1st Time at TinyFest TinyFest was a good experience! If you've ever wondered how people can live in such small spaces (i.e vans, tents, shipping containers...) you'll definitely want to check out the festival. You get to see the size of different living units up close. Inside, they have sales of items that are useful for living minimally. Some of the units had an odd odor, which I found out later that the units on display are currently being lived in. The food was pricy, but expected. Overall, a good experience. read more

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Such a fun event to be able to attend! Thank you Yelp and all who took part in this amazing festival of tiny homes. My hubby and I stopped by after church for a few hours. I've always been interested in having an Air bnb...and tiny homes seem like the perfect way to do so, affordably. I had no idea there were so many different types and options! Seems like most tiny home live on wheels so they aren't considered an actual ADU. Fascinating. There were many homes to see and tour. There was an indoor section of more homes and some van homes which were amazing. You could even rent the vans to go camping to see how you liked it. There were many other snack and art vendors inside but the focus really was the tiny homes and vans. Out back, when we went outside, there was another whole section of converted buses and more vans. There was some live music going, a kettle corn station, and even a bar. Overall a very fun event! It definitely has room to grow and could hold many more vendors but I was impressed by how many exhibits there were! read more

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Great showcase of tiny homes/RV's and Trucks. Lots of vehicles and homes to look at and get ideas for now or retirement. It's great to have these events as so many people work remotely and this is gave us so many ideas for retirement as well.. Thanks to Yelp for the tickets!!! read more

TinyFest - One of the options. About $125k - Festivals Near Me - Del Mar, California

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Innovation and creative ideas for living a simple lifestyle can be found among the many vendors with the technological capabilities for a greater potential of living. The designers share their future vision of home living that shows that a simple life may be the best way of living. I appreciated how spacious the vendors were spaced out to show how a design's unique features can be highlighted. Many vendors are quite knowledgeable and friendly. I notice most of the attendees were in their early 30's and 40's who would appreciate the benefits and advantages of a Tiny Home. Both outdoor and indoor exhibits. Definitely a trend worth considering. Many vendors to compare and with great innovations that make you go "Wow"!!! Entertainment and food help to make it festive. I didn't feel rushed or crowded. Definitely a family activity. It was a really nice way to spend a couple of hours dreaming of how I can change the way I look at living in a Tiny Home!!! read more

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What a fun event! My daughter and I enjoyed attending our first TinyFest together on Saturday, and we had a blast! There were so many tiny houses, bus conversions, van conversions, ambulance conversions, campers, and travel trailers to see. It truly is a community. San Diego is still beautiful this time of the year, and the fairgrounds were a great place to host an event of this magnitude. Several of the tiny homes and conversions were available for sale. Every time we stepped into a home, I was amazed to see how different it looked from the outside. There was so much space on the inside. It truly is something you have to experience in person. After years of watching Tiny House Nation on HGTV, YouTube videos, and subscribing to Tiny House Newsletter, it was finally time to experience it ourselves. We were not disappointed. It was great to speak with the DIY homeowners and get their takes on how long it took to build. Some of the homeowners had the cost of the build posted, while others might have included additional information to follow them on social media sites. It was a worthwhile experience. I definitely recommend TinyFest to anyone seriously considering a tiny purchase. It's also a great event for someone just getting their feet wet if they're on the fence about a purchase. We saw several food vendors, although we didn't partake in any food at the event. There was also a woman walking on stilts wearing a black and white costume. It was pretty cool. This event showed my daughter and me that you're only limited by your imagination. My key takeaway was: 1) make your living space comfortable for you! Your style, your design. It doesn't have to look like someone else's idea of home. That's what I love about tiny living; it's custom. It's not a one-size-fits-all. It's an exciting adventure that I look forward to taking. Soon. Thank you, TinyFest, for such an incredible event! read more

