[photo credit: Eventbrite]
AKASSA, an organization that curates markets featuring exclusively Asian American and Pacific Islander and women-owned vendors, will host its Lunar New Year celebration at Whimsy Pasadena on Saturday, January 31.
The free, three-hour market—running from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.—features more than 20 small makers selling handmade goods, with each vendor pledging a portion of their sales to a charity still to be announced. RSVP is requested through Eventbrite.
The event takes place about two and a half weeks before the official start of Lunar New Year on February 17, which ushers in the Year of the Fire Horse—a combination that occurs once every 60 years.
AKASSA—pronounced “uh-KAH-sah”—has hosted a dozen markets across Southern California since 2023, with past charity beneficiaries including the Center for Pacific Asian Families and the Asian Mental Health Collective.
“All the vendors will feature work created by the vendors, with no resellers,” AKASSA co-founder Ashlee Lam said in an interview with LA Downtown News in August 2024. “A big difference with our market is that we always give back to charity.”
The minimum vendor pledge is 5 percent of sales, according to the organization’s vendor application materials.
Typical offerings at AKASSA markets include jewelry, ceramics, stationery, illustrations, and artisanal treats—all handmade by the vendors themselves.
“I started AKASSA because I wanted to spotlight this creative talent and share it with the community, while also giving back to those who are in need,” Lam said in the same interview.
The market includes hands-on craft activities, and attendees are encouraged to wear traditional cultural attire—such as the Vietnamese ao dai or the Chinese qipao—to celebrate the holiday.
The first 200 attendees who check in with their Eventbrite RSVP will receive freebies, according to the event listing.
Whimsy Pasadena is located at 40 Mills Place, a 2,000-square-foot event space in the heart of Old Town Pasadena. The venue is wheelchair accessible and located between parking structures that offer the first 90 minutes free. The area is also served by two Gold Line metro stops and major bus lines.
AKASSA Lunar New Year Makers Market takes place Saturday, January 31, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Admission is free; RSVP is requested through Eventbrite. The market will be held at Whimsy Pasadena, 40 Mills Place in the heart of Old Town Pasadena. Parking is available in nearby structures that offer the first 90 minutes free. For more information, visit akassa.co. The charity beneficiary and vendor lineup will be announced on AKASSA’s Instagram page at @akassaco.
