In with the New: A Recap of 'Festaval and Intro to Our New Stylist

It seems some big "Thank you"s are in order for all those who came out for our Grand Opening, 'Festaval! As a memorial to all the fun of that weekend, we're offering you a recap here, on our blog: 

'Festaval: Day One

The weekend kicked off with an inspiring discussion panel about Beauty & Wellness, featuring Cory, a friend and owner of the restaurant Nido, Danielle from Holy Sponge, Rachel from Fat and the Moon, and our very own Lindsay. One of our favorite parts of the talk was when one woman in the audience related her experience of going through menopause to some of the ideas about wellness that were being discussed. 

Photo Credit: Darling Dear Photography

We also had the pleasure of hearing from Feleciai from Skincare by Feleciai about the obscurities surrounding beauty products within the African American community.

  

It was awesome seeing more people show up throughout the day, some to get a hand massage from our Aveda representative, Shayla, and others to browse some of our vendors, which included the lovely ladies from Holy Sponge, Lisa Hsia, offering ink and watercolor portraits, Susan Mills, Manifesta's business strategist and owner of Well Connected Partners, and Samantha Busa, Manifesta's copywriter and social media person. Tasty refreshments were provided throughout the day by Woop Woop Fine Foods (with their brand new Manifesta Mint cookie!), Natalie from Natty Cakes, Tania and Senet providing natural juices and smoothies from Earthlings Superfoods, and Jeremy and Darren sampling their yummy sandwiches from Big Dipper's Sandwiches.

Woop Woop Fine Foods

Meanwhile, Mindy Dillard treated our ears to her singing and banjo playing.

Mindy Dillard on Banjo

Next up, Lisa Hsia gave a wonderful talk about the intersection of art and beauty. She definitely talked about stuff we can all relate to, such as how you look at a person differently when you see them on the street versus when you are trying to paint, draw, or recreate them in an artistic endeavor.

Shortly after, we hosted a Hair & Identity discussion panel featuring Kevin from Massive, Destiny, a friend and jazz musician, Darshan, a local educator and activist, and our very own Ben. It was seriously cool hearing about such diverse and unique experiences from everyone on this panel, such as when Destiny shared that she went into barbering partly so that she could learn more about men. We finished off the day with an exciting barbering battle with the barbers from Massive. There were so many participants! Everyone left the barbering battle looking hella fly, and we had a blast watching it happen!

Photo Credit: Darling Dear Photography

'Festaval: Day Two

As you know, our second day of 'Festaval was dedicated to Local Business & Community. We were very lucky to have all female entrepreneurs and business owners from the neighborhood come and speak on a morning panel with Susan. We're so proud to be amongst these incredible women! We also loved seeing so many of you shopping for products from our 'Festa partners. On day two, this included Fat and the Moon, Holy Sponge, Fluffy Co, Natty Cakes, Earthlings Superfoods, and more lunches from Big Dipper's Sandwiches. 

Holy Sponge

If you weren't out running the Manifesta Mile, you may have also caught the fabulous Joanna Mack serenading us all with her sitar skills. The day continued on peacefully until the second panel brought some serious excitement. First, we heard from Marguerite Young about the importance of water conservation right here, right now in Oakland as our urban water consumption continues to pose threats to the community. 

Finally, the big moment had arrived for the Oakland mayoral candidates Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan, Mayor-Elect Libby Schaaf, and Mayor Jean Quan to speak with us about their plans for the community. Darshan started off the panel with a fun meet-and-greet icebreaker before asking the candidates to speak their stances on important topics for small business owners in Oakland. 

If you were following us on Twitter, you may have seen that we tweeted all of the questions audience members wrote down for the mayoral candidates. 

We sincerely thank everyone who attended and participated in 'Festaval, and we hope all of you were as blown away as we were by this amazing and diverse community. We also want to give a special thank you to John and Marita Dorenbecher, who helped us promote and prepare for this whole event, and to William Lutes, who impressed us once again with his craftsmanship by building the 'Festaval stage.

Lindsay shared that her favorite part of 'Festaval was "seeing people interact who wouldn't have otherwise met." We can all agree with that, and if you find yourself interested in 'Festa, we hope you'll email us at festa.oak@gmail.com.

