The Jackalope Arts Fair makes it easy to shop small. The fair is back this spring, with over 200 artisan and specialty booths offering art, food, home goods, body care, accessories, jewelry, fashion and more.
The fair will be held at Central Park in Old Town Pasadena from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 18, and Sunday, Nov. 19.
Sara Diederich and Melissa Kohout founded Jackalope in 2014 after working in the corporate art world. They shared a cubicle wall — “it just wasn’t the life for us,” Diederich said. The pair organized their first art fair in spring 2015 at Central Park and now operates in four cities across the United States: Burbank, Pasadena, Denver and Minneapolis.
The mission behind the fair was to “give a space where the community could meet the makers behind the items and give the makers this awesome opportunity to reach out to thousands of people and sell their items, so people could see that shopping smile could be accessible,” Kohout said.
Despite beginning with an in-person business model, Diederich and Melissa took the pandemic in stride. They used the opportunity to expand their online presence, building their social media and creating an online marketplace.
“(The online marketplace) has been a cool way to keep people connected to the handmade community, even if they’re not ready to come shop in person. It’s actually expanded our reach because we have people shopping our artists from states that we’re not in,” Diederich explained.
Supporting small businesses is at the core of Jackalope’s business model, and many of the artisans attending the fair are local to Pasadena and Southern California. Better than most, Diederich and Kohout know the importance of small businesses, which are vital to a local economy’s health, pouring money back into their communities through paychecks and taxes.
“Supporting these artists who put so much into these creations and one-of-a-kind goods is so important. It just feels good when you can support somebody and shop small instead of the alternatives,” Kohout expounded.
The fair is free and welcomes families and pets alike. The community event will include kid-friendly activities, offering kids’ music sessions with a local performer, DIY watercolor painting, face painting, make-your-own slime and other arts and crafts.
Jackalope Arts Fair
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 18, and Sunday, Nov. 19
WHERE: Central Park, 275 S. Raymond Avenue, Pasadena
COST: Free
INFO: jackalopeartfair.com