This my 8th year participating as a vendor in the Telegraph Ave Holiday Street Fair. This fair is a Berkeley tradition that began 42 years ago & it's become apart of my Christmas tradition. My station was on the street in front of Rasputin on Channing & Telegraph.

I actually began my services as a Tarot reader 8 years ago at this fair. As well as reading Tarot for folks out in the streets, I also set up my merch. I sell my visual art, music catalog & swag. Plus I sell my wife's art & crafts. Her earrings have become a hit especially the tape cassette earrings.

It's a lot of energy & work selling at the Telegraph Ave Holiday Street Fair but it's such a wonderful experience. Back to back days hitting the fair, set up with all the other vendors. Go back home tired & come back early the next day barely rested to do the damn thang again. But the Holiday cheer is in the air. Haha! Yeah that ol' Cris Cringle yafeelme?? Plus I love connecting with people in real time. It gets me off these cockblockin' algorithm ruled social med apps & in person with the people where I can see them face to face. The human interaction & connection is so fulfilling. I get to see their eyes light up with amusement as they check out my crazy art pieces. I get to sit down & have real meaningful, spiritual experiences with people, mainly strangers I'm meeting for the first time & read the Tarot. Every time I read the Tarot, I get to witness something Divine. I'm always learning new things about the Tarot & how the Divine likes to communicate the more I continue reading for people. And I get to make paper off of what I love. Which is validating. Some paper is great validation to keep on going doing what you love to do.

The Telegraph Ave Holiday Street Fair is something I inherited through my family with my wife ZiZi. She was a vendor for many years long before I hit the ave. It's apart of our connection too. She doesn't set up these days but I hold it down & rep for us both. This year, she pulled up with my son Montez & that was the icing on the cake.

I set up two weekends in a row but I took the last weekend off due to rain. I didn't wanna chance it with the on & off showers & risk gettin' all my fly shit rained on. But that's just how it goes. It was a bit of a bummer for me to make that decision but that's only ‘cuz I love settin' up at the Telegraph Ave Holiday Street Fair so much.

Hopefully I'll see y'all out there next year becuz you know I'll be back.

one love,

-Señor Gigio