Photos by Emily Haddad

Artists and beer lovers overran Chicago’s Wicker Park the weekend of Sept. 8, 2012 with colors, crafts and kitsch. The Renegade Craft Fair (RCF), an open-air market of modern independent arts and crafts, was in full swing when it was infiltrated by an unrelated but simultaneously running zombie pub crawl, making the whole experience even more surreal as blood-caked zombies stumbled around booths, swilling beer and buying goodies. The fair hit Chicago featuring hundreds of artists from all over the country and bringing handmade goods and clothing to Chicago just in time for fall. Along with new objet d’arts, small-batch artisanal beauty products, unique handmade clothing and wacky foods graced the scene. Goose Island provided local beers, while restaurants lining either side of Division Street perfumed the afternoon with scintillating scents. Several DJs and stages made the air thrum with music from every direction. Craft workshops for children and adults allowed people to collaborate on weaving and painting projects. Along with the RCF, a vintage flea market offered classy pizzazz to the hippest homes and closets for reasonable prices.

Be sure to attend the next Renegade Craft Fair event, the 7th Annual RCF Holiday Market in Chicagoon Dec. 1 and 2. For more information check out www.renegadecraft.com