ONLY IN PASADENA
Really, Really Free Market (Photo – Maelane Chan).
There’s an event in Pasadena that has a sale where everything is 100% off and returns are hassle free!
By Jessica Woo
The “Really Really Really Free Market” at Pasadena Repair Café is a place where you can take something you can use, and leave something you don’t use for someone to take. Sounds like a nifty idea? There’s more.
Repair Cafe at the Shed, 2015 (Photo – Maelane Chan)
Repair, repair and repair, all for free
Pasadena Repair Café is a free meeting place where you can repair things (sometimes together.) From clothes, furniture, electrical appliances, bicycles, appliances, toys, et cetera, you’re bound to find expert volunteers with repair skills in all kinds of fields.
You often hear someone saying: “I can’t believe the guy who built the Mars Rover just fixed my electric shaver!” Visitors bring their broken items from home, and volunteer specialists do their best to repair them, all done for free. While you’re waiting, or if you have nothing to repair, you can enjoy a cup of tea or coffee, or lend a hand with someone else doing a repair.
The Pasadena Repair Cafe is run at a different venue each time. The first Repair Café of 2016 will be held at Throop Theater in the heart of Downtown Pasadena. Tinkers and tailors will be available to fix your items for free, or in exchange of Time Dollars (see The Arroyo S.E.C.O. Network of Time Banks) or donation. Of course, there’s always the “Really Really Free Market” table where you can browse and exchange items.
Scoops Adamczyk (Caltech) oversees tinkers and repairs (Photo – Maelane Chan).
Here’s what to expect:
- Tinkers for electronics and appliances.
- Tailors.
- Massage chair.
- Bike repair.
- Knife sharpening.
- Silver polishing.
- Lanscape advising.
- Piano singing.
- Jewelry repair
- Really, Really, Free Market, where everything is free for the sharing.
January Nordman (L), co-caretaker of Throop Learning Garden, at Repair Cafe seed exchange, 2015 (Photo _ Maelane Chan).
What’s new?
- 9:30 pm – 10:30pm: Pu-er Tea Appreciation by Patti Harrison, a tea expert that will enlighten on the history and enjoyment of this mysterious tea.
- 1:00 pm – 2:0pm: Tree pruning workshop lead by George Patton, lifelong garden learner, teacher, and radio personality.
- Repair Cafe Pasadena was presented last December in Paris, France at COP 21, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, by Rob Hopkins, Transition Towns founder, as one of his 21 stories from Transition Towns around the world. A book commemorating the event will be sold at this event for $10.
There will also be a seed exchange, plant exchange and lots of learning opportunities. The whole experience feels like a small fair.
Repair Cafe 2016
Parking
Throop Parking lot only holds around 20 cars. You are encouraged to use the parking lot for unloading, then park on the adjacent streets. (Watch for parking limits as most of the neighborhood has a two-hour parking limit).
Time, day and location
Check out the time, day and location of the first Repair Cafe of 2016 here, plus other future Repair Cafe events in Pasadena.
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