How about instead of fighting the crowds at the mall to buy your uncle some crummy tie, you go to the Renegade Craft Fair to pick up something unique, then tie it up in a handmade bow? more ›

From the "doing stupid things with your smartphone" department. more ›

The ninth annual Renegade Craft Fair sets up shop on Division Street in Wicker Park Sept. 10 - 11 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. more ›

Today's the last day for interested craft makers to apply for September's Renegade Craft Fair in Wicker Park. more ›

Are you a fan of Old Style screen prints, mustaches riding bicycles or clocks made from old Scrabble boards? Then this weekend’s Renegade Craft Fair is just for you. It’s essentially a giant Etsy fair, but instead of buying items online based on a picture, you can purchase them in person from the artist. Over 300 DIY artists and designers will be present selling their handmade clothing, housewares, posters, prints, jewelry, stationery and such. There’s also food, music, craft workshops and kids events, so it sounds like you could make a whole day (or weekend) out of it. According to the Renegade Craft Fair website, they receive many more applicants each year than they can possibly admit, so they allow entry to only the best of the best. more ›

Wicker Park plays host to Chicago's 7th Annual Renegade Craft Fair this weekend. Over 300 artists from Chicago and beyond will set up shop on Division between Damen and Paulina, selling a vast range of handmade goods including artwork, housewares, jewelry and clothing. more ›

So are the fruit flies buzzing around the basket of tangelos and peaches on your kitchen counter, and your Aunt Kathy, and your Cousin Melvin, and your landlord. Even the Amalgamated Union of Lolcat-Artists, Local 12 — one of Chicago's most cutting-edge arts organizations — is throwing a group show (theme: "Kittehs H8 Scaree Glenn Beck"). Chicago Gallery News' comprehensive list of openings should help you find what's what and where, as should Newcity's list. but here are some highlights (i.e., emailing us about your upcoming events works!) to help you along: more ›

Love it or leave it, the holiday shopping season is upon us, and one thing we're definitely trying to do is stay away from malls. Who isn't, right? They're far away, there's no parking and they're crowded with stollers, saddlebags and static cling. (Damn the electric shocks!) However, there is one indisputable benefit: they provide one singular place to get a wide variety of gifts for the diverse people on your list. So where else can you go to knock out a lot of your holiday shopping in a hurry? Why, the old-fashioned Christmas Bazaar of course! Remember those? Gadgets and gizmos a plenty, whosits and whatsits galore, my friends. We've sought out a handful of holiday flea markets in the hopes of getting our shopping out of the way in one fell swoop. more ›

Two separate arts festivals will be taking place in Wicker Park this weekend. While poking around for information, we got the distinct impression that Wicker Park is fighting hard to keep an artistic community and these types of festivals in the neighborhood, despite creeping gentrification. Come on out and support your local artists. more ›

Is it just us, or has this week sucked ass? It seems like everyone we've talked to has wanted to stab the whole world in the neck this week. At least we have a bunch of things to do that are awesome..... The Old Town School of Folk Music has its annual craft fair tonight, plus their monthly First Friday series. Tomorrow, bust out your wallet at Renegade Craft Fair's holiday bonanza. We've noticed... more ›

Golly, when it comes to Christmas presents why the heck would any parent waste hundreds of dollars on a mound of crappy, potentially-toxic plastic toys for their kid? Most of 'em'll end up in next summer's garage sale anyway. There are so many cooler options out there: do some browsing at this weekend's Renegade Craft Fair and you'll be sure to find a few, or go all out and sign up your kid for... more ›

Last week Made in Chicago brought you art to hang on your walls. Now we bring you home accessories in our quest to help you live a more local life. Susan Dwyer, 26, who describes herself as "a Chicago-based maker of things," sells architecturally inspired wallets, pillows and ceramics from her Etsy shop Up in the Air Somewhere. You can also find her work in person at the Renegade Craft Fair Holiday Sale going on... more ›

If you want to usher in the fall weather with an almost guaranteed good time, bust out your jeans and autumn jackets and head down to Division Street this Saturday and Sunday, where two of West Town's best attraction, the Renegade Craft Fair and Do-Division Street Fest, have joined forces for a weekend of crafty goodness, musical enjoyment, and plenty of hipster-watching. Held on Division from Damen to Wood, Renegade Craft Fair will bring together... more ›

We walked outside yesterday and smelled the slightest hint of charcoal. The smell immediately sparked a memory of, in August, when we would spend many a lazy Saturday walking around, perhaps stop at Pontiac, see Gene Lee ride by on a skateboard in some leopard-print hot pants. Don’t get us wrong — we love the Holiday season and all its snowy white beauty — we just miss days lasting past 4:30 p.m. and vodka lemonades.... more ›

They’re less sophisticated than the big box stores but their merchandise is much more compelling, Chicago’s art shops and fairs are wasting no time hawking their wares. We could use some help after last year’s gift debacle (what were we thinking?), so we’ll be checking out the holiday art show circuit: This weekend’s DEPART-ment converts the Open End Gallery to a temporary shop of unique, locally produced, hand-crafted gifts. From oven mitts to hoodies to... more ›

A concrete buffer is now in place at Midway. And just in time-seven more people are suing over a plane that skidded off a Midway runway last December. What happened to the missing University of Missouri student who was last seen a week ago at a party here? Police are searching the river for clues. Some new brain tumor therapy is making its stateside debut in Chicago. Smaller class sizes are always better, right?... more ›

We're late posting on this, since you already may have missed the fair yesterday, but here's a reminder: Get your ass over to the Renegade Craft Fair today! These are not your grandma's crafts, the fair showcases some of the coolest crafts from all over the country, including DIY knitting, jewelry, sewn items, paper goods, silkscreening, comics, zines and more! Check it out today or you'll have to wait til next year!... more ›

Shawn Campbell, Program Director, WLUW more ›

The Renegade Craft Fair is this weekend, and we can barely wait. The fair runs Saturday and Sunday from 10:30-5:30 in scenic Wicker Park. Mmmcrafty! The fair tends to attract small vendors, so expect to find lots of unusual and quirky goods. This is only the second ever RCF. Its founders, Sue and Kathleen, say that they wanted to tap into "the established DIY craft movement that already had a presence online and in indie... more ›