Meet Our New Stylist

Aside from 'Festaval, we've also been busy adding a new member to our salon team! Please join us in welcoming our new stylist Amy! Here is what we'd like you to know about this awesome lady, in her own words:

"I first moved to Oakland to earn my MFA in art. I worked for 12 years as an educator -sculpting art and minds- before beginning my second career as a hair stylist six years ago. It was through my experiences as an artist and teacher that I found 2 essential callings:

1. I need to do hands-on creative work with excellence.

2. I need to connect with people. 

I love the experience of providing a nurturing environment where people feel listened to...cared for...even transformed. The funny thing is that I also get to be transformed in that same process. Sometimes I don't know who benefits more- me or the client (but hopefully it's the client since they end up paying!). I feel grateful to do something that brings me joy. The reward of doing hair is that I get to help people look and feel renewed all day, every day...in such a simple and personal way."

Stop By for Plaid Friday

We are proud to announce that the salon will be open for Plaid Friday, November 28th, from noon until 6pm. Conceptualized in Oakland, Plaid Friday is a fun, carefree alternative to Black Friday that celebrates local, independent businesses. The name "Plaid Friday" actually comes from the imagery of plaid, the idea being that the threads of small businesses work together to create the strong fabric of a diverse community. Look for the plaid placard in our window and come enjoy refreshments as you shop the locally made products of our 'Festa partners and other local artisans. We encourage you to stop in our neighbors' shops as well!

Destiny Muhammad's 5th Annual Concert

Destiny Muhammad

Lastly, we hope that many of you attended Destiny Muhammad's 5th Annual Concert this past Sunday! Destiny is an incredible jazz musician and an even more incredible woman! If you didn't catch her speaking at 'Festaval about her experience getting to know men as a barber, we encourage you to keep up with her on Twitter or Facebook. Support your local artists!

Manifesta Invites YOU to 'Festaval!

Festivals, Cookies, and Babies, Oh My!

First thing's first... HAPPY AUTUMN!!!

Autumn is upon us and we are only ONE month away from the biggest event of the year, 'Festaval! We know so many of you are curious to learn more about this exciting event that will signify Manifesta's official launch, and so we're here with some updates to the agenda.

'Festaval Schedule

Friday, October 24th: A Day Focused on Beauty & Wellness

'Festaval will begin with a day dedicated exclusively to beauty and wellness, starting with 2 discussion panels featuring experts from all different branches of the beauty and health industries. Meanwhile, a special, local beauty expert will be speaking midday. 

The fun will really heat up towards the end of the day when we host a BARBERING BATTLE, where we will ask YOU, the audience, to vote on who cut it best!

Saturday, October 25th: A Day Focused on Local Business & Community

We have some seriously exciting updates regarding the 2 discussion panels featuring local business owners and political figures. In our efforts to bring in major political figures of interest to Oakland residents, we have invited Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, and City Council members, also Mayoral candidates, Libby Schaaf and Rebecca Kaplan to speak. We asked them because folks who work in their campaigns are among our hair clientele and have asked us personally to reach out to their candidates. All three women have added us to their calendar. We hope to see them there!

Okay, so now that we have that out there, we need your input! What are some topics you'd like to see discussed during our Saturday forum? This is your chance to have your questions about the future of Oakland small businesses and community answered by influential figures. Your interests are important to us, so please email any and all queries to Festa.OAK@gmail.com.

We'll be ending 'Festaval with the Manifesta Mile, a treasure hunt and footrace around Old Oakland neighborhood that'll result in hella cool prizes!

Calling All Musicians! Would you or someone you know like to perform for us on either or both days of 'Festaval? We're open to any genre! To apply, send your information to Festa.OAK@gmail.com.

'Festa News

Now that we have all that info out there, we've got some other super awesome updates in the way of 'Festa life. Introducing our newest 'Festa member and fellow beauty specialist, Kat! 

Kat Saldana has performed skin care and waxing rituals in the Bay Area for seven years. Her devotion to providing great service with a keen sense of beauty and style make her an excellent addition to 'Festa. Kat provides Brow Bar services every Friday from 2:30pm-7pm.

