AniMarketplace 2023 took place on Sunday, December 17, 2023 in Little Tokyo. As one of the event coordinators, I felt the need to document this event for my personal blog. This annual artist market takes place annually in downtown Los Angeles. This is the first time AniMarketplace held their artist market during the winter time, making it viable to also serve as a holiday shopping venue.
The event had about 400+ unique attendees and about 100 or so artists tabling. Admission was about $10 to attend the event. In addition to shopping at the artist market, there were also local idol performers such as Berry, Deco Pro, Hamu Cotton, System Live, Maid Academy Cafe, etc. Tune in Tokyo provided Citypop vibes as people shopped.
This even also brought in cosplayers in the area. Despite the chilly weather, a few people showed up in the afternoon to show off their costumes.
Additionally, there was a cosplay contest hosted by Rika Chuu and judged my Luluko-hime and Dame Scarlet Aznable (aka your’s truly). The contest was fairly low key at about 20 entries focusing on craftsmanship and stage performance.
The Little Tokyo location is fairly central to Southern California anime enthusiasts. However, folks did disagree of a charge for the event given that it was out in the open in Little Tokyo. Perhaps industry sponsorships might be viable for the continued success of this event.
To learn more about AniMarketplace, you can follow them on their Instagram here. I certainly hope we can continue to be of service to local and upcoming artists in giving them a space and a community here. One of the reasons why I joined AniMarketplace leadership was the “by fans for fans” vision they encompass.
Written by Dame Aznable
IG: @damescarletaznable
Twitter: @dameaznable
TikTok: @damescarletaznable