Intro
I attended San José Made’s Friend Fest for the very first time this past weekend and had the greatest time ever! While I had never attended a craft fair before, having only attended anime conventions thus far, I knew this event would feature artists who create fanart found at Artist Alleys but mixed in with other artists displaying their original pieces. Having planned this out for a couple of weeks as a proud supporter of both, I could not wait to see the beautiful displays of artwork created by local artists across the bay area. I am so happy to report that, not only did the event not disappoint, it immensely surpassed my expectations. Follow along to see how much fun you could have at Friend Fest as a nerd too!
Pre-Arrival
While this craft fair is open all weekend, I was only able to attend the Saturday opening on my own. Friend Fest is a general art fair open for all local artists to put themselves out there but, in preparation to interact with the nerdy art community who would also make an appearance, I got dressed up in my new Fullmetal Alchemist sweater and brought my matching Winry tote bag to carry all the items I’d get. Driving by San Jose’s South Hall Convention Center, my excitement immediately amplified at the sight of the folding sidewalk signs displaying the ever-appealing Friend Fest poster for this year. I arrived an hour into the event, and it already seemed so busy with people which was a curiously enticing sight for a first timer.
Entrance
After getting dropped off, I entered the doors and went through security with ease. From there, I stood in awe at the sheer enormity of the event and the apparent turnout before me. In the best way possible, I truly did not know where to begin! I decided to make my way over to the right, where I passed by the comforting sight of an information booth as well as a small first aid center – both with signs that matched the theme of the Friend Fest poster aesthetic.
Immediately, I then came across the art stand for Emilieevo who sold all kinds of nerdy art for so many anime and video games that I loved! This included a Sonic art print, swing set standees for Fullmetal Alchemist and My Hero Academia, and even music boxes for different Studio Ghibli films. I had recognized the Fullmetal Alchemist swing set standee from her Etsy shop a while back, so I was so delighted to see it displayed in person! However, I felt pleasantly conflicted in choosing which one to get. I did not know she had made other swing set standees, let alone one themed after my other favorite anime. It was at that moment that I decided to take a proper look at the entire fair, seeing everything each stand had to offer first by going around the building’s perimeter then snaking my way through the middle rows.
Round 1
While that was my attempt to be strategic, there were a few stands with items that I simply could not pass up and eagerly purchased right on the spot. It did not even take too long for that to happen as, just a few steps later, the art stand for Bionyo Illustrations had caught my eye in a unique way. They had some of the coolest Soul Eater items I had ever seen! The sight was quite a shock as it’s pretty hard to find merch for this fan-favorite anime given how old it is. Still, there were tote bags and stickers with designs of the characters drawn in such a cute yet edgy art style – which suits the show perfectly. While purchasing the sticker sheet with the artist’s manager, I asked if they had any Soul Eater prints as well. I was delighted to hear her say that she was making them as we were speaking! Additionally, her manager also told me that they included a mini print of a cute little fog character with my purchase as well. Moments of awe such as this one, I think, is part of what makes local artists so amazing.
Continuing my journey throughout the rest of the event’s layout, I had a lot of fun seeing all the amazing art displayed across so many kinds of stands. Just by making my way through the perimeter, I was able to see so much! There was everything from cute mugs and magnets handmade out of pottery, funny stickers, crochet decor, apparel with adorable designs sewn into them, art prints, handmade jewelry, bags, charms, and a lot more! Apart from fan art for nerdy media, I also adored seeing all the original pieces from the artists on display. Outside of everything I previously mentioned, there were things like greeting cards with puns of the cute animals drawn on them, little clay figurines, art prints of cool scenery and simple objects, and patches with retro designs and cool messages.
Given how similar this felt to an anime convention, it also surprised me to see a whole section of stands dedicated to small food businesses as well. Some were selling savory items that would fill you up for the event, while others were selling sweeter delicacies like intricately designed mooncakes. There’s hardly ever any good food options for any convention you go to, so to see such an array of appealing food stands that were displayed the same way as those for the local art is something that gives this event a unique flair.
The variety in art only proliferated as I snaked my way through the middle rows, where I soon spotted the art stand for Striped Pants. This was another station that I made an immediate purchase from as the sight of her Shadow the Hedgehog and Soul Eater end credits art prints caught my eye so dramatically, I basically stopped in my tracks. I couldn’t help complimenting her art while I purchased these from her, which made for such a delightful interaction.
While the turnout and layout for this craft fair made it pretty crowded to move through, I managed to explore the entire convention center quite efficiently. With a mental note of different art stands I wanted to come back to, at this time, I knew I wanted to purchase one of the swing set standees from Emilieevo. After some debate, I decided to get the cute My Hero Academia one featuring the big three as little kids fighting during lunch time on a swinging bench.
