the night away (ie: Soul Sessions, The Rhythm Section, Afro Funke, and Sonado Sunday.) The festival also had a Food Vendor Court which was filled with a couple of LA's famous food trucks. The White Rabbit Food Truck and Spring Street BBQ kept my belly full as I walked around. I am personally not a big vendor fan, but there were plenty of vendors with great stuff. The live art was very entertaining while DJ's feed the artists musical inspiration. Overall Make It Funky is an experience that I hope Chinatown and Flock Shop continue throughout the years. It brings quality music as well as great people together to open your mind, fill your belly, and your keep your feet moving.

VENUE ______________…read moreRaleigh Studios was a great venue for this event. Parking was at a lot across the street ($10) which was convenient but pricey. This was a perfect day to be outdoors. There were two places with restrooms. There was enough room to walk around and the vendors filled up the space. I liked that the restaurant was left open so that we could eat in their outdoor space. It was shady, convenient, and very comfortable for a festival event. EXHIBITORS _______________ According to the food festival schedule/book there were 61 of them. There were a few food trucks, some food stands, some people selling their products like vegan themed t-shirts and lotions. It was really a mix of things but, of course, the highlight was the food. FOOD _________ The food here was amazing! It was definitely a highlight of coming here. I discovered a lot of places I really liked that I never would have known about beforehand. Cena Vegan: Carne Asada Nachos (guacamole was an extra cost but necessary and should have been included in the price), would have liked a little more salsa on it as I ran out of sauce at the end. Nevertheless, this was delicious and definitely the most beautiful dish here, enough for 2 people to split Mama's International Tamales: We split the mole tamale and the sweet corn tamale. Both were good. I preferred the savory taste of the mole to the sweet corn which was much sweeter. Pop-Pa's Gourmet Popcorn: This vendor was the best. Generous with his samples, CEO is a super friendly and a kind person, very fresh product with great flavors, and a family business. We got the cinna-pop but it was hard to decide between that flavor and the savory fiesta flavor. Only $3 a bag. Scandylous Delights: OMG this funnel cake! We got The Works which was the funnel cake with strawberry, and bananas, a scoop of soy ice cream, chocolate sauce and powdered sugar. We told them we were sharing and they cut it in half for us. Sweet vendor! These funnel cakes won "best of vegan street fair LA 2017" and it's definitely well-deserved. This was one of my favorite desserts at the event and maybe of all time. Punk Rawk Labs Cashew milk cheese: Just tasted this cheese on a cracker. Tasted rich, almost like real cheese. Very delicious. I approve of this vegan creation. Lulu's Sorbetto: I just had a taste of these flavors but they were amazing. Not too sweet. 100% natural and dairy free, gluten free. The pure chocolate was so good. Entertainment ________________ I skipped the speakers as there wasn't too much I was interested in and, for the most part, it was not cooking demonstrations and my focus was on the food. The main speakers were speaking in an area of the restaurant and it was hard to hear them unless you were sitting up close so I didn't stay for that. The speakers were free but I wish there was more free food or they were making food for me to eat for free. They had a nice band playing as we walked in. They were very good. I enjoyed listening to them. They had a kid zone which is nice and convenient for families. PRICING __________ Not a huge fan of the price for this event. The entry fee the day of is steep: $30 and before the event it is $20 (they also had a promo code for 40% off online). Goldstar (a discount event website) had tickets for $12 (plus the service fee). For the entry price, I expected there to be more free samples there were hardly any. There was some free water bottles from Essentia water, Cedar's hummus gave a generous sample, and Pop-Pa's Gourmet popcorn was also generous. Most everything else was pay as you go. Parking at $10 was a surprise we weren't expecting. And for the entry fee, I thought there'd be some sort of souvenir, even a mug would be nice but no, nothing. And, if you wanted a bag to carry the stuff you were buying or picking up, well, that was $15 too. I wish they just didn't have an entry fee or had a cheaper entry fee as I'm not sure what I was paying for besides maybe the use of the space. I would also be okay with an entry fee that was higher where the food from the vendors was included in the price. I think they should rethink their pricing for next year so people get more bang for their buck. OVERALL 3.5 stars __________ This was a fun event. I love the concept of a vegan food festival. Great venue. Amazing food options to purchase. Lots of people but not overcrowded (and everyone I met was super nice). Lines weren't long and food was fast to pick up. Parking was convenient but pricey. It was a nice experience and I'm really glad I went and I would recommend it for people of all ages, families, and dates. I think there should be more cooking demos than speakers, emphasis should be on the food. I do think they should rethink the entry price and the parking price and give some kind of souvenir/gift basket (it could have samples and coupons advertising their vendors) at the door and have more free samples in general.