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The TinyFest experience is fun for the whole family! I'm not sure if there is a dedicated Yelp Elite event page, so I will leave my review here. We got there just before they opened and parked off of the Solana gate. This ended up being not the best place to park, so one of the nice traffic attendants allowed us to drive to the front, straight through the fairgrounds, to park much closer to the entrance to TinyFest. That saved a substantial walk! TinyFest is an indoor/outdoor event, with about 1/3 under the roof and 2/3 in the open Del Mar Sunshine. There was food and beverage available, at fairground prices, as well as entertainment in the form of a trapeze artist, two stilt walkers, a balloon artist, and more. Of course the purpose of the exposition is to celebrate tiny houses. These ranged from double-decker, relatively large trailers, two manufactured homes, two van conversions. The proud owners of all of these homes were there to answer questions and encourage new folks to think about buying a tiny home! This was fun and I look forward to coming again next year. Thanks to Yelp for giving us an opportunity for free tickets, and thanks to Anne for making this all happen! read more

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Tiny spaces, big ideas. TinyFest was a day full of fun and discovery. This festival was dedicated to tiny spaces on the wheels that some may call home. There were many people who gave up conventional homes and switched to vehicles which were converted to accommodate small kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, and even leaving quarter. Those vehicles included vans and buses. The bigger the vehicle the more space to enjoy while living or travelling inside it. It was amazing to see how well people adopt to those tiny spaces and put nice touches to them to make them modern and homely. You would be surprised how much equipment some installed inside the cars (fridge, washer/dryer, microwave, oven, tv). You should definitely go and check it out. Thank you Yelp Elite San Diego for organising the event. read more

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Before anything else...thank you Yelp and Anne for this great Elite Experience: TinyFest 2022 I've always been interested in Tiny houses and found it really interesting to see them in person. Half of the exhibits were in O'Brien Hall and other half outside. Not too crowded, other than tiny houses, converted vans/school buses there were different vendors selling jewelry, herbal teas, cookies, etc. I was hoping there would be a lot of food vendors, but no such luck. At least , they have strawberry funnel cake The Tiny Mountain House "Denali" really caught my attention, it was so gorgeous and surprisingly felt spacious! It's probably the high ceiling! The rep said is costs around $208K approximately 430 square feet, they even delivered one in Hawaii!!! FYI: as you enter Del Mar Fairgrounds parking there's a note stating NO DOGS ALLOWED, but I saw fur babies that were not service animals. read more

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Begin again... TinyFest was the last "event" we attended with Yelp prior to the first lockdowns in March of 2020. Fast forward a year later... TinyFest was the first "event" we attended after restrictions were lifted in 2021. Yelp returned as a sponsor. Highlights of the show are talks with HGTV personalities; John Weisbarth and Zack Giffin, touring the model homes on display and just considering changes that might be solid choices to begin or end. #TinyFest #2020 #2021 #BeginAgain read more

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This was such a fun - and different - experience! I am so glad I was able to attend TinyFest. It was not like I imagined - it was so much better! I love how organized they were from the get-go, labeling different lines for check-in made the process seamless. I loved seeing all the tents in the venue, but I enjoyed seeing all the tiny (and big) houses in the back even more! What a variety - and so much creativity - with each build. I will definitely be back! read more

I was volunteering at a wine event next door and we were able to get in at no charge with our wristbands and I'm so glad I checked out Tiny Fest! It's such a cool little or shall I say, large community! The house may be tiny but this fest was by all means, not tiny! I felt like it went on forever as you keep walking deeper and deeper. There were a few food vendors like kettle corn, hot dog, and beer. I came on Sunday but it's a two day event with live music. The place is organized and sectioned out for tiny homes, van life, campers, school buses, and modular homes. People either live in these full time or rent them out or some had for sale signs. It's a great way to come and explore the floor plans to see if this is the life style you want. Owners were on site and are happily to answer any questions. Everyone was friendly and graciously welcomed us into their home. read more

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Tiny Fest inspires one to chuck out most of your belongings and live in one of these very cute tiny homes. Or become a nomad and live in a bus or van. We went because we are considering adding an ADU in out backyard and this is certainly the opportunity to interview abunch of companies at the same time. They also have some symposiums that give you some advice on tunynhome or ADU building and living. Some other non-related vendors are set up to.sell.their goods. There ate lots of camping related vendors which thrilled my husband. I look forward to.this every year and actually do hope it makes.me.give up some of my hoard and leave a smaller footprint. read more

