Make February the month of loving art and friendships at SJ Made’s Annual Friend Fest! Founded in 2011, San José Made has been an operation completely dedicated to providing dynamic ways for creative small businesses to grow their brands. From large scale events to pop-up retail to even maker meet-ups, SJ Made pushes the micro-retail movement by allowing artists and their community to give back to one another through such exciting events!
This year, the one they’re starting off with is Friend Fest 2025, an artistic celebration of friendship. Here, you can look forward to a vibrant marketplace made up of over 250 creative small businesses with artists ready to offer up all of their lovely creations! On top of this, you can also take part in the delightful lineup of programs, activities, and giveaways Friend Fest is offering their attendees. Led by artists who specialize in certain crafts, a few of these opportunities even give you the chance to walk home having made a work of art yourself! Enjoy free admission to this annual weekend event taking place this February 22-23, 2025 from 11 A.M to 6 P.M at the South Hall Event Venue in San Jose. It’s the most wholesome place to be – displaying art and holding fun activities all in the name of friendship!
Art Stands
The creative small businesses found here are more than enough to entice any con-goer who loves Artist Alley. If you’re a nerd who loves local art, you’re going to absolutely love what Friend Fest’s artistic marketplace has to offer you! You’ll find so many different kinds of pieces made by artists in the bay area. Walk around and marvel at all the cute items on display from tote bags, stickers, prints, hats, apparel, and so much more! Some of them are inspired solely by the artists’ own imaginations, while others are inspired more by anime as well as a few other shows, movies, and video games. So, see what peaks your interest at every stand you visit because there’s something for everybody! It’s an exciting opportunity to find so much art to decorate your walls as well as your wardrobe. Looking for a specific artist? You can find the complete list of vendors here!
Special Programming
Alongside the artistic marketplace, SJ Made’s Friend Fest will also include all kinds of activities where you can have fun making your own creations! To start, you can learn the art of felting by taking BB Mad Designs’s felting class. As a creator of different kinds of felt jewelry and wall art, BB Mad Designs will be at Friend Fest teaching you how to make a pizza slice made entirely out of wool! It’s truly for anyone who loves cute, wooly products. While your hands will get very wet and soapy throughout the process, with materials there to dry things up when needed, you’re sure to leave with a soft-to-the-touch result that you can be proud of – or at least evoke some fun memories. The class will be an hour and a half in duration, with products from BB Mad Designs on sale that will encourage you to make felting a new life-long hobby! Admission into the class is $10.00 per person, and $15.00 for two people – either of which you can purchase on BB Mad Designs’s website. Make sure to reserve your spot in this felting classroom if you’re interested!
Apart from this artistic learning opportunity, there is another with Tiny Makes Things’s Keyboard Keycap Making stand! Consistently fascinated with videos showcasing different ways to decorate a keyboard, especially with beautifully shaped custom keycaps? Then this is the perfect activity for you! At this year’s Friend Fest, Tiny Makes Things will be partnering up with Tiny Keyboard Shop to hold a DIY Keycap Making Station. Learn how you can turn your keyboard into a display of cute little buttons inspired by everything you like – from favorite shapes to even video game characters. The sky truly is the limit as to what kinds of keycaps you can make at their station. Admission is $10.00 per person on a first come first serve basis. It’s broken up into several sessions throughout the event’s duration with each one taking about an hour with 20 people at a time and 100-150 people overall in the day. Get ready to sculpt and bake some colorful, tiny keycaps with this special program offered at the festival.
Another crafting opportunity comes with the free SJ Made provided Friendship Bracelet Making Station also included at this upcoming Friend Fest! Have a moment of playful relaxation with your friends by taking your pick of string, beads, and charms to make a wonderful custom made bracelet themed after your strong bond! Or, if you’re celebrating solo, feel free to decorate them in the style of whatever you’re obsessed with right now. With names, song titles, celebrities, fictional characters, ship names and more, you can leave wearing a piece of handmade jewelry that lets people know what you’re loving this February!
With so much wholesome art to see and make, there’s no better way to celebrate friendship this February. So, come attend this year’s Friend Fest to immerse yourself in a wonderland of creations – nerdy and more – all made by local bay area artists!
