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Business & Tech

Abbot Kinney Festival Aims to Benefit Community, Businesses

Organizers are working with shop owners to help entice customers to the street's stores during the Sunday event.

The more than 150,000 visitors who are expected to flock to the 26th annual Abbot Kinney Festival on Sunday will be in close proximity to some of the best retail in town. 

But they aren't likely to be in search of good shopping.

If last year is any indication, most visitors will spend their time — and money — at the four music stages, two beer gardens, 25 food trucks and  nearly 375 exhibitor booths.

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Those who do have shopping on their minds might have a tough time getting through the throng to their favorite stores. 

"I don't expect a lot of sales," said Brian Lee, the owner of Milkmade, a clothing boutique on Abbot Kinney. 

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Lee isn't worried, however. He's confident that this weekend's  festival-goers will be tomorrow's shoppers.

"People can go into some stores, be introduced to the street, and someday come back," Lee said.

The festival website welcomes the "eco-conscious" attendee, and that's who Lee hopes to attract as well. 

"My core customers come to the festival," Lee said. "They could be creative directors, people who work in advertising, architecture, design. These are people who are into fashion, art and music."

Lee is serving on the festival's nine-person volunteer board and heading the festival's music committee, bringing in acts such as local musicians Joey Ryan and Matt Ellis to play on the stage that Milkmade is sponsoring.  

"It's our second anniversary, and I just want to give back to the community," Lee said. 

The number of sponsors has doubled this year, according to Melissa Richardson Banks, the festival's director of marketing. Her firm, CauseConnect, selects only sponsors that reflect the Venice community, either through their products, their image or their services. (Full disclosure: Venice Patch is one of the event sponsors.)

"We try to find the best relationship possible," said Richardson Banks. "And we are in the enviable position of selecting the best of the best." 

Event producer Kim Sharp said organizers try hard to work with store owners. 

 "We will work very carefully on booth placement," Sharp said. "I'm very proud that people want to be a part of it."

To help cut down on traffic congestion, organizers suggest attendees ride their bicycles to the festival. Bike valet stations will operate at the Electric Lodge on Electric and Millwood avenues, on Electric Avenue and Broadway Street, and at Westminster Elementary School.

Each year, money raised from exhibitor fees, sponsor funds and sales of festival merchandise goes toward community grants that benefit youth organizations and area beautification projects.

Last year the Abbot Kinney Festival raised $50,000 for its grant programs, partly because 90 percent of the workers were volunteers, organizers said.

Costs this year have been higher, due to the financial crisis in the city of Los Angeles, but this year's festival will be bigger than ever. The commitment to raising money for the grants remains strong. 

"It's really the best of the best of what Venice can be," Richardson Banks said. 

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