First Annual CA Veg Food Fest was pretty awesome!…read more They were promoting this like crazy on social media so there was 40% discount promo codes for pre-purchase tix which came out to $18 per ticket. I saw many complaints online about vegan events being so crowded. But this was the LEAST crowded vegan event that I've been to this year and I've been to 6 vegan festivals in 2016. That's the benefit of this having an entrance fee versus being free to the public. Now the most important stuff, THE FOOD!!! It was easy to walk right up to the vendors since there were hardly any lines. Here's a list of all the yummy things we got to enjoy: - Mac n Cheese, BBQ Chickun and Greens from Southern Fried Vegan http://bit.ly/2fQO1mg - Mole Nachos from Casa de Brisa http://bit.ly/2fpFND5 - OMG Grilled Cheese from TGI Vegan http://bit.ly/2fLnc2s - Vegan Bratwurst from Dogtown Dogs http://bit.ly/2f7rXlT - Rocky Road Vegan Dots http://bit.ly/2g9040V My favorite was the OMG Grilled Cheese which was cheddar, mozzarella, pepper jack, parmesan, garlic butter and avocado on sourdough. I think it's my new favorite thing in life! :) Knowing that I couldn't eat everything on site, I was fully prepared to take a few goodies home including: - Tamales from Taqueria La Venganza - Cosmic Date Treats (raw chocolates) from Alegria Xocolatl I couldn't resist getting a fresh coconut from Zen Comfort. Electrolytes please! http://bit.ly/2fOqHnx I'm also kinda regretting not picking up some tacos to go from Cena Vegan :( It was a hot day but it wasn't super difficult to find some shade to sit in. The layout wasn't as spacious as I thought it would be considering that this event took place at Raleigh Studios. But I appreciate the easy parking situation. They do have a parking structure. Not sure how much it was since we found residential parking nearby. Didn't find any parking restrictions on a Sunday. If the entry price is the same I might go again next year. If they offer the same discount, I'd definitely go.

I went to this event twice but both times I was at the Los Angeles location by USC. The first year…read moreI attended was in 2015 and Big Grams really stole the show. Wild performance! - I also attended the following year and thought the line up was well presented. I liked the people in the crowd and the atmosphere. Everyone was excited to be there and treated other attendees with respect. This is not true at all festival events so, I appreciated this vibe. - The snowboarding aspect to the event was unique and fun! I also enjoyed the art-focused pop ups. From what I can tell from the other reviews, the Pasadena location move has not been successful. I find this surprising because Pasadena offers more space, easier driving conditions and better parking options.

Designated alcohol area, cannot bring drinks out of the fenced area. The line to get in the…read moredesigned alcohol area was 400 people long, line to get a drink was another 100 people long. Not sure if I'll be back next year

Awesomeness! It was held at the Santa Anita Racetrack on a nice LA day. It sprinkled in the…read moremorning, was overcast by the time it began, then was hot in the middle of the event. But LA Weekly has nothing to do with the weather.... They chose a great venue. They also had it very well organized. There are only five vendors per section, so that the lines wouldn't get congested. In each section there seemed to be entrees, drinks, and desserts. Very thoughtful organization. All eateries or high in. Some gave a true taste, and others gave a small meal. $29 entrance offered a great Sunday.

I liked it. It wasn´t overcrowded so getting food here was a breeze. However, the temperature was…read morerising and the humidity didn´t help. There was hardly any shade but if you got McConnellś ice cream it was a blessing. Poppy+Rose fried chicken and biscuit made on site was mind blowing, in both taste and how they were able to make it almost to order. What I didn´t like was there was only 1 beer vendor (longest line for Stella), 1 wine vendor (Dark Horse) 1 Scotch (Knob Creek) 1 Tequila (Hornitos). Definitely more drinks selections need to be here but at least there are choices. By 1:30 PM, most were packing up and some were out like Cassells (totally missed it) It wasn´t quite as good as the Burgers and Beers event, but still a good event overall. Thanks LA Weekly! You´re able to bet on the ponies after, so great for those who love to place and win!

I really enjoyed the taste of East Village…read more Its a great intimate setting. They close off 1st street between two intersection of Linden and Elm.. They brought in a great band! And they played the entire night. Ordinaire had a great short rib sandwich for $4. The nachos from Beachwood Brewery were great!

The Taste of Downtown-East Village featured 18 of the best restaurants, wine bars and breweries…read morethat DTLB has to offer. Each establishment served up smaller portions their tastiest dishes hoping to entice you to visit their brick and mortar locations. This year included Buono's Authentic Pizzeria, Modica's Deli, Famous Dave's BBQ, Breakfast Bar, Great Society Cider, Michael's Pizzeria along with other East Village restaurants and a few others. There was a lot to choose from, but I must agree with another reviewer in that there was a definite lack in ethnic foods, however I don't believe that it is the fault of the organizers. I'm sure that all downtown establishments are invited and many choose not to play. With our menus and food tickets in hand, we found ourselves meandering through the 2 areas festivities listening to great music while deciding on where to start. My $35 in tickets scored me a 6 course night that I can honestly say left me quite satisfied. It's a good thing that I'm running the LA Marathon on Sunday to burn some of these calories. Round 1: Pier 76 Fish Grill - Lobster Rolls and Cucumber Lemonade. Round 2: Padre - Ceviche on a Tostada and a Red Sangria. Round 3: Gladstone's - Lobster Mac n Cheese Round 4: Parkers Lighthouse- Cold Seafood Salad with a Citraholic IPA from Beachwood Brewery. Round 5: Back to Pier 76 for Clam Chowder. Round 6 Dessert: Cielo At The Sky Room - Dulce de Leche Creme Brûlée (x2) This years event began at the intersection of 1st and Linden and spread west on 1st Street to Elm St. and north on Linden to Broadway. The Linden side also included some artists booths, and all the great small businesses on both street remained open as well. Both sided also featured great music. This event is dog and family friendly. Free bike valet, great food and lots of beautiful people watching. Next up: Taste of Downtown-Pine Avenue.

