Renegade Craft Fair, the Chicago-based festival that operates as a free-trade marketplace for the DIY and crafting communities, is expanding to London, the organization announced Wednesday.
Launched in 2003 with 75 vendors in Wicker Park, the annual al fresco fair of crafters — from jewelry-makers and woodworkers to letter-press and silkscreen artists —- takes place in five major markets in the U.S., with smaller indoor holiday fairs in four of those cities.
“We went to London last year to scope out venues,” co-founder and creative director Sue Daly said Thursday, adding that she kept the news quiet until now.
Renegade’s State-side expansion has been gradual, and expansion abroad has always been part of the plan, Daly said. Brooklyn hosted the fair in 2005, San Francisco was added in 2008, Los Angeles in 2009 and Austin, last year. Between fairs and during, Renegade’s six-person team maintains a bricks-and-mortar boutique selling exhibited vendors’ wares, located on the trendy Division Strip in Wicker Park.
Shortly after sending the London announcement, Daly received fair queries from as far as Sydney, Australia, which she said has a thriving craft community. But Sydney isn’t necessarily next on the list.
“I’m interested in checking out Berlin, Germany,” Daly said. She added that Renegade hopes to forge a larger European presence via a partnership with craft-centric e-commerce site Etsy.com, which is also new to Europe.
Renegade’s premiere London fair is scheduled for Oct. 8-9 at Old Truman Brewery, with 100 vendors. The ninth-annual Chicago sale is scheduled for Sept. 10-11 along Division Street, with an estimated 300 vendors.
