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Congratulations to the 2024 AREA 22 Award winners!

Area 22 Honorable Mention:
Oddball Art Labs - Booth #4
First Circle Chainmaille - Booth #7


3rd Place: Tie
Wendi Napoli - Booth #12
Day of the Dollies - Booth #40


2nd Place:
The Red Maple - Booth #12


1st Place:
Lauren Muskara - Booth #49

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AREA 22

Arts, Crafts, & Oddities Fair 

AREA 22 will serve as the premiere fine arts, crafts, and oddities fair in the Fox Valley. The festival will take place on Riverside Drive in downtown Elgin, showcasing the creations and collections of visual artists in our area. AREA 22 will feature artist exhibition and sale, live art/sculpture making, entertainment, food vendors, beverages... and fun for the whole family. Free Admission and Parking. Rain or Shine.

 

Side Street Studio Arts invites you to participate in the first of this one of a kind event in Downtown Elgin. For those who can remember, think of AREA 22 as Art and Soul on The Fox meets Next Wave, a mix of the traditional fine-art fair concept, with a generous dusting of the eclectic and avant garde. So grab your kids, your parents, your neighbors, your pets… yes, dogs and snakes are allowed… and join us at the most exciting art fair you will ever experience!

(You may experience more exciting art fairs but we highly doubt it! :) 

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ARTIST VENDOR LIST

ARTIST NAME/GROUP - BOOTH NUMBER

Arturo Aldama - 47

Caitlin Alejandre - 46

Audrey Avril -18

Jennifer Bordis - Jen Made Goods - 21

Brad Cahill - The Church of Dust - 5

Shannon Carlson - Shanni Marie - 43

Kara Cho - Onsemiro Art and Craft - 35

Katherine Einhorn - Reflections with Kate - 11

Sarah Emerson - Eddie Little Bear's Sundries - 31

Caleb Evans - First Circle Chainmaille - 7

Ashy Finch - 39

Leah Fine - Beyond Beleaff - 36

John Firak - Loma Wood Studio - 41

Ashley Hanna-Quade - 32

Ally Haran - cards by ally - 44

Kit Hunney - The Little Things - 3

Steven Janssen - Day of the Dollies - 40

Christopher Karkos - Natural Brilliance - 23

Aly Kelly - Adorably Kowai - 26

Bay Kennedy - 50

Zoephia Laughlin - Zoyph Co - 33

Keira Lofthouse - KREATRESS -1

Allison Mack - Allison Faye Creations - 6

Scott Maki - DANGLING FURY STUDIOS - 9

Tola Makinde - Tcreativ Designs -10

Janice Mancusi - Designs by Beadweyr -13

Megan Manske - megan down the rabbit hole - 2

Funky Rooster Tattoo and Art Gallery - 25

Lauren Muskara - 49

Wendi Napoli - 24

Kai Niederpruem - Juno and Mars LLC - 34

Anna North & Kalli Doty - gremlin.girl.co - 20

Jaina Novak - Lunar Kitty Co - 37

Tim Odea - Psilent skater - 38

Janelle Omalley - Queer artist collective - 27

Kersten Peterson - Punkburd Arts - 22

Cortney Philip - Cortney Makes Art! - 29

Jane Remigio - 45

Mike Rende - Oddball Art Labs - 4

Marilyn Reyes GALISAPIO - 15

Sarah Rieser - Sarah Upcycles - 8

Sarah Rochacz - Sarah's Creations -17

Vaiju Saraf - The Red Maple -12

Ken Simonsen - Psymonsen Studios -19

Heather Smith - Ohhunni -30

Sofia Stojakovic and Lorelei Smith - 48

Jerry Strub - Jerry Strub Art - 28

Mary Sweeney - Horror Floral -14

Connie Toebe - connietoebe -16

Sonia Vallez - Crochet Cuties LLC - 42

SIGHTINGS

THE MYSTIC

Radically, Rachael | The Modern Mystic

Rachael is an Intuitive, Card Reader and Reiki practitioner.

FREE READINGS

www.radicallyrachael.com

LIVE ART

Live art making by Side Street Studio Arts' COMMUNITY MOVES program including free kids art/craft making, and community mural project… fun for the whole family!

FOOD

Cook's Ice Cream

Goose's Natural Juices

BEVERAGE

Service provided by Vern's Tavern!

COMMUNITY

Gnomes for Homes Fundraiser for PADS of Elgin

Purchase or bid on gnomes reimagined by local artists.

 

High Haven Dispensary

NEW location in Elgin!  