Hey cookie lovers! Everyone has a sweet tooth and 'Festa's new food pop-up kiosk is here to lay some sugar on you! Here is a little more info on what that entails:

Wednesday, 12-5pm: Natty Cakes will be occupying the kiosk with mouthwatering and beautifully designed desserts and treats. Owned by just two women, Natalie and Alicia, Natty Cakes is a small bakery that specializes in custom cookies and cookie sandwiches, but also offers delciious goodies such as cinnamon rolls, pies, cheesecakes, galettes, and more... YUM! If you have an event coming up, ask one of the Natty Cakes ladies about catering! They do pretty much any event, from birthdays and weddings to just a special night in!

Thursdays and Fridays, 10am-2:30pm: Woop Woop Fine Foods is hanging around so that you can get more of your favorite gluten-free granola!

A Manifesta Baby

You may have already heard that Manifesta has a new family member, Lindsay's newborn son Beauregard Duke Barnhardt!!! After a long labor on Labor Day Weekend, Lindsay gave birth to this precious one on the morning of August 31st. He's pretty big for a little guy, weighing in at 8 pounds and 6.5 ounces, and measuring in at just under 21 inches! Here are some adorable pictures the Baby Beau below:

Neighborly Love

Before we go, we want to give a shout out and warm welcome to Maple Street Denim! After weeks of demolition, this quality men and women's denim store has finally opened in Old Oakland. Denim never goes out of style! Shop here for personalized service and to find the best fitting jeans. They also offer other clothing. You can find Maple Street Denim on 9th Street, open Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 6pm, and on Sundays from noon until 4pm. Welcome to the hood!

Lastly, if you have any time on Saturday (Sept. 26), head down to the Oakland Music Festival! The festival was created by Alfonzo Dominguez, one of the founders of Popuphood, to whom we are super grateful for allowing us to get the salon space that is now Manifesta. Celebrate local artists in the community with some live music and delicious food!

Coming Soon: The Biggest Event of the Year!

We've been keeping it hush-hush, but now the secret is out! Announcing the biggest news of the year for Manifesta…

'FESTAVAL 

Get ready for 'Festaval, a two-day event to celebrate Manifesta's grand launch! On the 24th and 25th of October, we will be partying our hair off from 10am to 4pm, offering you discussion panels, games, activities, and contests with prizes that tie together everything that Manifesta is about: Beauty, Wellness, Oakland, and of course, You!

If you're not already as pumped as we are about this, here's a little teaser of what's to come...

Friday: A Day Focused on Beauty and Wellness

At Manifesta, we promote beauty and wellness as a result of maximizing healthy habits and practices, rather than minimizing unhealthy ones. Beauty and wellness should come from within you! But don't' take our word for it… 

On Friday, October 24th, there will be 2 discussion panels on beauty and wellness. Here you will have the chance to learn from experts in all different fields of the industry. These discussion panels will be supplemented with a special, local beauty expert as our midday guest speaker. Come listen in on the conversation!

Towards the end of the day, the salon will host a BARBERING BATTLE, where we will ask YOU, the audience, to vote on who cut it best!

Saturday: A Day Focused on Local Business and Community

You may have noticed that Oakland has been heating up in the media in the past year. That is in part thanks to all of the business owners (like us!) and community members (like you!) that make this city a wonderful place to live and work. Let's celebrate all of that together!

On Saturday, October 25th, we're excited to host 2 discussion panels featuring local business owners and political figures. We hope this will be a day for you to find out more from valuable members in the community about local issues and happenings in Oakland.

Meanwhile, bring your A-game for the Manifesta Mile, a treasure hunt and foot race around Old Oakland neighborhood with all kinds of prizes involved! The day will end with a prize ceremony and 'Festaval raffle giveaways. What could be better than that?!

More information about 'Festaval is coming soon, so stay tuned to our blog, social media, and monthly newsletter!

'FESTA NEWS

Much has been happening on the 'Festa front lately! We just had another one of our splendid Crafts and Cookies events last Sunday. If you haven't seen pictures of all the fun that went down by now, here's a few for your viewing:

English Paper Piecing by Nana

Crochet by Ben

Sunday Crafternoon!

