Jackalope Indie Artisan Fair Comes to Santa Barbara This Weekend

Free Two-Day Celebration Features Over 180 Local Artisans, Live Music, and Family Activities

Alameda Park will transform into a vibrant marketplace of handmade goods, local music, and creative activities when the Jackalope Indie Artisan Fair comes to Santa Barbara on July 11-12, 2026.

The free admission event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, offering attendees a weekend of shopping, entertainment, and hands-on experiences celebrating the local maker community.

What to Expect

More than 180 local artisans will showcase their work throughout the park, featuring trendsetting indie goods across a wide range of categories. Shoppers can browse original fashion and jewelry designs, paper goods, innovative home decor and housewares, art, photography, and much more—all while meeting the creative minds behind each piece.

Live performances from local musicians will provide a soundtrack for the weekend, while food vendors offer culinary finds to keep fairgoers fueled throughout their shopping adventures.

Featured Activities and Exhibitors

Santa Barbara Arts Association Interactive Gallery
The Santa Barbara Arts Association will host a playful, evolving art space built around conversation, curiosity, and participation. Visitors can invent titles for original artworks, leave reactions and interpretations about pieces on display, and participate in a drawing exchange where guests leave behind a sketch or doodle and discover one created by someone else in return. The booth will continuously change as SBAA artists rotate artworks throughout the event, creating a living mini-gallery experience.

Solstice Float Viewing
Local artist Paul Teft’s float from the Summer Solstice Parade will be on display throughout the weekend, giving attendees a behind-the-scenes look at the work and detail that goes into creating these beloved community art pieces.

Discover Your Own Crystals
Crystal miners Because I Rock will bring mud-covered crystals for visitors to wash and transform into jewelry or wish jars—a unique hands-on experience for rock enthusiasts of all ages.

Make Your Own Slime
Sparklez Slimez invites families to customize their own slime creations in this sensory-friendly activity perfect for kids and adults alike.

About Jackalope Arts

Jackalope Indie Artisan Fair was founded by Melissa and Sara, who met while working with an international arts organization creating regular art-centered events in Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle.

United by their passion to create community-focused artisan events emphasizing the experience of meeting the maker, the pair launched Jackalope in their home cities of Pasadena, California and Denver, Colorado in 2015.

The organization has since expanded to include semi-annual events in Burbank (added 2019), Minneapolis (2021), and now San Diego and Santa Barbara in 2026.

“More than just a marketplace, Jackalope Arts connects the community directly with the makers behind the craft,” the organization states in its mission, emphasizing its dedication to supporting independent artisans who pour their passion and creativity into their work.

Details

What: Jackalope Indie Artisan Fair
When: Saturday-Sunday, July 11-12, 2026, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Alameda Park, Santa Barbara
Admission: Free
Website: https://www.jackalopeartfair.com/