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Whether you’re trying to find one-of-a-kind pieces, handmade jewelry or simply looking to support small businesses during the holidays, we’ve got just the guide for you.
Why now: All December, local pop-ups and community arts spaces are hosting holiday markets on the Eastside.
Read on ... for the great holiday markets you can check out on the Eastside.
This story was originally published by Boyle Heights Beat on Friday.
All December, local pop-ups and community arts spaces are hosting holiday markets on the Eastside.
Whether you’re trying to find one-of-a-kind pieces, handmade jewelry, or simply looking to support small businesses during the holidays, we’ve got just the guide for you.
Tonalli Studio opens the holiday season with Holiday Mercadito, where you can shop goods from local artists, creatives and printmakers. Enjoy an afternoon of shopping while you check out the opening reception of the studio’s newest exhibition, La Morenita. The showcase will feature over 20 artists, including the works of Chicana altarista Ofelia Esparza, the studio’s co-founder.
Date: Saturday
Time: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Location: 4539 E. Cesar Chavez Ave.
More information: Check out their Instagram here.
Plaza de La Raza’s Holiday Market Sale returns this year with its annual host, Los Angeles-based Chicano artist Frank Romero. Taking place in the Boathouse Gallery, the two-day sale will feature a “stop and shop” with artists and other vendors, where attendees can buy unique gifts this holiday season. Admission and parking are free on-site.
Date: Saturday and Sunday
Time: 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday
Location: 3540 N. Mission Road
More information: Check out their Instagram here.
Local vendors, live screenprinting, holiday-themed workshops and even a Bad Bunny look-alike contest are what you’ll find at this year’s Holiday Artist Mercado. Explore booths featuring jewelry and clothing, and enjoy coffee from Acurrúcame Cafe, while listening to live DJs. Winners of the Bad Bunny look-alike contest will take home a $150 grand prize. Only the first 15 people who arrive in their Bad Bunny attire will be able to participate. A live screenprinting session with artist Mario Hernandez will allow guests to take home limited-edition shirts of Patrick Martinez’s neon art, “Tierra Y Libertad.” Guests also can visit the gift-wrapping station to experiment with a variety of different papers, ribbons and stamps to decorate gifts this holiday season. The event is free. You can let them know you’re attending by registering here.
Date: Dec. 13
Time: Noon to 4 p.m.
Location: 501 N. Main St.
More information: Visit their webpage here.
Monthly East L.A. pop-ups Goddess Mercado and Queer Mercado are combining Latina and queer vendors for this special holiday collaboration event. The holiday fiesta encourages attendees to shop with intention and explore the unique arts and gifts for sale. Beyond shopping for the holidays, guests can check out the East LA Farmers Market, full of goods and community resources to explore. The event will feature live entertainment, a fashion show, an art walk, food and creative workshops. From clothing, apothecary, cosmetics, books and even handmade goods, the Goddess and Queer Jingle Mingle can be your next stop this gifting season.
Date: Dec. 13
Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Location: 4801 E. Third St.
More information: Visit their Instagram here.
The 14th annual Solstice Holiday Sale returns to the Pico Aliso Recreation Center this year. This free family event will feature handmade gifts, fine art, self-care products and vintage upcycled fashion. The first 20 shoppers who purchase from a vendor will be entered into a raffle to win gifts and prizes. There also will be a raffle fundraiser with proceeds for IMPACTO Youth Programming. Grab some food and desserts while you catch live entertainment, including guest DJs and Danza Mexica performances. A solstice community altar will be on display for guests to leave an offering.
Date: Dec. 13
Time: Noon to 6 p.m.
Location: 370 S. Clarence St.
More information: Visit their Instagram page here.
Eastside Cafe and Mercado Del Pueblo return this year to host the 24th annual Mercado Del Pueblo Holiday Market. This two-day event is open to all ages and will have a variety of activities to enjoy, from live DJ entertainment to food and drinks and raffles. Attendees also can shop around to support local artisan vendors and makers all weekend long.