My second Yelp event and was happy to have been given a chance to attend. I think the conference…read moreis a good for people who are either in the restaurant business or trying to start one. It's definitely really informative! But for people who went there for the brunch, they were serving breakfast burrito which was good and also had a Kellogg's cereal bar with 3 different mixes you can choose from. It was refreshing. Nestle coffee was there letting people sample their coffee which was nice. They also had two drink stations that were serving wine and Acqua Panna water...fancy!!! I really enjoyed eating brunch, drinking wine and listening to the speakers talk about the industry. When the food were done, another company came to serve samples of ice cream. What a great way to start my Saturday!

This was my first time attending a food type of conference, so thanks YELP for allowing me to…read moreexperience this!! Located at the Line Hotel, it was nice to be in the middle of LA with a bunch of fellow foodies. However, I missed the Burrito Bar during the first hour): but was able to attend various things. KELLOGG'S CEREAL BAR: On top of having an option between 3 unique cereal mixes, they had a cereal contest between three chefs. They had five minutes to make up a cereal to be judged by a panel of judges given only a selected handful of items. I felt like I was in the middle of a food channel show taping, but that was really fun to be part of. Wish the audience got to try each of the judge's creations, but really cool thing! NESTLE COFFEE: Loved their espresso machine and enjoyed a nice cup of latte to start off the conference. The hosts were really informative and insightful. WINE: Loved how the guy poured me a glass that was almost full to the top of wine. Wine for breakfast is never a bad idea! BREAK ROOM 86: The line hotel is connected to the Break Room 86. I've been wanting to check this bar out because they're known for playing 80s music and decorated in an 80s theme. It's pretty cool to look at and they have a fun Photo Booth where you create an animated gif/photo to send to yourself. There was a panel also that spoke that gave insight on different backgrounds and cultures in the food industry.

An amazing experience for film lovers and filmmakers! Best festival by far that I've ever been to…read more Not only are the selection of film top quality but the panel discussions meet ups networking and best of all opening and closing night parties and award ceremonies are the best I've been to. You can tell the owners and people that run this festival want all of the people who come to have a five star experience because they treat you like royalty and want you to have a really great time! I can't recommend this festival enough!!

Great film festival. Wonderful independent Filmmakers movies. Shorts and full features being shown…read more Excellent topic discussions with leaders in the industry. Thanks

This is the NEW, 2014, location for the Renegade Craft Fair in L.A. Personally, I believe this is a…read moremuch better location from where it was held at The Los Angeles State Historic Park over the past few years. Here it is much more contained -- not so expansive, going off to no-where. And, certainly less dirty and dusty. In terms of the sellers and the experience. I have noticed that over the past years, each year the L.A. Renegade Craft Fair gets a bit more mainstream. In the early years, the items you would find here were truly unique. Now, well... You can still find some fun items but not so revolutionary. All this being said, it is a fun place to visit and view some nice, creative works that may inspire you.

Finally managed to check out Renegade Craft Fair for their holiday fair last year. Located at Grand…read morePark, you are either going to have to get lucky with street parking or find a paid parking lot nearby. We parked a few blocks away in a paid parking lot and walked over. Renegade is a lot smaller than UniqueLA but the entrance is free and I liked that it was outdoors (although I have no idea what they would do if it rains o.O) I recognised several vendors from UniqueLA, but most of the vendors were different. There was a lot of art prints, jewelry, and terraniums... but of course they also had clothing, food, and various merchandise vendors. It was a warm day so we ended up getting popsicles from Front Porch Pops. They also have a photobooth, courtesy of Magbooth. You know I love photobooths so of course we used it! The bad part of the photobooth is that they didn't have a screen showing you what you looked like, so it wasn't until afterwards that we found out that we were not all in the frame :/ Toyota was also present and if you waited in line and signed up for their newsletters then they would print a free totebag for you. I love free things so we did that as well. We didn't spend too much time here since it was a small market, but it was free (apart from parking) and we had fun. I would like to check it out again if I'm ever in the area while it's happening, but I don't think I would go out of my way to come here (it's not enough to make paying for parking worth it to me).