This review is totally overdue! Tinyfest was a very nice event pre-covid. The exhibit area was a lot smaller than expected. There was about a handful of model tiny houses. Some of the camper vans were really cool. Took us about an hour to see everything. read more

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Fun TinyFest for all of your tiny living needs! I went last year in 2022 and it was a lot bigger last year. I think the weather had to do with it being smaller this year. Overall it's a great fest no matter how big or small it is. It's nice to see all the different builds and to get an idea of what you want in the future of your living needs or tiny travel needs. read more

TinyFest - Food - Festivals Near Me - Del Mar, California

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This was my first time visiting TinyFest thanks to a Yelp Elite Event. This was pretty cool. They had a mix of tiny homes, van conversions, bus conversions, Ambulance conversions, trucks, trailer conversions and even horse trailer conversions. The people are inspirational, helpful and welcoming to come view their proud homes. Even if you are not on the path to go Tiny, it was nice to walk around and get ideas at retrofitting spaces in your home. You can also find some that are willing to rent theirs and some are for sale. I will return next time it is in town. Thanks Yelp. read more

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Tiny Fest 2022 is in full swing! Parking was easy ($10, cash or card). There's the ability to purchase entry tickets ahead of time, or at the event. (This was also a Yelp Elite sponsored event.) Upon entry, the first area is the sales showcase floor. There are vendors for tiny house living as well as other house hold items and arts. Heading out to the tiny living exhibit... it was set up rather methodically with a socioeconomic flow. At the very front were tiny homes (on the larger side) and additional dwelling units (ADU). Then came the van conversion vendors. (All of these options were $175k+.) From there came the "add on" units for truck beds, and bus conversions (full time living). Past the bus conversions, were the smaller vehicle conversions including the "out-of-the-box" thinker conversions such as Ambulances, etc. SO MANY AMAZING TINY NESTERS IN THE "NORTH FORTY"! There was something for everyone at Tiny Fest 2022! Whether you were looking for additional income (ADU), a full time living situation, a part time travel option, a nomadic lifestyle, etc. Tiny Fest aptly displays all the ways going tiny can be rewarding for any lifestyle! If you've ever been interested in tiny living, but not ready to jump right in--this is a GREAT place to see it all in one central location and to TALK to people. The tiny community is SO WELCOMING! read more

Man what a awesome experience. Very fun and engaging event. Really well put together. Tons of models and homes for show. From tiny homes, to vans, to buses. A larger display of homes than we expected. Most homes we entered had people who were very kind and informative. It was a really good way of getting a since of if you could possible live in a tiny home. Glad I ended up purchasing those tickets. What a awesome turn out! read more