Date: Dec. 13 and 14
Time: Noon to 8 p.m. Dec. 13 and noon to 6 p.m. Dec. 14
Location: 5469 N. Huntington Dr.
More information: Visit their Instagram here.
The inaugural Barrio Flea Holiday Makers Market will take place at the new Ray and Roy’s Market, which opened earlier this year. Featuring over 20 vendors, makers and curators, you can find a selection of original handmade gifts, vintage clothing, art, jewelry and prints for sale, among many other goods. The event will have holiday Mexican wine specials and food pop-ups for folks looking to grab a bite to eat. Enjoy the sounds of DJs Linda Nuves and Ojos de Hojas while shopping locally. The Holiday Market is free and open to all ages.
Date: Dec. 14
Time: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: 2800 E. Fourth St.
More information: Visit their Instagram.
This year, the Lincoln Heights Senior Center will transform into a Holiday Mercadito hosted by Self-Help Graphics and Art. Attendees can shop a variety of art, high-quality goods, crafts and decor from L.A.-based artists and artisans. Explore the booths, art and vendors — you might just find something for everyone on your list here.
Date: Dec. 14
Time: Noon to 6 p.m.
Location: 2323 Workman St.
More information: Visit their Instagram and find the free ticket registration link here.
InnerCity Struggle is hosting a community night market, By Our People For Our People. The organization encourages people to bring their loved ones and shop small this holiday season. Enjoy free food, giveaways and activities for all ages, including a DIY holiday gift-making activation. The evening also will feature local artists and vendors and a free community closet.
Date: Dec. 18
Time: 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Location: 3467 Whittier Blvd.
More information: Visit their Instagram page here and RSVP here.
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As the one year anniversary of the Palisades fire approaches, a group of volunteers and Scouts with Scouting America are headed back to the beloved Camp Josepho for the first time since it was lost in the blaze.
An historic site: The 110-acre site nestled in the Santa Monica Mountains has welcomed thousands of Scouts since the 1940s.
What happened: A change in the direction of the wind during the Palisades Fire meant it would never look the same again. Pretty much everything was lost in the blaze, save for a concrete pool house.
How you can help: Organizers said they are looking for support from the community as they breathe new life into the camp. You can visit their website to learn how you can help.
Read on... to learn about the unique history of the camp.
As the one year anniversary of the Palisades fire approaches, a group of volunteers and Scouts with Scouting America are headed back to a beloved camp for the first time since it was lost in the blaze.
The 110-acre site nestled in the Santa Monica Mountains known as Camp Josepho has welcomed thousands of Scouts since the 1940s. But a change in the direction of the wind during the Palisades Fire meant it would never look the same again. Pretty much everything was lost in the blaze, save for a concrete pool house.
“It’s a bit of a gut check, it almost doesn’t feel real, 85 years of camp... was just decimated that fast and that suddenly,” Nathan Erlandson, chief operating officer of Scouting America’s Western Los Angeles County Council, told LAist.
Listed as a Los Angeles Historical Cultural Monument, the land was gifted to the organization by the Josepho family. Ganna Josepho was a silent film star. Her husband, Anatol Josepho is credited with inventing the photo booth, which was coined the ‘Photomaton.’
For decades, Scouts young and old have made the pilgrimage back to the place.
“Some of the older generation, a lot of them are no longer with us, they absolutely loved their experiences down there. It was just such a beautiful location,” said Lee Harrison, Scout executive for Western Los Angeles County Council. He’s been involved with his local council since he was 15, nearly four decades ago.
Harrison remembered Camp Josepho before the fire, when it was complete with the towering Malibu Lodge, which was built with redwood by aircraft manufacturer Donald Douglas and resembled a hangar.
Harrison used to love throwing his sleeping bag down in front of the lodge’s towering stone fireplace.
“It is irreplaceable and had a tremendous amount of history in it. And that’s the saddest part is that you would walk into that cavernous space, you could look at all the names that were written on the walls... And all of that’s gone,” he said.
Many famous and notable people visited Camp Josepho over the years, at least one of them uninvited.
There was the time Adam Sandler buzzed onto the historic grounds.
