By Katie Ngo
On Friday and most weekends, the Huntington Beach Pier echoes with laughter and good cheer as the smell of cooking food fills the air. Various vendors, artisans and entertainers gather to create the Surf City Artisan Fair.
Open year-round, the fair features a wide variety of little booths, offering different types of goods, foods, music or working as a non-profit. As a part of the application to become a vendor, artisans are expected to handcraft or personally design at least 75% of their products.
This is not a problem for Kimo, who sells handmade wooden items in his booth. For him, creating the products is a part of the fun. The cutting boards and windchimes he carves add to his delight in the way that the beach or the fair’s food does.
“I’m really proud of the windchimes,” Kimo said. “The bamboo, the root of the bamboo on the chimes, is different like a snowflake. So you’ll never find any two that are alike.”
Kimo’s joy in creation led him to create his own booth at the Artisan Fair. However, for him it’s only a hobby; for most of the other vendors such as Bill Whittingham, it’s part of how they make a living.
Whittingham, a fifteen-year vendor at the Artisan Fair, represents storyboard artist Dano who works in the movie industry. He manages Dano’s paintings and sells them at markets such as the fair.
“I’m just proud of the way we represent this artist and take care of our customers,” Whittingham said.
Whether it’s beautiful jewelry, stunning artwork or delicious drinks, the Artisan Fair has it. Paired with music from live performances and the beach’s peaceful environment, spending an afternoon at the pier is always a great time.
The Surf City Artisan Fair is located at the Huntington Beach Pier Plaza, open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in winter months and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in summer months.
