Hester Goes Hollywood Indie Night Market

Most of the booths had jewelry or decorative items geared towards woman. Since I’m a man, it didn’t really appeal to me… Well there was a really cool sunglasses company who made all of their glasses from wood that I liked but they were a bit overpriced if you ask me. The best part of this is the plethora of food trucks and the music! I’d really only go back for the food.

I didn’t stay long this time, just breezed through (does that make me «Indie»?) I was dying for a beer, which I went elsewhere for. But at least this time the Hester beer area didn’t look like a gulag.

Cute, small, venue. Should do more of these. I think it’s great to give aspiring crafters and small boutiques a chance to showcase their items.
Love free admission.
Bummed about $ 10 parking, but there’s cheaper nearby parking you just have to walk.
Like that it’s not just retail booths, it’s also food trucks.

While Los Angeles provides many free and affordable events that give us a sense of the city, it also showcases events that promote other cultures within the United States and abroad such as the 626 Asian Night Market on July 28^th at the Pasadena City Hall. Recently we visited the Hester Street Fair, a street market that originated not in Los Angeles but in Lower East Side, New York.
The Hester Street Fair started out as a market that caters to popular New York City crafts and fashions. During the summer, Los Angeles locals can get a taste of the Hester Street Fair in Hollywood next to the W Hollywood Hotel. Here you will discover a mix of vintage crafts, necklaces, ethnic dresses, screen printed t-​shirts, furry animal hats, jade bracelets, purses, shoes, and charms. You may have seen food trucks, but have you ever heard of a pink fashion truck? The Le Fashion Truck is the first truck I’ve found where patrons enter the back of a truck to shop for clothes. It is an interesting concept even though it gets crowded and stuffy inside.
Although there’s a focus on fashion, that is not all the Hester Street Fair has to offer. One booth sold different blends of curries and herbs such as bombay curry, tikka masala, and cardamom. In addition, the Preservation Society sold handmade jam, pickles, marmalade, and more.
Speaking of food, there is an entire section within the fair that is dedicated to food trucks. My friend Sarah ate a refreshing ice cream sandwich from Coolhaus while I consumed a spicy tuna musubi from Mama Musubi. I was disappointed that the tuna was cooked and minced with the scallops, and as a result, I couldn’t taste the scallops. The tuna was also too soft for my liking, and I regretted not ordering their popular tender pork belly musubi instead. According to my friend Stephen, who just returned from teaching in Japan for several years, the Koshihikari rice that Mama Musubi use is high quality rice! Furthermore, they use free range chicken so you’re certainly getting your money’s worth! My friend Stephen also purchased poutine, Canadian French fries covered in gravy and curd cheese, from the Gravy Train Poutinerie. As I mentioned in the past, I love trying variations of French fries, and poutine is no exception! The gravy’s rich and smooth without any bad aftertaste.
One booth that caught my interest was the Hollywood Central Park booth. The Hollywood Central Park is an active 10-​year project creating a forty four-​acre street level public park between Hollywood Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard right above the 101 freeway! In my opinion, it is an efficient way of making use of the open space above the freeway, and it will hopefully create new jobs, promote healthy communities, and a cleaner environment.
The Hester Street Fair is the perfect way for people in Los Angeles to experience a market in New York without buying a plane ticket. I do feel that the fair caters to females due to its emphasis on fashion, which definitely received no complaints from my friend Sarah. There is an inflatable slide in the back for the kids and a food and a beer garden for the guys waiting.

Thought there would be more people but it’s was a pretty good crowd. Next to the W hotel on Hollywood just off the 101 freeway and Metro Hollywood/​Vine stop. They had a beer garden that said $ 2 to get in. Why $ 2 to buy some overprice beer, who knows but the girl at the entrance let me in free. They also have lots of security of some reason all over the place. The lobster truck line was too long so I didn’t go but I stopped at Mama Musubi and Cool Haus.

Given that there will be two more in August, here are some suggestions:
Take the Metro. The Hollywood/​Vine stop is literally next door. You don’t have to worry about parking, and it’s $ 1.50 each way for most.
Go early if you are hungry. Even though it never got too crowded, there were long lines at some of the food trucks after a couple of hours.
The shopping was better than expected. Mix of crafts, fashion and a bit of packaged food. Prices vary so bring plenty of cash although most vendors take credit cards.
Sunscreen/​hats/​umbrellas. It was HOT. Some shaded spots at the food tables near the food trucks, but they were mostly occupied.
Not the biggest event this time around. If you are meeting friends, know that the early arrivals might get bored or want to leave after a couple of hours.

I wanted to thank my friend again who invited me to this fair. :)
There were a couple of food trucks and also lot of apparel and accessory vendors. So many cute vintage clothing. I love my new Monogram necklace! Got it for $ 5…isn’t that a sweet deal? :D
Music by DJ Team Peaking Lights. Attendance is free.
Food truck line-​up:
Bool BBQ Food Truck — Korean BBQ tacos
Mandoline Grill — Vietnamese Banh Mi (12″ sandwich) and Bun (rice vermicelli noodles)
Cousins Maine Lobster — Serving fresh lobster dishes. Their lobster rolls are very popular. This one had the longest line!
Dosa Truck — South Indian street food with a California twist
Gravy Train Poutinerie — french fries and cheese curds smothered in gravy
Schmuck Truck — New York delicatessen
The Hungry Nomad Truck — Middle Eastern cuisine
and many more
There’s also a Beer Garden with a $ 2 entrance fee for all the beer drinkers.
$ 5 flat rate public parking nearby which is not bad at all considering that some are charging $ 10.
I like this fair because it’s not too big and too crowded. Overall, it was a fun event! Good food, good music and cool merchandise. :)