“He drove his gold cart down into the camp one day, and the site manager who was there had no idea who he was and chased him out of the camp. And he [Sandler] said ‘I’ll never come back here again,’” Harrison recalled.
This weekend, Scouts and members of the community will start to bring the place back to life, weeding out non-native plants and invasive species that have sprung to life around the ruins.
Harrison said the hope is to build the camp back with a lighter footprint, blending it more with the surrounding nature.
“People were -- and are -- very passionate about this place. And I think primarily because we’re able to bring lots of kids who don’t necessarily get access to the outdoors... in a very easy and quick way,” he said.
Harris and Erlandson said they are looking for support from the community as they breathe new life into the camp. You can visit their website to learn how you can help.
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An iconic stretch of Mulholland Highway has reopened with little fanfare, seven years after the Woolsey Fire shut it down.
Why it matters: Nicknamed "The Snake," this 2.4-mile stretch is notorious for its hairpin turns that bring out a constant stream of motorists to test their skills.
Read on ... to learn the history of the thoroughfare — and why the hush with the reopening of The Snake.
It's the ultimate road for the ultimate driving machine, known for its coiling, hairpin turns that have lent a 2.4-mile stretch of Mulholland Highway the sobriquet of "The Snake."
On Tuesday, this famous squiggle etched through the Santa Monica Mountains finally reopened, seven years after it was shut down by the Woolsey Fire.
Here’s the catch: People who live in the area and enthusiasts who frequent the route wish you didn’t know. More about that later. But first, let’s take a short drive down memory lane.
The Mulholland corridor, all 50-some miles of it, has long lured motorists chasing speed against a scrolling backdrop of the city. In fact, when the thoroughfare carrying the name of the man who brought water to modern Los Angeles first opened in 1924, the prediction was that it'd become "one of the best known scenic roads in the United States."
The project, backed by landowners who wanted to bring development to the Hollywood Hills, was conceived to link the burgeoning city to the mountains and the sea.
The road has inspired art, film — and since its earliest days, movie stars. Before World War II, it was Gary Cooper and John Carradine taking their Duesenbergs there for a spin. In the 1950s, James Dean used its turns and switchbacks as a training course of sorts.
"All I've been doing is driving around Mulholland Drive," said the actor, according to lore, after placing second overall in the Palm Spring Road Races.
A decade later, it was Steve McQueen, taking The Snake on his Jaguar or Triumph, before making a pit stop at the Rock Store, the nearby biker hangout.
As legends of the road grew, so too did the crowd, including thrill-seekers — locally and from all corners of the world — looking to strut their stuff.
For years, a YouTube channel documented these rides and wipeouts, with cameras set up at the unofficial end of The Snake, dubbed Edwards Corner.
Those videos stopped in 2018 after the Woolsey Fire and mudslides a year later caused major damage to The Snake.
Now, those 2.4 miles finally have reopened. But instead of fanfare, it’s been met with controversy and a hope that outsiders don’t notice.
That’s because a debate was raging about whether the stretch should be reopened at all to the public.
On the one side, you have homeowners and residents who have long been turned off by the noise and the open exhaust pipes — not to mention the crashes — from a constant stream of motorists.
On the other, you have the riding clubs and Mulholland regulars wary of the same thing: that overuse will bring the callous riders, complaints and crashes of the before times.
“Sadly, irresponsible riders will have it closed again before you know it,” a poster in a Facebook thread said of The Snake’s reopening.
The question was even addressed by L.A. County Public Works officials in an FAQ issued this year, where they said the roadway did not meet the criteria for a permanent closure and that closing it permanently would cut off a key access point for residents.
LAist reached out to a number of riders for the story, to no avail. Same with our request to the CHP division that oversees The Snake.
So there you have it. The famed route is now open. Just don’t expect any welcoming waves if you venture through.
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Inspired by the found-footage style of the "Paranormal Activity" film franchise, the stage production takes place in a two-story house so the audience feels like they’re watching someone in their home.
