A really solid event with a ton of vendors selling their products. I loved getting to learn about…read morethe unique snack foods and getting to engage with the people who made the products in many cases. There's so much energy at this event - it gets really, really packed (particularly around the food stand/food truck area). I really enjoyed checking out the local companies, organizations, and vendors, and there was actually a fashion show going on when my wife and I arrived. That was a first for me, and was exciting too. A couple of things to know...there is effectively no available parking the entire weekend within the better part of a mile, so my advice would be to take the metro if you plan to attend, or plan on walking quite a distance. Also, if you're the type of person who gets a little claustrophobic, this might not be your event. I'm planning to be back next year :)

This was a great annual activity! There are tons of great vendors, food trucks with delicious food,…read moreand great entertainment!

Twenty-two years and going strong, that's the Santa Monica Festival not me, if only. Although 90+…read moredegree heat was predicted, a light marine layer, cool ocean breezes created a pleasant backdrop to showcase this year's sustainability themed event, as well as, events within like, the Juneteenth Celebration, A Taste of Summer with the Annenberg Beach House and the Santa Monica Farmers Market Challenge which pitted Nyesha Arrington http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-9/bio/nyesha-arrington and Josie Le Balch http://www.josierestaurant.com/ to create a $15 meal for four. I fear this foodie was a festival wimp because I was too wiped to hang out for their food fight. A myriad of activities for folks of all ages with kids really digging the Big Blue Bus and trash recycling truck to hop on and explore. The free bike valet http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/santa-monica-festival-santa-monica-2?select=vH2e66N3SWb9kldxGYxzyg#uVsNV593GV0zcfWGsam18g encouraged leaving the car at home as my friends and I did. Plenty of food trucks http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/santa-monica-festival-santa-monica-2?select=vH2e66N3SWb9kldxGYxzyg#8h3JhmFhSm4yY2dSUK3G3g and even a fashionmobile http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/santa-monica-festival-santa-monica-2?select=vH2e66N3SWb9kldxGYxzyg#_UknuOz5Hw8CSlqpB0GlAw ! Santa Monica is indeed a city of cultural activities and well-honed services to be taken advantage of by all. More here: http://www.smgov.net/Portals/Culture/content.aspx?id=15035 Highlight for me was artist Cassandra Tondro's http://tondro.com/ "From Cans to Canvas" interactive painting experience http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/santa-monica-festival-santa-monica-2?select=vH2e66N3SWb9kldxGYxzyg#wUrJjuqoQeDWgII5lKypig http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/santa-monica-festival-santa-monica-2?select=vH2e66N3SWb9kldxGYxzyg#1rjspkly2CXSvNRTZ6H9sg If you missed today's festival, do bookmark it for 2014, trust me, it's worth it!

We came, we saw, we thronged! From a distance, the Santa Monica Festival at Clover Park looked like…read moreany other free outdoor community event, a weekend sea of pedestrians and rows of white tents and bold lettered banners. But Saturday was cool, Clover's grass was green, and the atmosphere was indeed festive. There were several options for free or metered parking in supervised lots within walking distance, making at least our vehicular arrival and departure quick and painless. After leaving the car, we made a beeline for the park's restrooms, where, as it typically happens whenever we step out to a fairground, we spent a considerable chunk of our visit waiting our turns in slow-moving lines. Plenty of music filled our ears while we waited, especially the notes coming from center stage, where a featured group, The Lions, sounded particularly captivating. We quietly joined standing watchers later on, just in time to see The Lions wrap up their soulful and energetic gig. Festival treats were also close at hand, so we couldn't miss tasting Linde's old-fashioned sugar roasted almonds. We followed our noses to her popular table where I impulsively grabbed us a couple of warm paper cones in a sweet twofer deal. Linde jokingly asked if we were unable to share, to which I honestly replied, "yes." It was a fair-tastic time. The usual apparel gifts and arts-and-craftsy things were available for passers-by to browse and purchase, and interactive activities engaged families, kids, and kids-at-heart. It seemed apparent to us after one walk-through that the city government was out to connect with and educate visitors in exchange for cheap swag and fun, with a number of public service kiosks that let you spin wheels and answer questions for prizes. We didn't get around to checking everything out (see Tess M.'s yelp here: http://bit.ly/11hmlqO for some neat things we missed), but all in all, the Festival was pleasant and low-key, which is pretty much Santa Monica in a nutshell.

It was fun and worth visiting during summer night, pop pop all over the ground, lots of foods…read moretrucks, entertainment is good.

