UKIAH, CA., 3/30/26 – The Lot on Main arts and culture market, which is held annually in an outdoor parking lot in downtown Ukiah, is returning Friday to kick off its premiere event of the season.
The outdoor arts and culture market will present musical performances, food and drink trucks, and more than 20 local vendors selling art and other goods at the same time as Ukiah’s First Friday art walk.
The Lot will hold its first event of the season at 5 p.m. Friday at its outdoor venue at 200 N. Main St. Ukiah-based band Weevilism, which plays indie rock, will be performing at the event.
According to Nick Johnson, the original founder and one of the organizers of The Lot, the outdoor market is held every year from the months of April to October on the first Friday of each month.
However, Johnson noted that The Lot organizers are receptive to holding events in partnership with local organizations during other months of the year. Other events that Johnson has hosted at The Lot include local metal music performances and seed exchange events.
“We hustle and bustle for the sunny season, spring through fall, but we are always open to doing other things,” Johnson said in an interview.
According to Johnson, The Lot was granted nonprofit status earlier this year, which means it will be easier for the market to receive grants and tax-deductible contributions to support its monthly operations.
Johnson, who graduated from Willits High School and later spent time in Southern California and New Mexico, has said that his time in those regions influenced him to create The Lot on Main. Johnson said those areas showed him a mix of vibrant nightlife, arts and culture that he wanted to bring to downtown Ukiah.
Another key organizer of the market is Nova Medina, a local artist and gardener who also attended Willits High School. Medina handles most of the social media production and videography for The Lot, helping the market attract attendees and inform community members of its event schedule.
Having a significant online footprint can also help The Lot receive more funding, which, according to Johnson and Medina, the organization always needs. Johnson said now that the organization is a certified nonprofit, they are hoping to garner more funding and hold more events.
“We want to get an event tent and have events year-round, so we can continue to do the thing throughout the year,” Johnson said.
The first rendition of The Lot was held in September 2022. Johnson said that when the festival first began, only about six vendors sold art and other goods, but now The Lot typically has close to 20 vendors who sell their goods to the community.
One of those local vendors is Clutts Co. Vintage Clothing & Records, a clothing and record shop located in downtown Ukiah. Clutts Co. sells everything from vintage jeans and T-shirts to old tapes, records, and other musical merchandise. The vendor will offer a special “$5 dig pile” at The Lot for vintage lovers.
“We saw what he was doing and, over three years ago, decided to be a part of it. We noticed something was missing and wanted to contribute,” said one of the owners of Clutts Co., Jon Young. “We love The Lot and everything Nick Johnson does to contribute to the community.”
Other vendors will include local favorites such as It’s a Bao Time, a local Vietnamese food vendor, and El Mitote Cafe, a Ukiah-based coffee cart that sells signature drinks such as horchata cold brew.
“Even with all the turmoil, and all the crazy stuff in the world, it’s an awesome reminder that we are this little community of people that can come together and do cool things,” Johnson said about the upcoming event.
To learn more about The Lot on Main or to make a donation to the organization, go to its website by clicking this link.