How it got so scary: Director Felix Barrett told LAist that he and Tony Award-winning illusionist Chris Fisher worked on the illusions first. Later, they built around them so the effects are integrated into the set. “We knew that we wanted the illusions, the sort of haunting, to be so baked into the core of the piece,” Barrett said.
What to expect: The audience is pretty vocal due to all the jump scares and special effects, so the vibe is closer to a scary movie than a traditional play.
The audience: Barrett says his team’s approach appears to be attracting new and younger theatergoers. “I think we're getting a huge amount of audience who wouldn't normally go to a theater to see a play,” Barrett said. “My favorite thing is people saying, 'Oh, my gosh, I'm gonna go and see more plays,' because we've got them hooked from this one.”
How to see it: Paranormal Activity, A New Story Live on Stage is at the Ahmanson Theatre through Sunday.
For more ... listen to our interview with Barrett above.
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A Trump administration official today signaled a potential rollback of the racial and ethnic categories approved for the 2030 census and other future federal government forms.
Why it matters: Supporters of those categories fear that any last-minute modifications to the U.S. government's standards for data about race and ethnicity could hurt the accuracy of census data and other future statistics used for redrawing voting districts, enforcing civil rights protections and guiding policymaking.
What are those changes?: Among other changes, new checkboxes for "Middle Eastern or North African" and "Hispanic or Latino" under a reformatted question that asks survey participants: "What is your race and/or ethnicity?" The revisions also require the federal government to stop automatically categorizing people who identify with Middle Eastern or North African groups as white.
A Trump administration official on Friday signaled a potential rollback of the racial and ethnic categories approved for the 2030 census and other future federal government forms.
Supporters of those categories fear that any last-minute modifications to the U.S. government's standards for data about race and ethnicity could hurt the accuracy of census data and other future statistics used for redrawing voting districts, enforcing civil rights protections and guiding policymaking.
Those standards were last revised in 2024 during the Biden administration, after Census Bureau research and public discussion.
A White House agency at the time approved, among other changes, new checkboxes for "Middle Eastern or North African" and "Hispanic or Latino" under a reformatted question that asks survey participants: "What is your race and/or ethnicity?" The revisions also require the federal government to stop automatically categorizing people who identify with Middle Eastern or North African groups as white.
But at a Friday meeting of the Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics in Washington, D.C., the chief statistician within the White House's Office of Management and Budget revealed that the Trump administration has started a new review of those standards and how the 2024 revisions were approved.
"We're still at the very beginning of a review. And this, again, is not prejudging any particular outcome. I think we just wanted to be able to take a look at the process and decide where we wanted to end up on a number of these questions," said Mark Calabria. "I've certainly heard a wide range of views within the administration. So it's just premature to say where we'll end up."
OMB's press office did not immediately respond to NPR's request for comment.
Calabria's comments mark the first public confirmation that Trump officials are considering the possibility of not using the latest racial and ethnic category changes and other revisions. They come amid the administration's attack on diversity, equity and inclusion programs, a push to stop producing data that could protect the rights of transgender people and threats to the reliability of federal statistics.
In September, OMB said those Biden-era revisions "continue to be in effect" when it announced a six-month extension to the 2029 deadline for federal agencies to follow the new standards when collecting data on race and ethnicity.
Calabria said the delay gave agencies more time to implement the changes "while we review."
The first Trump administration stalled the process for revising the racial and ethnic data standards in time for the 2020 census.
The "Project 2025" policy agenda released by The Heritage Foundation, the conservative, D.C.-based think tank, called for a Republican administration to "thoroughly review any changes" to census race and ethnicity questions because of "concerns among conservatives that the data under Biden Administration proposals could be skewed to bolster progressive political agendas."
Advocates of the changes, however, see the new categories and other revisions as long-needed updates to better reflect people's identities.
"At stake is a more accurate and deeper understanding of the communities that comprise our country," says Meeta Anand, senior director of census and data equity at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. "I am not concerned if it's reviewed in an honest attempt to understand what the process was. I am concerned if it's for a predetermined outcome that would be to ignore the entire process that was done in a very transparent manner."
Edited by Benjamin Swasey
Copyright 2025 NPR
