Paperback Musings: Renegade!

My favorite event in all of Chicago is the annual Renegade Craft Fair. Renegade is a DIY (Do It Yourself) art fair attracting over 300 artists from all over the country. It has been taking place in Chicago for the past seven years, and there are also Renegade Craft Fairs in Brooklyn, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. The fair consists of booths of vendors selling their wares which consist of clothing, jewelry, posters, prints, stationary, bath products, accessories, housewares, baby items, pet items, and anything else you could possibly think of. The merchandise is funky, alternative, unique and uber-cool. If you buy something at Renegade, chances are you won't see it anywhere else. I have to be careful in settings like this, as I can go crazy in there, but this year I was very good. I bought a scarf made out of jersey cotton fabric (ivory with line drawn flowers on the ends), a pair of earrings made out of necktie material, and a pair of earrings made from vintage postage stamps. I'm also planning on purchasing a hat from one of the vendors online, as she didn't have my size at the fair. Renegade also has an annual Holiday Fair in early December, which is not quite as big as the September event, but it is still fairly overwhelming considering the large chasm between what I want and what I can afford. Still, if you are ever in one of the Renegade cities on a weekend that a fair is going on, I would highly recommend you stop by and take it all in. With that many vendors all showcasing bits and pieces of their individual personalities via their art, you're sure to find something that strikes your fancy.