Woop Woop Cookies and Granola? Yes Please!

Don't worry if you missed out, we have another Crafts and Cookies Sunday coming up September 14th. In the meantime, jump on the opportunity to get involved in some of the other 'Festa events we have coming up…

'FESTA SCHEDULE

Sunday, September 7th: Watercolor Techniques

On the first Sunday of September, come learn basic watercolor techniques with Ilah! This is a great class for beginners, where you can learn how to create your very own masterpiece out of beautiful gradiations and sharp edges. Watercolor painting is one of those great art skills that isn't too hard to pick up and makes for a great hobby to take your mind off things. The class begins at 1pm and costs $8 for materials. See you there!

Sunday, September 21st: Sock Monsters

Perhaps the most adorable day of crafting you'll ever experience - we bring you Sock Monsters! In this class, Ilah will teach you how to turn your old socks into adorable little creatures that make for a great gift or just a couch pillow! Bring 1-2 clean, adult-sized socks in any color that you want, and Ilah will teach you the rest. All other materials will be provided.

Please note that a full 'Festa schedule will be coming soon to the 'Festa section of our website. Until then, you can find information about upcoming classes and events on our blog, social media, and monthly newsletter.

NEW TO 'FESTA

Say "Hello!" to our newest 'Festa partner, Holy Sponge!

  

Holy Sponges are all natural and free of rayon, dioxin, and pesticide-ridden cotton.

Ladies, Sea Sponges? For Menstruation? YES! This unique, local retailer specializes in alternative feminine hygiene products that are more comfortable, convenient, and environmentally friendly. What are these so-called miracle period products? Two words: sea sponges. Holy Sponges are all natural and free of rayon, dioxin, and pesticide-ridden cotton. Not only that, but they offer other alternative products for your lady issues, such as tea for cramps. Find out how Holy Sponge can help your body by shopping their kiosk, which will be shared with Fat and the Moon.

OAK PRIDE

This month is Oakland Pride, to celebrate the cultures and diversity of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) community in Oakland and the East Bay. We can't think of a better way to end the summer! On Sunday, August 31st, come out to watch the First Annual Oakland Pride Parade - kind of a big deal! The parade kicks off at 10:30am just down the street from Manifesta, on the corner of Broadway and 14th Street. Shortly afterwards, from 11am to 3pm, keep the celebrations going at the Oakland Pride Festival. Attendees can expect to enjoy local food, drink, and live music.

This event is family friendly! The "Family & Children's Garden" offers a safe space for parents to let their children partake in activities such as pony rides, story time, bubble zone (bubbles!), and more. Join in on the fun and support the darn good cause of social equality.

ONE MORE THING…

Before we go, stop what you're doing right now and start following OaklandLocal.com! Oakland Local is a non-profit news source on all things Oakland, founded in part by Manifesta client, Susan Mernit. "Like" them on Facebook, "follow" them on Twitter - however you get your local news, do that!

A Whole Lot of July

As you may have heard by now, our Manifesta family has gotten a little bigger. Yes, we have invited Jasmine and Ben to join our team as a junior stylist and receptionist, respectively. But who are these strange, new, totally awesome personalities that you'll be seeing in the salon? Well, we hope you'll take the time to get to know them as you stop in for your appointments, but until then, here is a formal introduction:

Jasmine

Jasmine grew up in the Bay Area and is no stranger to Oakland. Her interest in hair started early on and led her to attend the Aveda Institute of San Francisco. She joins us now after saying goodbye to a salon in North Berkley. Jasmine has 6 years experience doing hair, and is an expert at doing cuts and colors. When asked what her favorite part of the job was, she replied that she loves doing fabulous blow-dries!

At Manifesta, Jasmine is available for appointment on Wednesdays and Fridays, 11am-7pm, and Saturdays, 10am-5pm. For a limited time only, you can book Jasmine at our junior stylist price point. We already love working with her, and we hope you'll book an appointment with her soon!

Ben

Meet Ben, a native of Oakland who has joined Manifesta as a receptionist. Ben comes to us as a passionate actor with an animated personality. He also works as a barista at Starbucks, and has a passion for all things coffee and tea - Seriously, ask him anything! Ben will be lighting up the salon with his presence on Wednesdays and Fridays, so please stop in and say "Hello!"