TinyFest - Lovely model of a tiny home - Festivals Near Me - Del Mar, California

In a time when so many people are feeling the "pull of freedom" to live off the grid, as minimal as possible, as mobile as possible; events like Tinyfest are so important. Options abound if this lifestyle peaks your interest. Vans, Skoolies, converted ambulances and cars, tiny shelters attached to bikes, tiny 5th wheels, rv's, and tiny homes where just some of the amazing homes my wife and I perused while checking out Tinyfest. As new "rv lifers" we have immersed ourselves in this world and wanted to see how others manage it. I have a long list of pros, including the awesome info sessions on the stages. Especially the Tiny Home advocacy organization that is full of knowledge regarding the laws about owning a tiny home here in California and San Diego county. There were some great food options (normal carnival food fare). There was so much to see!! It wasn't just about tiny living, it gave tiny lifers a chance to set up shop, showcase their businesses, and make some money (very important). There were actual tiny structures, vans, skoolies , rv's for sale for those interested. So many wonderful people. It truly is a community!! What I would love to see more of... MORE food!!! Expand the food options! Get some food trucks to sign up!! There are some pretty awesome food trucks in San Diego that truly would have rocked this event. Get 10-20 food trucks/vendors and you'll have yourself a pretty awesome "eats and drinks" section. I was a little disappointed in the "diy" classes/sessions. As a new rv lifer that truly loves working with my hands, I was hoping to gather some cool ideas and speak with some folks about their projects. Add more diy info sessions and maybe have a large sign for folks to post on their rigs or in their space stating they are super diy'ers or something. That way we know we can go there and ask questions. Maybe have a table set up with some diy experts available to ask questions. They could have handouts with basic instructions on what worked for them like, painting, changing faucets, installing solar, installing cameras, installing flooring, etc.. I love that sections were pretty well defined. There could be interactive activities in each section. I loved the stilt walkers, acrobat and bubble blowing that was going on in the front section. Maybe have a gardening or composting section. I would have loved to see a section on "cooking in your tiny space (rv/van,etc.). It can be tricky. How are other folks managing? Recipes, vegan life, etc. How do people manage to live in these spaces w/children and animals. Maybe have a q&a table for these topics so folks could get some tips and suggestions. Very important!! Have rangers, officers, city council people to answer questions regarding the best/safe places to park, get water, and dump (for "mobile" tiny living). Historically the police are heavily avoided by the "mobile" tiny community, but maybe if we create avenues toward conversation, there can be better understanding. As a social worker that works with transitional age (18-26) unhoused youth, I loved seeing a business or 2 that was there showcasing tiny shelters for the unhoused. I would love to see more organizations and businesses in that area. Possibly doing fund raising. Lastly, have a few realtors ( that specialize in tiny homes, rv's) there showcasing land for sale that is perfect for tiny homes, rv's, skoolies, etc.. It's a thing!! All over Instagram there are various groups/accounts for those of us that live tiny. Invite them!! As a Black woman, I know there are groups for people of color, very specifically, Black women who tiny life, love the outdoors, live nomadic/off the grid, and/or love to travel (and possibly check the LGBTQIA box). This event is very inclusive and inviting. I just would have loved to chat with some groups or organizations looking to add to their following or memberships. Overall, this is a lovely event and I can see how it can be life changing for some. I overheard many conversations where people were saying they were taking the leap into tiny/rv/van/skoolie/nomadic living. If you are even slightly interested in what living this life looks like, check them out!! What an experience!! read more

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Accessibility: there are handicap/disabled parking spots at the front of the parking lot, closest to the entrance of this event, but it is still a far distance to travel, so I recommend bringing a wheelchair if you have difficulty walking or standing. There are bathrooms inside the entrance and it is a huge, long bathroom with wheelchair accessible stalls. As for getting to experience the vans, busses, cars, and other tiny homes, all of them had stairs or steps up to get inside so none were wheelchair accessible, but many of the vans and homes had their doors open and you could see inside without actually going inside. It was still something cool you can experience in a wheelchair. In fact, I saw two busses that used to be school busses, and the wheelchair ramps still worked. Experience: really neat event! This was my first year going and I had an absolute blast! The event is outside under the sun so I made sure to bring my sunhat, sunblock, and sunglasses. The event was mostly full of vans that had been made into homes, but there were also a bunch of busses and actual homes (bigger size made to plant onto a plot of land), and then a few small trailers. Most of the people were super nice and welcoming, inviting people to enter their homes and check it out, answering any questions and allowing photos. Lots of these people document their travels in their tiny homes through Instagram so I added photos of many of them here. My favorite things I saw today were the Wanderlust Vintage homes, neohaus, and then a really nice man's (Steven Otero) van who had a built in shower inside the van and a toilet that pulled out of a drawer. Super creative! 10 out of 10, I would absolutely come back. read more

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VERY cool event! We have been watching tiny house shows for some time, so when we saw this in San Diego, we HAD to go. It definitely lived up to our high expectations. They had tiny houses, vans, and busses of all varieties, and it was really interesting to see how people lived in this lifestyle. We went on the second day, and there weren't too many people there at all, and there were food and drink vendors there as well. Looking forward to the next events! read more

