FAME Fest on Melrose is Served

Emily Manthei

The list of Angelenos’ favorites – fashion, art, music and eats – collide in the Melrose street fair, FAME Fest. The event, which takes place every first Thursday of the month, brings together live painting, music, exciting interactive exhibits, and to-die-for street chow in a pedestrian-only zone on Melrose between Ogden and Spaulding.

The monthly event is sponsored by Sportie LA, a chic sneaker outfitter on Melrose, and Guerilla One, a trendsetter and Angeleno culture-making blog network. Local boutiques participate by keeping their doors open late to welcome shoppers looking for the next best sweater or fall’s favorite shoes. Past pop-up collaborators have included live-painters Shelby and Sandy & Woodcraft Rangers, TheArtistMarie doing a 3D installation, musical collaborations by the Correa Brothers, DJ Hazze, Jesse Brooks, Q-Nice, Mixter Ed and DJ L.E.D., and pop-up gallery Fala Bar. The cornucopia of food trucks is sure to delight a variety of palates and budgets.

You won’t have to work hard to find something worth seeing in the two-block walking zone. Bicycle boutique Spokes N Stuff sits right at the corner while Ikon Los Angeles, American Apparel, Headline Records, Street Sounds, Scream Famous and Joyrich are on the very next block. Sit tight and have some art drawn onto your body at Golden Daggers Tattoo Studio, and even graphic design house, Haus, joins in on the collaborative art fun. Between the funky duds, up-and-coming artists, thumping music, and multi-ethnic eats, you won’t have any trouble creating a magical evening at FAME Fest.

To all those art walk enthusiasts looking for fashion to make a comeback in the art scene: Thursday is your new Friday.

FAME Fest is held every first Thursday of the month on Melrose Ave.