Patchwork Show at Marine Stadium Is Long Beach's Makers Market Near Me

The Saturday after Thanksgiving, when most of Los Angeles is fighting for parking at a mall, Long Beach has a better plan. Patchwork Show sets up along the water at Marine Stadium on Saturday, November 28, 2026, from 11am to 5pm, with the parking lot address listed as 490 Bay Shore Avenue. Organizers call it their largest and longest-running show: juried local makers, junior artists, live music, artisan food, food trucks and DIY crafting, all free to attend. If makers market near me means somewhere you can bring the dog and ride your bike, start here.

Patchwork began in Orange County in 2007 as what its team calls the county's first alternative craft fair. Founder Nicole Stevenson, who ran a handmade clothing line called Random Nicole, was tired of hauling her goods to big-city craft fairs. The show's own FAQ tells how she and her aunt, Delilah Snell, who ran an eco-shop in Santa Ana, staged the first Patchwork in that shop's parking lot; the About page puts the first lineup at just 25 vendors. The company behind it is now Dear Handmade Life, which also runs the Craftcation conference.

Over two decades Patchwork has popped up in Culver City, San Pedro, El Segundo, Oakland, Sacramento and more, then trimmed back to fewer locations. Long Beach is the one that stuck. The team describes itself as queer and allied-owned, woman-owned and 95 percent-plus woman-run, offers up to seven booth scholarships each season for makers from underrepresented communities, and donates a share of proceeds to The Trevor Project and The Loveland Foundation.

Vendors are chosen through a jury process, and the mix is broad: clothing, handbags, accessories, jewelry, art, ceramics, home goods, plush, crochet and knit pieces, pet gear, kits and patterns, and apothecary products. Patchwork tends to skew playful and colorful rather than minimal, so this is a good hunting ground for gifts for kids and for friends who like things with personality.

The junior artists section is worth seeking out. Young makers run their own booths, and buying a sticker sheet or a pair of earrings from a ten-year-old is one of the nicer moments of the holiday season. Food trucks and artisan food vendors take care of lunch, and live music plays through the afternoon.

Each Patchwork location has its own craft activities, and most projects are free unless noted, with some carrying a tip or donation jar. The organizers post the list of crafts and special experiences, along with the event and parking maps, on their Instagram a few weeks before the show, so check their feed in mid-November if you want to plan around a particular workshop.

Crafting tables are busiest from noon to 3pm. With younger kids, aim for the first hour, when there is less of a wait, or the last hour, when parents with nappers have headed home. Let the kids choose one project and stick with it; the activities are designed to be finished on the spot, so you leave with something made, not a half-glued kit.

Patchwork only allows dogs at its outdoor shows, and Long Beach qualifies. The show is promoted as pet and bike friendly, which makes it one of the few craft fairs in Los Angeles County where a leashed dog is part of the plan rather than a problem. Keep leashes short around the ceramics and the food trucks, and bring water, since the grass and paths by the channel warm up in the afternoon sun.

Riding in is encouraged. The show runs a bike valet, so you can park your bike with staff instead of hunting for a rack. The flat bike paths around Alamitos Bay, Naples and the beach make Marine Stadium easy to reach from Belmont Shore, and arriving by bike means you skip the slow exit from the lot at 5pm.

Marine Stadium is not a stadium in the usual sense. It is a long, calm rowing channel built for the rowing events of the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, and it still serves rowing clubs, paddlers and water skiers today. The banks are lined with grass and palms, which is why the show feels more like a picnic than a fair. On a clear November day, you will see rowers and kayakers on the water between booths.

The location also puts you a short ride from some of Long Beach's best strolling. Naples, the canal neighborhood on the islands across the bay, is a pleasant loop on foot. Second Street in Belmont Shore, a few minutes away, is the city's main independent shopping street, with cafes, bakeries and boutiques, and it gets busy on Small Business Saturday.

Doors open at 11am and close at 5pm, one day only. The first hour is the time for one-off ceramics and jewelry, and the early afternoon brings the biggest crowd and the liveliest music. Sunset in late November comes before 5pm, so the light by the channel is at its best around 4pm, a good moment for one last lap.

Patchwork happens rain or shine. A wet November Saturday is rare in Long Beach, but if it does rain, expect fewer shoppers and makers who are glad to see you. Allow about two hours to see the whole show, plus time for a craft and lunch.

Most makers take cards, but a little cash is handy for food trucks and craft tip jars. Bring a sturdy tote or a bike basket, since many booths hand over purchases in paper. If you are buying for the holidays, ask makers whether they take custom orders or ship; late November leaves just enough time for a personalized piece before Christmas, and many Patchwork vendors sell online all year.

Address: Marine Stadium, 490 Bay Shore Avenue (parking), Long Beach, CA 90803. Date and hours: Saturday, November 28, 2026, 11am to 5pm. Entry: free, family friendly, rain or shine. Pets: dogs welcome at this outdoor show. Bikes: bike valet on site. Event and parking maps: posted on Patchwork Show's Instagram a few weeks before the show. Organizer: Dear Handmade Life, which also runs Patchwork Show in Tustin on November 22 and Ventura on December 6.