What to Know
- VinylFest at the Original Farmers Market
- Saturday, Dec. 7
- 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Free
- Check out a mobile recording studio, enjoy DJ sets, and shop a House of Records pop-up
Record Store Day, when we show up to "groove" to the goodness that indie music shops continually bring to our worlds, is a springtime celebration.
The auditory laudatory celebration is sweet and always anticipated, but we're all for a vinyl-tacular that "drops the needle" just ahead of the holidays. After all, it is in December when we break out some of the treasured records that once belonged to our parents or even their parents, the nostalgic albums we have to revisit every holiday season.
The team behind the Original Farmers Market knows just what we're craving, as they so often do: A free celebration devoted to music, musicians, and the timeless platters we throw — well, gently — on the hi-fi.
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The public market's first-ever VinylFest will spin on Saturday, Dec. 7, giving lovers of great tuneage a few excellent diversions and treats.
DJ music will provide the afternoon affair's scintillating soundtrack, while VinylFest's non-profit partner, Jail Guitar Doors, will be there with a mobile recording studio RV. The organization will also an exclusive posthumous release by MC5 guitarist, the legendary Wayne Kramer.
An enticing pre-release will also be in the event's spotlight — "Bare Bones" from Jerry Garcia and David Grisman — while House of Records will give shoppers the chance to peruse some classic vintage vinyl.
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Art, music, and more turn-it-up goodies of a tantalizing nature will festoon VinylFest.
Make for The Plaza area, by the clocktower, for the platter-tastic party. No reservation or ticket is required, and parking is free for 90 minutes.
And speaking of "90"... the storied shop-eat-socialize-sip wonderland is marking its 90th anniversary in 2024. The party kicked off earlier in the year, but, in true FM style, the good times are continuing with this music-centered gathering.
The vinyl celebration is an ideal meet-up between location and artistry; after all, so many bands regularly play the Original Farmers Market, for free, and countless musicians have stopped by for a bite between recording sessions.
You might even think of the market as an unofficial commissary of sorts for the many Hollywood sound studios that are just a short scootch up Fairfax Avenue.
Did a music icon devour a Du-par's short stack or Bob's apple fritter before recording the huge hit we all know? Surely many a beloved artist found sustenance over the decades, and inspiration, at the Third & Fairfax landmark.