Calling all the original underground. OG Ravers is what you're gonna get when you're dealing with…read moreKCRW/DJ, Jason Bentley . People that listen to KCRW are always the cold people that know what's up. Back in the day, we hired him to do our weekly club downtown LA called TIME ! So when I saw the flyer for this event, you know I was coming. It's cool to see how many people Showed up. Perfect place to turn up for a little bit.#GoVenture #Raver #LAUnderground

I'm pretty disappointed with the event we attended last night. Purchased VIP tickets and was only…read moreabout 10 people from the front. When we entered at 6:30 (an hour early for VIP), the place was somehow already crowded?? Minutes later, it was hard to even walk inside the hangar. We were shoulder to shoulder with people. Luckily we got to sample most foods. The food selection was great. Plenty of wine tastings and other drink options. The issue was not the food. The problem was how incredibly crowded it was. Around 7:30 when it was time for the general admission entry, I thought there's no way they could fit anymore people in here. Then it became SO CROWDED that you literally could NOT WALK or get to anything! People were bumping into each other trying to get anywhere. It just became an extremely stressful experience trying to get to anything, so we just left. I just want to say shame on LA Food and Wine for overselling and cramming as many people in like a SARDINE CAN! This used to be a wonderful event and I was so excited to finally be able to attend again, only to be disappointed. THIS WAS A FIRE HAZARD! There's no way that many people in that hangar was safe in any way.

A bit underwhelming. Many vendors ran out of food maybe around 9pm. An entire wing turned into a…read moreghost town of empty counters. Bummed I didn't get to sample everything. Tried great scallop, crab, pasta dishes and a tomato soup I really liked. Chocolate chip cookie was outstanding. Blood orange mule was pretty good by Lobos. Other dishes were so so. Definitely not worth the high price tag even after 30% discount.

Downtown Burbank Arts Festival is hosted by Jackalope Art Fair and it happens two times a year -…read morethe Summer Arts Festival and the Winter Arts Festival. Recently our party visited the The Winter Arts Festival from December 13 - 14, 2025. [Admission]: Free event located in the heart of Downtown Burbank. [Parking]: Free parking, but very difficult to find an available spot without any prior research (no luck at the 133 E Orange Grove Ave Garage - it is the same lot sharing with the AMC Burbank 16), but our party found a secret public parking lot with plenty of available spots at 348 E Palm Ave Parking (the same lot shares with Burbank Police Department). [What to expect]: There were over 170+ handmade artisan booths on San Fernando Boulevard from Magnolia Blvd to Angeleno Ave. S-tier art vendors from indie goods, jewelry design, paper goods, art, photography, food, etc. Several vendors were offering free food samples. I spotted at least 3 musicians playing both holiday and pop songs. The festival was a lot bigger than I thought and it took our party about 30+ minutes to see most of vendors. There were a Christmas tree with a tunnel & a booth making ornaments for free. Visitors can also take pictures with Santa from 12 PM to 4 PM. [Conclusion]: I like this arts festival a lot because (1) many vendors were selling super cute items and not just limiting to traditional arts and canvases, (2) free parking, (3) live music, and (4) free food samples. Overall it was an absolutely pleasant surprise and I would consider coming back to this festival again.

We often underestimate the creativity and ingenuity of our local American artists and geniuses but…read moreoften, they do thrive in our valleys, cities, towns and small villages. They don't scale up their creations for the general public or manufacturing large quantities for international consumption but do sell them locally and are happy to always do so. Many social media comments have denigrated America's ability not to make its dish soaps, kitchen tools and spoons etc.. but if challenged to do so, WE HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE and artisans who can do all these. We drove to Downtown Burbank Winter Arts Festival and I counted 200 tents of artisans with varying items and beautiful items being showcased. Parking is everywhere but the mall parking was the best choice. Prices are very reasonable and the event was being curated by Jackalope (Indie Artisan Fair). There was plenty of volunteers, law enforcement to keep the peace and thousands of people. Food was everywhere and I probably walked more than 10,000 steps for the day.

The street fair is on Hillhurst Ave from Los Feliz Blvd to Prospect Ave. For clearing such a huge…read moreblock of the surface street, the booths are lackluster and mildly interesting. The bouncy air mattresses for the kids looked very dirty and worn... I don't think I would want my kids to climb all over that germ mountain and put their hands in their mouth. There was a booth with free photo booth that seemed interesting. Otherwise, it's hard to not compare this to so many of the bigger, newer, cleaner fairs around the city (626 Night Market, OC County Fair, LA County Fair, etc) But go Yelp for having a booth! Represent!