After making the purchase, I admitted to recognizing the Fullmetal Alchemist swing set standee from her Etsy shop. I also ended up confessing that her standees were so cute that I had to make my way around the con to make a final decision. She seemed delighted to hear this and said that she actually had not listed the My Hero Academia standee on her shop. Getting the chance to buy from her in person knowing the item was exclusive was super cool and made me feel happier with my purchase. With a final compliment for her Fullmetal Alchemist art, I headed off in the same path for a second round.
Round 2
With a few stands I had in mind to visit again, I didn’t find myself getting tired of seeing all that was on display here at the event at all. In fact, looking at everything a second time allowed me to see special artworks I missed the first time! I actually ended up doing this for Geo Monjes when I came back for another look at their eye-catching original artwork. I specifically purchased their alluring mini prints of a truck parked at a harbor while a cruise ship leaves in the distance and an 8-bit pinky promise under a starry sky. On top of this though, I also ended up complimenting them for the retro art prints they had promoting different Filipino dishes! I was very tempted to get them as I appreciated that being Filipino American was something the artist and I had in common. They ended up giving me a ton of compliments for my sweater in return! All of this made for quite a memorable interaction.
Afterwards, I came back to the art stand for Kahel to buy her Soul Eater charm that had my two favorite characters on it – Soul and Maka. On top of collecting stickers, I’ve started collecting these too ever since I gave in on the Toilet-Bound Hanako-Kun charms from Hype Con. If you’re curious about that experience as well, you can read all about it right here! Buying this charm also came with its own silly interaction as a nearby attendee seemed shocked and amazed at me for buying Soul Eater merch in 2025. Even as I’m writing this, that moment is still making me giggle on the inside.
With that purchase, I finished making my way through the entire convention center a second time. It was at this point that I found myself right by the area where all the special programming was taking place. This includes BB Mad Designs’ felting class, Tiny Makes Things’ keyboard keycap making sessions, and the booming photo booth by Y2K Glam Shotz. I was pretty impressed that they were able to fit all of that in one general area near the convention center’s end. Taking a look from afar, I also thought it was nice that this was happening alongside everything else at the fair. It truly looked like another great opportunity for everyone to enjoy themselves in camaraderie – which is quite fitting for a celebration of friendship.
Round 3
Standing there, I also felt pretty set on all the items I got but gave myself room to wonder if there was anything else I wanted to come back and see again. So, I took it upon myself to wander all around for a third time, but going in random directions depending on what piqued my interest. This is where I ended up coming across the art stand for Kelsie Kishi Draws, where they displayed a ton of cool art of their own characters as well as Disney Princesses in their art style. There was a beautiful warrior with long white hair that caught my eye since she reminded me of a character from my own creative projects. I ended up buying a postcard print of her for inspiration.
Looking through all the nooks and crannies while exploring aimlessly slowly made me want to purchase more and more. After all, everything looked so amazing and managed to get better with each stand I passed. One that really stood out to me was the stand for Yours Truly, Mary Anne for her variety of items with simplistically gentle mental health reminders. With that though, I decided to leave the event before I went too crazy. Driving back home, I felt completely satisfied with the experience as well as everything I ended up getting.
Conclusion
I am absolutely passionate about supporting small businesses and have an immense love for local artists, so naturally, going to Friend Fest 2025 for the first time was utterly extraordinary. The organizers did such a great job maintaining the overall theme of the event as, from the visuals to the atmosphere, everything felt so cute and wholesome. Although it was quite crowded when moving between spaces, if you’re anything like me, you’ll be in too much awe at all the amazing art surrounding you to even mind that much. As a matter of fact, these crowds are also where you’ll see so many sweet interactions between friends. I still remember seeing friend groups walking to the fair in matching bright and bubbly clothes, pairs in line at the photo booth, and walking past some who were introducing themselves to other mutual friends with such kind smiles.
Even if you come alone for only one of the days like I did, you’re sure to have such amazing interactions getting to meet all the wonderful people behind such eye-catching artwork. It made me so happy to run into several vendors who complimented my Fullmetal Alchemist outfit as well since I am always excited to meet more fans of the anime. It’s such a great place to make friends who are into the same nerdy things as you are and overall, just surround yourself with good vibes created by such lively like minded individuals.
If this all sounds up your alley, I truly couldn’t recommend attending SJ Made’s annual Friend Fest enough. While there is a whole year left for us to wait until the next Friend Fest event, SJ Made holds all kinds of events with different themes throughout the year to help local artists in the bay area connect with their community in the same way. You can find updates for when and where these events will take place on the official SJ Made website or by following them on their Instagram. I know I’m going to start attending more of SJ Made’s events after this fun and endearing artistic celebration of friendship. Hopefully, I’ll see you there too!
