All You Need to Know About Santa Monica’s WestEdge Design Fair 2026

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At WestEdge Design Fair, designers can explore furniture, lighting, kitchens, bathrooms, architectural hardware, surfaces, art, and outdoor products inside The Barker Hangar at Santa Monica Airport. Established manufacturers share the floor with independent studios, so you can compare full product lines with custom and limited-production work during the same trip. There are also cooking demonstrations, buy-now homeware products, and so much more. Our editor attended the 2018 fair and enjoyed crème brûlée made on-site in the hangar!

The fair returns for its eleventh edition from October 29th through 31st this fall. Opening Night takes place on Thursday evening, while Friday and Saturday are devoted to the exhibition floor, panel discussions, culinary programming, and several special installations. Organizers have announced over 150 exhibitors and more than 45 speakers, although the final educational schedule has not been published yet.

Like High Point Market, WestEdge is easier to navigate when you plan ahead. Maybe you need cabinet hardware for a renovation, new outdoor furniture for a California project, or one sculptural light fixture for a dining room. WestEdge is perfect for product sourcing. You can certainly wander, and you probably should for at least part of the day, but a short project list will keep the fair connected to work waiting back at your studio.

What to Expect at WestEdge Design Fair 2026

Established Brands and Independent Studios Share the Exhibition Floor

The current exhibitor directory covers nearly every major product category within a residential project. Akicon Handcrafted Kitchens, Armac Martin, Baldwin Hardware, Buster + Punch, Cambria, Carlisle Wide Plank Floors, Fireclay Tile, Fleetwood Windows & Doors, Forbes & Lomax, Hudson Valley Lighting Group, House of Rohl, Monogram, Rocky Mountain Hardware, Sherwin-Williams, Thermador, and THG Paris are among the brands already listed for 2026. The directory is being updated weekly, so additional names will be added before October..

MADE:MODERN Highlights Independent Designers and Makers

MADE:MODERN is dedicated to independent designers and artisans working across furniture, lighting, sculpture, wallcoverings, ceramics, and home accessories. Many of the makers accept custom commissions, so designers can ask about dimensions, finishes, materials, and fabrication timelines directly. Pieces can also be purchased during the fair or ordered afterward.

Rising Design Introduces Six Emerging Interior Designers

Rising Design is new for 2026. Six emerging Southern California interior designers will each develop a 10-by-10-foot space with guidance from designer and educator Julee Ireland. Visitors will be able to walk through the completed interiors during the fair, and an expert panel will select a winner alongside a People’s Choice Award.

ReBUILD Connect Addresses Wildfire Recovery in Los Angeles

Team Palisades is partnering with WestEdge for the second ReBUILD Connect program. The lounge will be part of the WestEdge Xteriors area and will connect homeowners rebuilding after the Los Angeles wildfires with architects, designers, builders, and manufacturers. Daily programming, consultation tables, fire-conscious building products, landscaping resources, and climate-responsive design information are part of the current plan.

WestEdge Xteriors Brings Outdoor Living Into the Fair

WestEdge Xteriors expands the exhibition beyond the hangar with outdoor vignettes devoted to furniture, grills and kitchens, shade systems, fireplaces, fire pits, and lighting. The outdoor area will also include grilling demonstrations, tastings, and live music on Friday and Saturday.

The IIDA Awards and Design Talks Add Professional Programming

The fourth annual IIDA x WestEdge Product and Booth Awards will recognize products and exhibition spaces during Opening Night on October 29. IIDA jurors will review entries in both categories, and exhibitors have until October 21 to submit their work.

WestEdge has also planned over ten panel discussions with Convo By Design, along with a Main Stage program presented by Pacific Sales Kitchen & Home. The 2026 speaker schedule is still in development. The Connoisseurs’ Club will return with a Healthy Living theme, and culinary demonstrations and tastings will take place throughout the fair.

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How to Plan Your Visit to WestEdge Design Fair 2026

Decide Whether Opening Night Is a Necessity

Opening Night runs from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 29. Around 2,500 guests are expected for the first look at the exhibition, the IIDA awards, food, drinks, music, and the fair’s charitable programming. This year’s party will support Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles and its ReBuild LA Recovery Fund.

Opening Night makes sense if you want the social side of WestEdge. Designers, editors, manufacturers, architects, and other industry professionals will all be there, and the evening can be a good time to reconnect before everyone returns to project work. Friday or Saturday will be better for detailed product research. The daytime schedule provides more room for samples, technical questions, pricing, and conversations that are difficult to have during a party.