Perhaps this street fair deserves a higher rating at any other time, but when I got there at around…read more9:00 at night, it was pretty dead, and according to the vendors, it had been that way all day. Fortunately, there were still interesting things to see, from jewelry makers using materials from a disassembled nuclear warhead, to bracelets with a cause that's supposed to make you happy when you wear it. My favorite vendors there were Noral Clothing which makes gorgeous custom, and Lulu Designs, which have awesome vintage designs on high quality materials. bracelets Music and food is also featured here, with a special area for the 21 & older crowd looking to dehydrate the old fashioned way. With alcohol. And once that's done, there are vendors giving away "healthy" soda samples. The food vendors range from Umami Burger, to traditional Thai food. And if worse comes to worst, and you don't find anything on the street, there are pretty trendy restaurants on the sidewalk. My personal favorite, is a Thai vegan place called 'Green Leaves Vegan,' selling healthy food at very reasonable prices. Even if it's not the most exciting of places to go to, it's definitely worth stopping by if you're in the area. You might find a small treasure worth the effort.

I recently attended the 45th Annual Lotus Festival at Echo Park by myself just to see what it was…read moreall about, and I had an absolute blast! My visit ended up being a little shorter than planned because of the summer heat, but I still had plenty of time to explore the booths, enjoy some amazing food, and snap lots of photos. Overall, it was such a fun experience! I showed up hungry, so naturally the first thing I did was scope out the food vendors. There were so many delicious options, mostly Asian cuisine. I originally had my heart set on grabbing some iconic Pioneer Chicken, but those plans changed the second I spotted an Indonesian food vendor called Papa Satay. As someone who's mixed with Dutch-Indonesian, I honestly haven't had much Indonesian food growing up, so I knew I had to give it a try. The woman working the register was an absolute sweetheart--so friendly, welcoming, and incredibly helpful while explaining the menu. I ordered Combo #1, which came with one pork satay skewer, one chicken satay skewer, two egg rolls, and fried noodles. Everything was mostly decent, but those satay skewers completely stole the show! They were packed with flavor, perfectly cooked, and easily my favorite part of the meal. I'll definitely be looking for Papa Satay again at future festivals. Beyond that, there were plenty of other tempting food vendors serving Thai, Chinese, Hawaiian, Korean, and more, so there was truly something for everyone. One thing I really loved was how many interactive booths and activities were spread throughout the festival. The LADWP booth had a fun spin-the-wheel game where I won a cute glasses cleaner, and the LA Public Library booth was handing out freebies while helping people sign up for library cards. There were live cultural performances, painting stations, arts and crafts, and so many opportunities to stop and explore. I was honestly surprised I'd never heard of this festival before! Someone told me that each year they highlight a different Asian country, and this year's featured country was Sri Lanka, which I thought was such a unique and meaningful way to celebrate different cultures. There were also lots of vendors selling handmade goods and other non-food items. I saw everything from henna artists and clothing to artwork, crochet creations, toys, and more. Before arriving, I even preordered one of the official Lotus Festival folding fans online and picked it up as soon as I got there. It was great quality and absolutely saved me in the heat! One of my favorite purchases of the day was the CUTEST crochet frog hat from Ducky Crochet House! Their booth was full of adorable handmade creations, and I couldn't resist. I made sure to follow them on Instagram because I definitely want to support them again and hope to see them back at next year's festival. Even though I attended solo, I genuinely had an amazing time. The atmosphere was welcoming, lively, and full of positive energy. Best of all, it's completely FREE to attend! If you've never been to the Lotus Festival, I highly recommend checking it out. I'll definitely be back next year!

Fun for the whole family. Cultural costumed music and dance performances throughout the day. Dragon…read moreboat races and Light of Dreams Lantern event on the lake. Booths selling cooked food and drink, including beer and wine. Booths offering LA city information and selling boutique and handmade crafts, jewelry and gifts. Carnival rides, arts and crafts and face painting. Enjoy swan pedal boats, views of the lake and lotuses and downtown LA.

This was our first venture to a taste of soul and it didn't disappoint. Stevie Wonder, Montel…read moreJordan, Durty Ryce (cover band) and a tribute to the Whispers. After the entertainment we enjoyed hot link sandwiches. Great way to spend Saturday afternoon.

One of my favorite festivals in Los Angeles. Started in 2005 by Danny Bakewell, Sr, creator of The…read moreLos Angeles Sentinel Newspaper. Taking place on the 2nd Saturday of October every year, the Taste of Soul is a big community block party with over 250 vendors with food, beverages and a few entertainment stages. The event draws over 200K visitors, in a single day. Always a great time for the entire family.

First timers! Lots of great options for food, which included a really delivious watermelon ceviche…read moremixta. Loved the live music and dancing. Decent amount of workers picking up trashing and turning over tables. Cons: Kinda expensive parking. The soccer field is very dry and uneven, a fall risk for sure. Not that much shade anywhere. Watermelon slices not free this year. Not a fan of the excessive AI useage for decor, signs, and menus looks cheap. Probably wouldn't return but it was a good, one time experience.

