Barbara Falconer Newhall

Veteran journalist Barbara Falconer Newhall riffs on life as she knows it.

To the Himalayas and Back — In a Day and Duty Free

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An array of wood carvings of gods and goddesses including buddha and ganesh on display table at Himalayan Fair Berkeley, May 2014. Photo by BF Newhall
An array of wood carvings of gods and goddesses, including contemplative Buddhas, a laughing Buddha and a Ganesh, were for sale at the 2014 Himalayan Fair. Photo by BF Newhall

By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Bay Area residents — it’s not too late to catch this year’s Himalayan Fair at Live Oak Park in Berkeley. Today’s the second and last day of the annual celebration of the cultures of Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan and North India — and a terrific shopping opportunity.

The food is great — long lines for those soul-satisfying momo dumplings. Also definitely worth

Hundreds of people at the Himalayan Fair 2014 gathered for music, dance, food and handmade crafts. Photo by BF Newhall
Hundreds showed up on Saturday for music, dance, food and handmade goods. Photo by BF Newhall

a day trip to Berkeley: the good prices on jewelry, ethnic clothing, silk and pashmina scarves, antique carpets, prayer beads and flags, thangkas, carved wooden gods and goddesses — and hand-made just about everything.

Can’t make it this year? Watch for the 32nd annual Himalayan Fair next year.

More stories about my favorite places at “Quirky, Loveable Austin, Texas,”  “Four Good Reasons to Go to Atotonilco, Mexico,”  and  “Am I Scotch* — Or Midwestern?”

A woman in a red shirt sits in the sun at Berkeley's Himalayan Fair holding a yellow parasol over her head. Photo by BF Newhall
At the Himalayan Fair: A woman with a yellow parasol . . .
A thangka depicting a Buddha with blue skin at Himalayan Fair Berkeley. Photo by BF Newhall
. . . and a Buddha with blue skin. Photos by BF Newhall

 

Himalayan Fair
Sunday, May18, 2014, 10 am to 5:30 pm, Live Oak Park, 1301 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA. Admission is free.

Kathmandu artist in his stall at Himalayan Fair Berkeley 2014 with dozens of thangkas from Nepal. Photo by BF Newhall
Kathmandu artist and shopowner Akka Lama makes the trip each year to the  fair. This year he brought dozens of hand-painted Buddhist thangkas. In the foreground, the goddess White Tara with traditional cloth framing. Photo by BF Newhall
A brightly colored geometric Anatolian handwoven carpet with gold, blue, red, black and white elements on sale for $400 at the Himalayan Fair, Berkeley CA, 2014. Photo by BF Newhall
Anatolian handwoven long carpet, $400.
wool children's slippers from nepal $5 from a closed Nepal store that has closed in San Francisco's North Beach. Photo by BF Newhall
Thick wool children’s slippers, Nepal, $5
Orange and yellow beaded necklaces from the Himalayas were selling for $5 to $20 at the Himalayan Fair in Berkeley, CA, 2014. Photo by BF Newhall
Beaded necklaces $5 to $20. Photos by BF Newhall

 

Colorful, one-of-a-kind wool scarves boiled and embroidered were $65 each at the Himalayan Fair 2014. Photo by BF Newhall
One-of-a-kind wool scarves are first boiled to soften them, then embroidered, $65 each. Photos by BF Newhall
Tibetan traditional flowered blouse, silk skirt and heavy silk striped apron, $95 at the Himalayan Fair Berkeley, 2014. Photo by BF Newhall
Tibetan traditional flowered blouse, silk skirt and heavy silk striped apron, $95 at the Himalayan Fair Berkeley, 2014.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yamantaka, fierce and blue faced Destroyer of the God of Death in Tibetan Buddhist tradition, detail of hand-painted thangka from Nepal. Photo by bf newhall
The god Yamantaka, detail of a hand-painted thangka from Nepal. Photo by BF Newhall

 

Filed Under: A Case of the Human Condition

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