Register Early and Plan for Transportation

One-day admission for Friday or Saturday costs $25 in advance and $30 on-site. Opening Night tickets cost $135, while a $175 VIP pass includes all three days and a gift bag. Qualified design professionals, design students, and members of the press receive complimentary admission when they preregister by October 15.

The Barker Hangar is at 3021 Airport Avenue at Santa Monica Airport, about eight miles north of LAX. Parking costs a flat $20, and WestEdge encourages visitors to use a rideshare service. Public transportation is possible through LA Metro, though you’ll want to check the route from your hotel before the trip. Los Angeles traffic can change a simple dinner plan pretty quickly, so avoid scheduling reservations too close to the fair’s closing time.

Where to Stay Near WestEdge Design Fair

Stay at the Fairmont Miramar for Central Santa Monica

The Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows is WestEdge’s featured hotel partner for 2026, with a fair rate beginning at $325 per night before taxes. The hotel is on Wilshire Boulevard above the coast, near Third Street Promenade and about a fifteen-minute walk from the Santa Monica Pier.

This is probably the best choice if you want to explore Santa Monica. You’ll need a car or rideshare to reach The Barker Hangar, but restaurants, shopping, Palisades Park, and the waterfront are nearby. After a full day under exhibition lighting, a walk along PCH might be just what you crave!

Consider Marina del Rey for LAX and Fair Access

WestEdge also recommends Marina del Rey Hotel and Hotel MdR, a DoubleTree by Hilton. Both are south of the fair in Marina del Rey and within driving distance of Venice, Santa Monica, and LAX. Neither hotel is close enough to walk to The Barker Hangar, so transportation will still be part of the daily plan.

These properties make sense when your schedule begins or ends at LAX, or when most of the trip will revolve around WestEdge. Visitors who want to spend evenings in central Santa Monica may prefer the Fairmont or another hotel closer to Ocean Avenue.

Where to Eat Near WestEdge Design Fair

Eat Close to The Barker Hangar at The Cloverfield

The Cloverfield is at 3300 Airport Avenue in the same airport district as The Barker Hangar. It serves lunch and dinner Wednesday through Friday, plus brunch and dinner on Saturday and Sunday. The restaurant has an outdoor patio and works well before Opening Night or after a daytime visit to the fair.

Because Thursday’s party includes food and drinks, you may only need a late lunch before heading inside. On Friday or Saturday, The Cloverfield is the simplest choice when you don’t want to cross Santa Monica between the fair and dinner.

Stop at Milo & Olive for Breakfast, Lunch, or Pizza

Milo & Olive is open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Wilshire Boulevard. The bakery and pizzeria serves breakfast, pastries, wood-fired pizzas, handmade pastas, and farmers’ market vegetables, so it can work at almost any point in the day.

This would be an easy breakfast before the fair or a relaxed dinner when everyone is too tired for a long tasting menu. And of course, if you’re not from the LA area, you’ll probably want to stop at Erewhon, which is right across the street from Milo & Olive.

Reserve a Longer Dinner at Rustic Canyon, Pasjoli, or Citrin

Rustic Canyon serves dinner on Wilshire Boulevard, with a menu informed by California produce and Mexican cooking. Pasjoli, on Main Street, is chef Dave Beran’s French bistro and is open for dinner daily, with lunch on Saturday and Sunday. Its pressed-duck dinner requires a separate reservation. Citrin serves modern Californian food through à la carte and prix fixe menus and currently has one Michelin star.

Any of the three could work for a longer dinner after Friday or Saturday at the fair. Rustic Canyon is a natural choice for California ingredients, Pasjoli suits anyone who wants French cooking without an overly formal dining room, and Citrin makes sense for a more structured evening. Make reservations ahead of time. WestEdge weekend is busy, and many Santa Monica restaurants have extremely lengthy wait times.

WestEdge Design Fair 2026 Event Details

WestEdge Design Fair takes place October 29 through 31, 2026, at The Barker Hangar, 3021 Airport Avenue, Santa Monica, California 90405. Opening Night runs from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. on Thursday. The exhibition is open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

The exhibitor directory is being updated weekly, and the Main Stage schedule is still forthcoming. Review both shortly before your trip, especially if you want to meet a particular manufacturer or attend a specific talk. Trade professionals, students, and members of the press should preregister by October 15 for complimentary admission.

Written by the DesignDash Editorial Team
Our contributors include experienced designers, firm owners, design writers, and other industry professionals. If you’re interested in submitting your work or collaborating, please reach out to our Editor-in-Chief at editor@designdash.com.