Renegade Craft Fair Invades Fort Greene With Indie Offerings
Looking for that perfect handmade scarf for mom? Or maybe some organic soap for your sister? Does Fido need a coat for the Brooklyn winter?
There might be still a few days before the holidays officially begin, but the Renegade Craft Fair invites you to start that holiday shopping early during its second annual indoor winter fair at Skylight One Hanson this weekend.
The Renegade Craft Fair, which debuted in Chicago in 2003, is a curated indie-craft marketplace that showcases do-it-yourself artists and crafters throughout the United States. It travels throughout America, with five stops in the States, and it also crosses continents to London.
“New York is filled with all sorts of winter craft fairs,” said Erin Dollar, who coordinates media and marketing for the fair. “This is a great opportunity to see local awesome artists.”
The fair features more than 200 artists, most from the New York City-area, but Dollar said many come from across the entire East Coast. And, unlike the Brooklyn Flea, vendors are almost entirely sole proprietors, rather than commercial sellers.
The wares are more “high end” than what is usually found at craft fairs – not something “picked up on a train for $5,” according to Dollar.
The artist application and selection is highly curated, she said, and it’s tough to narrow down the list of potential vendors.
“There’s a certain vibe to people who we bring to the fair,” Dollar said. “Most have been honing their craft for a better part of the decade.”
The craft fair is free to attend and it’s easy to find something for everyone’s budget, Dollar said. There are handbags and purses, stationery and art prints, clothes, home goods and even furniture – all mostly handmade.
Visitors can also take part in two free workshops – learning to make a knitted necklace or an embroidered gift tag with Kollabora. The workshops are first-come, first-serve – just walk up to the booth and sign up when you arrive. There will also be a free photo booth in which visitors can commemorate their shopping experiences.
Amanda Hu, a local New York artist, is providing festive décor with her installation art, while five local food vendors serve savory dishes and the Brooklyn Roasting Company provides a warm caffeine fix for the wintery weekend.
Skylight One Hanson is a new space this year for the fair and event organizers encourage visitors to take advantage of public transportation to get there. The Brooklyn installment, which will be held Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m., is the first stop of the Renegade Craft Fair’s winter tour.
“It’s best of the best that you can find in Brooklyn,” Dollar said.