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Always dreamed about living on a boat, a tiny home on water...but it's just not doable anymore when you have kids and a dog and decades worth of knick-knacks, TVs and furniture. Still, a tiny home is still in my dreams - especially if it's mobile. Only, I don't want "tiny" so much as I want a 40' Winnebago with a fully enclosed shower & bath, built-in kitchen with granite countertops and a stainless steel fridge. At the Tiny Home festival at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, we got to see all sorts of tiny homes: from jacked-up Mercedes Sprinter vans and decked-out school busses, to actual double-wide mobile homes costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. Something here for everyone. We saw tiny homes for your dog (aka a "dog house"), tiny homes for living in 100% of the time, tiny homes for your band and we saw one guy living out of his BMW i3 car! We saw ambulances converted into tiny homes. We saw trucks built to support tiny homes (tents) on top. It was nuts. Of course, being at the Fairgrounds meant they had lots of fair food too: grilled bratwurst, burgers, corn dogs, shaved ice, lemonade, kettle corn...you name it. They had purveyors of crystals, cookies, t-shirts and even waterless toilets. Bands played music and the weather was perfect. It was a blast! read more

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This festival is rad weather you're looking into buying a tiny house, customizing a van/bus/RV or simply think the idea is cool. Every vendor we spoke to was so nice and willing to answer whatever questions we had, there were also a lot of other vendors such as art, jewelry, blankets and more! Which was neat, it was a lot bigger than we expected. Endless amounts of customized livable spaces for you to see and become inspired! Not to mention the homes that people are currently living in and are willing to talk about the experience. We had a blast and honestly now I want a tiny piece of land with a tiny house!! :) When they come to your town go check it out you won't be disappointed read more

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Super unique and fun experience! Didn't know what to expect but decided to see what tiny houses are all about! Touring the fancy tiny houses was the best part and I was amazed by how many cool things can fit in a tiny home. There were also many vendors there offering info on their products and services. Worth the time and entertaining! read more

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This was a unique little trip for me and my mom. At this festival they had all types of tiny living spaces. From housing to trailers, buses and build it yourself kits. They offered seminars showing you the benefits of going tiny, how to make extra money by putting a tiny house on your property, as well as the cities that are allowing you take advantage of this. It was a cool experience and a nice day trip. Met some really cool people who are living off the grid and choosing to live a truly simple life while enjoying seeing the country on their own time. read more

After 3 years of RSVP, I finally got chosen to attend the event, it's an annual thing at Del Mar Fairground where you can see houses, trailers, everything you want to build spaces inside your house, but in a smaller scale, so you can save room and money. I think it's pretty cool to see those myself. Thank you Yelp Elite North County for providing me GA tickets. read more

A different, interesting, and unique event. I have not been to any fest like this, and I am glad I got to experience the passion of the owners who enjoy tiny living, and make such creative decisions within such a small square footage. There were so many varieties of tiny homes (and big bus homes) with such distinct decor and structure. I especially enjoyed the tiny home that had the collapsible patio on the roof. Would highly recommend for a different experience - one that will have you thinking about getting a tiny home. read more

Loved this event and the many houses that were avail to see and the many vendors to talk to. I think some more food vendors would be nice. read more

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All types of tiny homes & the real sized perks who live in them! Vans Schoolies (yup- the bus) Truckloads Trailers You name it- More awesome ideas than you can shake a stick at & if you don't want to build your own or DIY it- There are a lot of these options for sale!! Plenty of parking, some food and drink options, and loads of bathrooms at the county events! read more

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Learned about converting buses, was offered to buy a sack for nuts called a nut sack, 10/10

Tiny fest was very small it would have been a total waste of time if Incredible Tiny Homes wasn't there. It was worth going just to see their tiny home and to talk with the owner Randy Jones. He know how to build awesome energy efficient home that we can afford. read more

Such a great event! I'm so glad I had the opportunity to go to this. All of the displays were super cool and there were a ton. Some of the bigger structures had really long lines, but we just went into one and then browsed the rest. Tons of food and beverage options and a lot of great vendors. There was also some live music going! This was a great afternoon. I would definitely recommend this event! read more

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Super useful models to tour. Both wheeled and stationary. Even a section of personally owned buses & vans people let you in to explore their work and check out their space. They have a really thoughtful section of resuable items you can fish through to find for purchase as well. The vendors were there to offer info on builds, tips, and the business. A couple of bites to eat and a beer stand made for a cool afternoon. Super grateful for this event! read more