Elgin Fringe Festival

Encouraging bold artistic experimentation and innovation by providing an accessible, affordable experience for both artists and audiences alike.

 

NEIGHBORS

In solidarity with our local eateries, we will be limiting food trucks at AREA 22. Folx have many amazing downtown options within a 5 minute walk of the fair, including:

El Patio Mexican Restaurant

Kubo Sushi and Saki Lounge

Bea Unique Latin Kitchen

Dream Hall

Jimmy John's

Udon Nomi

Al's Cafe & Creamery

Elgin Public House

Blue Box Cafe

Sugar and Rhyme Coffee House

Las Gorditas De Don Angel #4

Shwarma Stop

Cook's Ice Cream and Goose's Natural Juices will be on site providing cool refreshments and treats!

AND, we are partnering with Vern’s Tavern to provide beverages for the event. We will be showcasing our brand new collaboration with Penrose Brewing Company, selling our very own Side Street Lager! All proceeds from these beer sales go to the 62 Bound Fundraiser for the new Side Street facility, located at 62 S. Grove Ave. in downtown!!!

We are so excited… can you tell??!!!

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ARTIST VENDOR INFORMATION

FAIR HOURS

Saturday, August 3rd

12pm-8pm

Check-In/Load-In

10am-Noon

Load-Out

8pm-10pm

 

DIRECTIONS

The following address will work best for Google Maps. 

62 S. Riverside Drive, Elgin, IL 60120

 

Artist entrance/Check-In closes at 11:45am

You will be asked for the LAST NAME under which you submitted to the Fair. Volunteers will be on-hand at the entrances to guide you to your booth. Booths will have a Booth Card at each location with your name and booth number.

We will have staff and volunteers,

 the “22 CREW”, ready to help as necessary. Please be safe and listen to the “22 Crew”. 

 

LOAD-IN/CHECK-IN begins at 10am and ends at 11:45am SHARP. Look for the CHECK-IN sign or Green Cones at the entrance, located where Prairie Street meets Riverside Drive… indicated by the “CHECK-IN” sign on your AREA 22 LOAD-IN map. 

 

You will be asked for the LAST NAME under which you submitted to the Fair. You will then be directed to your booth space. Volunteers will be on-hand at the entrances to help guide you. Booths will have a Booth Card at each location with your name and booth number. This is to be displayed openly at the front of your booth for promo and voting use. We’ll have volunteers to help as necessary and keep traffic moving. Please be safe, and listen to our volunteer staff.

 

LOAD-OUT

8-10pm
Volunteers will be on hand to help direct parking and with load outs.

Please use the City-provided rolly bins to deposit any trash you may have before you leave.

 

PARKING AT THE FAIR

Parking is available at the end of Riverside Drive, marked on your map. We will have onsite security by the Elgin Police Department, but this does not guarantee the safety of your vehicle or items stowed inside. Please do not park in unauthorized spaces. You may be towed.

Parking is first-come, first-served. (There’s plenty.) No parking is allowed in alleys or behind any businesses on Riverside Drive. Violators will be towed.

 

ABOUT BOOTH SPACES

BOOTH NUMBERS ARE FOR IDENTIFICATION PURPOSES ONLY ARE WERE GIVEN IN ORDER OF YOUR APPLICATION. 

Bring signage for your booth & wear a name tag. Our visitors are here to meet you and learn about your work. Putting up a sign with your business or artist name on it helps them find you! And a name tag gives them the chance (and all of us!) to know you better.

Spaces are approximately 10’x10’ – some on the street and some on the sidewalk. 

Riverside Drive offers wonderful shade and is mainly flat. We have done our best to lay out spots on our map to offer a great experience for everyone.

FAIR CONTACT
Should you have any questions, concerns, or just need a “22 Crew” to watch your booth for a couple minutes and can’t find one, please call or text Tanner Melvin. He will be your point-of-contact and can be found roaming the festival to check on artists or at the Info Tent.
Tanner may be reached via text/call at (773) 837-8196. Please be sure to let him know your booth number and name when you send him a message.

Questions? Feel free to email us at area22@sidestreetstudioarts.org.


 

HELPFUL TIPS FOR VENDING 

 

Arrive on time! LOAD-IN is 10AM-11:45AM. ALL VEHICLES MUST BE CLEARED OF RIVERSIDE DRIVE NO LATER THAN 11:45AM. 

 

Have a range of prices. We have people attend our shows looking to spend hundreds, and we have people looking to spend a few bucks. Having items ranging from lower to higher pricing will open up your opportunities to make money. 

