Discover how this pop-up market at Arleta Triangle Square is becoming a hub for local makers and musicians – and learn when it pops up next …
Behind the greenery at the corner, another Arts and Crafts Kaleidoscope market is taking place at Arleta Triangle Square.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
A small traffic island at S.E. 72nd Avenue and Woodstock Boulevard continues to evolve into a neighborhood arts hub, as the “Arts and Crafts Kaleidoscope” returns to Arleta Triangle Square for late-summer and fall markets.
Organizer Isaac Gervais, a Mount Scott – Arleta neighbor and artisan, helped revive an earlier market previously held at the site.
At the Arts and Crafts Kaleidoscope, browsers find a wide variety of locally made art and goods.
“There used to be a market that was here, and then the person that was doing it decided they couldn’t carry on anymore; and since I live in the neighborhood, I wanted to keep that going – kind of change and expand it a little bit.”
This season marks the third year for the Arts and Crafts Kaleidoscope, run by an independent committee that keeps the focus on working artists, and nearby residents.
A maker-friendly neighborhood market
Market organizer and crafter Isaac Gervais shows off one of his handmade creations during this session of the Arts and Crafts Kaleidoscope.
Gervais approaches the event as both coordinator and also as a vendor. “Yes, I make wood products and other products – all different types of things – using different types of methods from my company The Native Gift, as well as items from makers in the Navajo, Zuni, and Santa Domingo tribes,” he told East Portland News.
Gervais was selling crafts from his company, as well as items from makers in the Navajo, Zuni, and Santa Domingo tribes.
That experience helps shape vendor policies. “We tried our best to keep the rates as low as possible, and transparency about how that money is spent to help benefit the neighborhood and the vendors,” Gervais emphasized.
Vendor Gayla Assouan shows a garment she created for her company, The Mustard Seed, noting that about 90 percent of her pieces are made here, not imported.
On market days, canopies stand inside Arleta Triangle Square, visible to drivers from both S.E. 72nd Avenue and Woodstock Boulevard. Visitors stroll past booths offering:
+ Handcrafted artwork, ceramics, jewelry, textiles, and other goods
+ A featured food cart with a beer garden
+ Performances by local acoustic musicians and Portland-based DJs
Building an arts presence in outer Southeast
For Gervais, the real payoff has been watching a small concrete triangle plaza turn into a gathering place.
“The community, I guess, would be the best thing about it, in my opinion,” Gervais reflected. “Being able to kind of create that arts community in an area maybe where it hasn’t been so prevalent … to be able to kind of foster that kind of ideology and bring everybody together and bring the arts more out into a public-facing area, that’s kind of what we’re happy about doing”.
At this market, Portland-based singer-songwriter Shane Farnell, who performs as Max Band Ayds, entertains shoppers with original tunes.
The event remains free to visit and enjoy. Organizers encourage neighbors to browse, meet the makers, ask about techniques, and stay for the music and food.
Upcoming Arts and Crafts Kaleidoscope dates
The Arts and Crafts Kaleidoscope at Arleta Triangle Square runs 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on:
Saturday and Sunday, August 8 and 9
Saturday and Sunday, September 12 and 13
Saturday and Sunday, October 10 and 11
Location: Arleta Triangle Square, at S.E. 72nd Avenue and Woodstock Boulevard
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theartsandcraftskaleidoscope/
© 2026 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News™
