🎨 CUTENESS OVERLOAD IN MARIKINA?! The MARTS: Kakkoii & Kawaii Market Is Every Artist’s Dream 😱💖 What do you get when you mix anime-core art, cottagecore crafts, and a sea of pastel-wearing creatives in one free-for-all weekend? Absolute magic and no, I’m not exaggerating. The MARTS: Kakkoii & Kawaii is back this July 26–27 at Riverbanks Center in Marikina, and if you miss it, you’re gonna regret it faster than you can say “Add to cart.”
Set inside the Outlet Avenue Event Area at Riverbanks Center (aka one of Marikina’s most criminally underrated venues), The MARTS is giving free-entry, high-quality vibes, and a main character energy that hits you the second you step in. Picture this: rows of booths decorated like your Pinterest board came to life, local artists dressed like their OCs, resin charms twinkling in the sunlight, and sticker sheets that make your inner 13-year-old scream.
Now let’s get real Filipino artists? Criminally underrated. And events like these? Absolute lifelines for creatives trying to get noticed in a world still obsessed with trending TikTok dances and AI-generated “art.” This market isn’t just cute it’s a counterculture. It’s the rebellion of the handmade. It’s the kawaii uprising.
You’ll meet artists who’ve built entire worlds with clay and brush pens, crafters who pour love (and sometimes literal glitter) into every handmade pin or keychain. Expect to see fandom merch, hand-sewn plushies, custom sketch commissions on the spot, and, yes, that one booth with mysterious frogs in teacups that you can’t explain but need immediately.
And let’s not pretend we’re just here for the merch. You’re going for the energy. These markets aren’t just about buying stuff they’re community therapy. You’ll see people complimenting each other’s outfits, exchanging socials, and maybe even forming future collabs or commissions. For introverts and extroverts alike, it’s the perfect low-stakes high-reward social playground.
Oh, and the name? Kakkoii means “cool,” Kawaii means “cute,” and together they perfectly sum up the aesthetic schizophrenia we all embody. One moment you’re admiring a gothic enamel pin shaped like a broken heart, the next you’re giggling over a handmade plush pancake keychain with a smiling face. Duality is the vibe and honestly, it’s healing.
For those wondering: yes, there will be food. And yes, you’ll spend way more than you planned. But every peso you drop here supports someone’s passion, someone’s art degree, someone’s therapy session in clay form. This is how we keep the local art scene alive by showing up, shouting out, and shopping small.
Let’s also give a huge shout-out to the people behind the scenes Taiyo and Riverbanks Center for making this chaos possible. Without organizers who actually get the scene, we’d be stuck with the same old mall expos that smell like folding chairs and desperation. Instead, we get sunlight, fresh air, good vibes, and a free entry pass to an aesthetic wonderland.
So yeah, come July 26–27, skip your usual weekend plans. Don’t doomscroll your life away. Go to The MARTS. Take pics. Meet artists. Support small businesses. Cry over handmade notebooks you didn’t know you needed. And leave with your tote bag full and your heart fuller.
Because at the end of the day, this isn’t just a market it’s a movement. And the only question left is: are you gonna be part of it or just scroll past and miss out?
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