Want to know what else we have been up to this month? Keep reading!

'Festa

July has been a busy month for us. As the salon grows, 'Festa grows with it, and we're hoping that you can help us out with the second part of that. Do you know a Pilates or Yoga instructor that is interested in teaching a class at Manifesta? Oh you do? Awesome! Send them our way by emailing K.C. Lutes at festa.OAK@gmail.com.

We hope that you had a blast hanging with us on July 20th for Ilah's free crafts and cookies event. The cookies of course came from the delicious Woop Woop fine foods. We love hosting these events for you, and we hope to see you at our next FREE Crafts and Cookies event on August 17th. Same time, same place (of course)!

Coming up in September, 'Festa will have a whole slew of classes for you to choose from.

Sunday, September 7th, 1pm: The first Sunday of the month, Ilah will be teaching a Watercolor Technique class. Learn basic watercolor techniques to create beautiful gradations and sharp edges - it's not as hard as you think! At the end of the class, you'll have some basic skills and a beautiful work of art to take with you.

Sunday, September 14th, 1pm: You can also see Ilah the next Sunday for another FREE Crafts and Cookies event, where once again you can bring your own project or start a new one with Ilah's guidance.

Sunday, September 21st, 1pm: Be ready to get WILD with Sock Monsters, a class in which Ilah will be teaching you to turn old (but clean) socks into adorable stuffed creatures with a needle and thread. Create a sleeping toy for a little one you love, or accessorize your living room couch with something unique and DIY! Students should bring 1-2 clean, adult-sized socks for the class. All other materials will be provided. See you there!

This Is OAK!


Now that you know what's coming up, it's time to revisit some fun things that have been happening in the neighborhood. We hope you made it out to the book launch party of This Is Oakland: A Guide to the City's Most Interesting Places. While Manifesta wasn't featured, a bunch of our super stellar neighbors were, including Marion & Rose's Workshop, Umami Mart, The Flora Cultural Society, Crown Nine, and more! Here at the salon, we loved having a bunch of people from the launch party stop in and chat to learn more about what we do. The book is great, especially one chapter about Downtown Oakland that we particularly love and hope you'll get a chance to read.



We also had some new neighbors join us in Old Oakland this month. We were sad to say goodbye to Sobu furniture store, but really stoked to welcome Maple Street Denim, a quality, high-end jeans shop. Join us in welcoming them to the neighborhood this August!

Maple Street Denim's Demolition Process - Courtesy of Marion & Rose's Workshop Facebook

Another shop joined us as well this past month. If you haven't already, you should stop by and check out Massive, a brand new men's clothing store, art gallery, and barber shop - a pretty rad and interesting trifecta of services! Massive is located on Washington Street, just around the corner for us. We're excited to collaborate with them and bring the full spectrum of hair services to the neighborhood.

Hey! If you're going to be walking around Washington Street, you might as well grab a bite to eat at The Cook and Her Farmer. This brand new cafe, oyster, and wine bar prides itself on cultivating a creative environment for cooks and farmers alike. Oh, and did we mention that the food is delicious?

Upcoming in Oakland

Oakland is alive this August with some exciting events for us all to enjoy. This weekend, August 2nd and 3rd, is the annual Art + Soul Oakland festival! If you're looking for something to do with the whole family - this is your chance! Spend the weekend feeding your soul with mouth-watering local food, lively music, art, dance, and crafts & activities for the youngsters.

This year, Art + Soul Oakland will host its first ever Oaktown Throwdown BBQ competition. Get you stretchy pants on because this is the cook off you've been training your stomach for all summer. Professional and backyard smokers alike will come together from all over the region to feed us as they compete for cash prizes and the honorary title of "Grand Champion."

Last, but certainly not least... in fact, it's actually very, very important and exciting - August is Oakland Pride Month! We will have some things in store, and encourage you to make yourself apart of the celebratory community events (including the Parade on Labor Day weekend) as well. You can find updates and announcements on our end by staying in tune with our social media pages, Facebook and Twitter.