Mark your calendars, Craftchella will be hosted on October 12th 2024 from 10am to 4pm! Craftchella is an extremely popular annual event held on Kadena Air Base.
What is Craftchella?
As its name exemplifies, it is a craft fair with a festival “Coachella-inspired vibe.” There are bountiful local food trucks, live music, and performers, in a family friendly atmosphere. Craftchella is a great way to connect with the local community and meet people who share similar interests. It’s also a fantastic chance to experience the unique culture and creativity that Okinawa has to offer.
The Kadena Arts and Crafts Center opens its doors to patrons and hosts activities for individuals of all ages. Some events include workshops where you can learn new skills or techniques from experienced crafters. This might include anything from painting to pottery.
What Will be There
At Craftchella, you will find a wide range of booths featuring everything from handmade jewelry and crafts to art prints, clothing, and home décor. It’s a great opportunity to support local artists and small businesses.
This year, there will be several new and returning popular Shop Oki merchants ready to blow you away with their talent. Here are some of this year’s talented vendors:
- Craft Junkie: A eclectic collection of Okinawa inspired novelties and custom-made projects.
- Creations By Rayeline: Fall and Halloween inspired apparel, tumblers, and stationaries.
- Infinity Apparel Kids Boutique: Hand-sewn Halloween and Fall Apparel for kids Newborn-Youth sizes and a diverse selection of hair bows and accessories.
- Pono Prints: Digital art inspired by the spirit of aloha and the beauty of Okinawa.
- Rita’s Little Studio: Original hand-painted water colored Okinawa inspired art prints, bookmarks, greeting cards, and stickers.
- The Rusty Thicket: A quirky twist on hand-painted water colored designs aimed to cherish the “lesser loved” critters and plants of the world.
Overall, Craftchella is celebrated for its vibrant and welcoming environment, making it a fun and engaging event for both residents and visitors at Kadena Air Base. By attending, you are supporting local artisans and small businesses, which can have a positive impact on the local economy and help keep unique crafts alive. I look forward to seeing you there!
If you’re interested in participating in crafts yourself, we highly recommend checking out this Facebook page and attending some of their classes!
Looking for more? Check out these other popular articles on shopping in Okinawa
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Athens E. Pellegrino grew up in Ocean City, New Jersey. She attended St. Joseph’s
University and obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. Athens met her
husband Christopher while attending the university and married in 2009. After, she
studied at Troy University and received a Master of Public Administration degree.
Athens serves a Contract Specialist for the Marine Corps Installation Pacific (MCIPAC)
Regional Contracting Office She has a love for traveling, cooking, dogs and fitness.
Athens and Christopher have a son, Atticus (age 5), and two daughters, Callista (age 4)
and Ella (age 2). The family has experienced 8 Permanent Change of Station (PCS)
assignments. Athens is intrigued by the strength and resiliency of military families which
led to her creation of the Military Child Chronicles series. The first book is Mission: My
First PCS followed by Mission: Mistletoe. She was most recently recognized as the
Armed Forces Insurance Kadena Air Base Military Spouse of the Year 2023. Athens and
her family recently relocated to Okinawa, Japan.