This year was our first time attending the California watermelon festival at Hamsen Dam in Lakeview…read moreTerrace. There were lots of food booths, gift booths selling watermelon-themed products, petting zoo with pony rides, carnival rides, and live music. We enjoyed the vintage car display, and we ate our fair share of watermelon themed food and drank watermelon themed cocktails. It was nice to dance to the live bands that they had playing all day. However, it is not a cheap experience if you are trying to entertain your family. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for kids, and you have to pay $15 to park. Then food is about $20 for a plate, cocktails range from $14-$24, and unlimited carnival rides are $30 per ticket. And the petting zoo and the pony rides also cost money. So if you are a family of four, you will be spending a small fortune. I think my Hubby and I had a cheap date compared to the parents since we just ate and drank and danced to the live bands. The lines are also just sooooo long to get any kind of food or drink. I think as far as fairs go, this is a pretty typical one save for the watermelon theme, but I think parents should be prepared to drop a lot of money. Would be comparable to going to Magic Mountain or Knott's Berry Farm.

COVID-19: Social distancing is not enforced at this event. Some of the staff wears a mask. All…read morevisitors are not expected to wear a mask. It's optional now. There are some hand sanitizers available for visitors to use. This place is open and available with no limited capacity. They are not sanitizing in between visitors. I mention these things in my reviews for the sake of protecting immunocompromised people like the elderly and people sick with cancer and other illnesses. COVID-19 Vaccination Proof: This event currently does not require proof of vaccination. While I was here several months ago, I asked if they had any special offers and they weren't offering any at the moment. They also do not allow pets in their event UNLESS it's a service animal. Parking: The parking lot for this establishment is pretty massive. When you enter the grounds, turn left. There you will be directed to pay for parking ($15 for regular cars - general parking, $30 for VIP parking, $23 for RVs and limos, and $38 for buses) and where to park. As mentioned by my excellent buddy, Justin, parking for handicapped individuals freaking suck. Whoever organized this event sucks. Handicapped parking is in lot 3, which is hella far away from the event. You would think it would be much closer to the event, but noooooo. Some idiot organized it to be like this. Why?!?! Please make the entrance closer to the handicapped parking lot in the future. That would make a lot of sense. They take cash and credit cards. Event: The festival offers immersive 14 - 17 century Elizabethan-era entertainment, jousting tournaments, artisanal shopping, and medieval food like turkey legs. The event itself was very fun and entertaining. I had a great time with my close friend. I highly encourage anyone who attends to dress up. If you don't, you will stick out like a very sore and ugly thumb. If you do dress up, costume weapons must be sheathed and peace tied. Also, wear comfy shoes. There is soooooo much walking. It's also hella dusty at this event, which is lowkey on point with ye - old England. To add on, when Justin and I attended this event in mid May, the weather was soooo on point because it was gloomy and overcast. This is exactly how I imagined old timey England during the renaissance. You can absolutely bring food and drinks into the event, but they cannot be picnic food, food that requires heating or refrigeration, alcohol, anything in glass containers, and coolers. You can bring water, but it cannot be opened yet. Or you can bring an empty reusable water bottle for it to be filled up at the event. There are plenty of bathrooms (porta potties and hand washing stations) at this event. Note: While at the event, we didn't see any refillable water bottle stations. Where were they hiding? Food: My bestie and I got the tri tip sandwich and french fries. Honestly, coming into this event, I already knew that the food was gonna be mid. Lmao I had low expectations for the food because I wasn't really there for the food. Plus, I guess this was also kinda lowkey on point with the renaissance era in England because food in that time period was also mid. Lol I was primarily there for the medieval vibes and jousting, which delivered in spades. I would honestly go every year just for the medieval vibes and jousting. Screw the food there. Anyways, the tri tip sandwich was overly priced with a meager amount of meat in the sandwich in a sad ass hot dog bun. It was more of a sad- wich. This is why I removed one star. Flavor wise, it was okay. My friend knows that I'm not the biggest fan of anything BBQ, but I'll eat it anyways. The fries that we got were plentiful for the price point and it was very crunchy. I was disappointed when it wasn't really salted, which made it taste bland TBH. I should also note that the tri tip sandwich and fries were cold by the time we sat down and ate them because we spent like 10 - 15 minutes walking around and finding a place to eat. Don't be like us. Eat your food while it's hot. Staff: The staff here are very friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. They accept both cash and credit cards. There is no credit card minimum. Still, cash is king at this event. Many vendors only take cash, so bring at least $100 per person.

One of my favorite places to go! Came on a day where the weather was nice and got a good spot for…read moreall the shows. The event is rain or shine, so bring sunscreen and umbrellas. The only thing I wish would improve is bringing back more craftsmen. A lot of jewelry vendors do drop shipping now, so if you're looking for one of a kind or good jewelry, you have to watch out and be careful.