16th
Renegade Craft Fair
Apparently most events that I’ve been super excited about this summer have gotten rained out (Printer’s Row, Pitchfork, etc…). The Renegade Craft Fair this past weekend was no different. Despite the torrential downpours, the event still pulled a pretty decent crowd. Crafters and vendors braved the weather and successfully kept their wares from getting too soaked. Kathy Beymer of Merriment Craft and Pass It On ended up buying shower curtains to help shield her booth from the rain. “I’ve been wet, everything is wet,” she says. “It’s a damper for sure.”
K Tighe, Venus’ Music Reviews Editor, stopped off at DSW to pick up some galoshes. “They were the only pair left in my size…now that I have galoshes I’m seeking out puddles.”
She and Kelly Mellott, Venus’ Marketing Coordinator held down the fort over at the Venus zine booth. Even though the weather didn’t cooperate, Mellott thinks that the event really showcase Chicago’s DIY scene like no other: “Renegade does tons of stuff here and they’re really good at promoting it and just spreading the word that this isn’t just some church craft fair.”
Even though turnout was lower than anticipated, Tighe noticed that there were a lot of people signing up for $5 subscriptions to Venus: “I think it’s because of the shelter that our tent provides, but we’re cool with that.”
Check out Renegade Handmade at 1924 W. Division Ave.