 

GREET EVERYONE! Be friendly and talkative! We know it's a long day and it can be grueling, but sitting on your phone looking down will not make you a sale. People love interaction and chatting with potential customers gives you more of an opportunity to make a sale.

 

AREA 22 is an outdoor fair. We recommend you bring whatever supplies you may need to be outside, in the sun, heat, rain, etc. Fans are allowed, though electricity may be scarce. We recommend a battery operated one if possible. 

 

NO RESALE ITEMS.

Come prepared to be busy with little to no break until later in the day. Eat before you come and bring snacks/water. 

 

Be ready and at your booth by 12pm on event day.

 

If you are traveling alone, meet your neighbors! They may be able to help with any breaks and watching your booth. If it’s an emergency, AREA 22/Side Street Studio Arts Staff/Volunteers will be on site to help as necessary. 

 

Accept both cash, credit, Tap To Pay, and digital options such as Venmo/PayPal, if possible. A list/signage of ATM locations will be on site.

 

Have proper signage with pricing and info - this will eliminate (at least help) you from having to answer the same questions a million times a day. We recommend providing additional accessibility services such as large print descriptions, or audio descriptions for visually impaired attendees to accommodate the needs of individuals with disabilities and ensure they can fully participate in the event.
 

Build UP first before opting to build out! You’ll do best if your products or displays are at eye level.

 

VENDING CHECKLIST: (varies per vendor)


 

  • Change Bag / Cash Box and change (ones, fives, tens and change for taxes) 

  • Tape

  • Table cloths 

  • Signage/Banner (and whatever is needed to hang it depending on your booth)

  • Displays and hanging hardware.

  • Business cards, or QR code and social media printouts for scanning

  • Extension cord if you need power (or battery operated lighting/non-gas generator)

  • Hand sanitizer / wipes / gloves 

  • Bags for purchases / bubble wrap / padding for fragile items 

  • Hand cart / dolly (we will not provide and/or they are very minimal)

  • Glass cleaner 

  • Counterfeit marking pens 

  • Snacks and water (AREA 22 will have concessions as well with affordable options.

  • Payment processor and device (phone, ipad / Square, Zettle, etc.)

  • WIFI hotspot (we do not currently have direct options, though you MAY be able to connect to unsecured public WiFi. 

  • Batteries

  • Pricing (stickers, pricing gun, whatever.. Just clear pricing on items)

  • For inventory, if it's not in a device - a notebook to keep track of your sales

  • Clamps (for table displays, banner hanging, etc)

  • Wirecutters

  • Cordless charger / portable power supply

  • Scissors 

  • First aid kit 


 

LET’S SPREAD THE WORD TOGETHER!

FACEBOOK
Our main page or RSVP and share our Facebook Event

INSTAGRAM
@sidestreetsa
instagram.com/sidestreetsa

DOWNLOAD OUR LOGO
We’d love it if you’d use our logo on your communications and emails.
Download our AREA 22 logo.

GET THIS YEAR'S POSTER IMAGE
2024 AREA 22 Arts, Crafts, & Oddities Fair Poster
Download here.

HASHTAGS
Use the #area22 hashtag and #sidestreetsa on your posts and photos this year, and they will be shared with our followers too. 
 

Side Street Studio Arts

15 Ziegler Court, Elgin, IL 60120

Questions?  Ask us on social or email us at info@sidestreetstudioarts.org


- AREA 22 PRODUCT BANS -

We DO NOT allow the sale of real bats or human remains at our shows due to the lack of confident confirmation that these items are ethically, respectfully and responsibly sourced. All artist vendors are mandated that any sale items are ethically, respectfully and responsibly sourced.

AREA 22 EVENT LAYOUT

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AREA 22 VIDEO MAP

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FAQs

  • How much are artist vendor fees?
    10x10 booth areas are $75, and 20x10 booths are $100. The Young Artist Booths are $50 for a 10x10. All come with table(s) and chairs.
  • What are "oddities"?
    The term "oddities" here represents the strange and unusual, the obscure and macabre, DIY found object creations, and more! (Please note, AREA 22 and its producers follow strict guidelines from the Oddities community and will adhere to the regulations in place. Please refer to the Application Info pdf on the registration page for more info.
  • Is there a ticket price?
    No. AREA 22 is free and open to the public.
  • What are the hours?
    12pm - 8pm, with Battle Of The Bands taking place at 6pm.
  • Is this a kid-friendly event?
    Yes! We are an all ages event.
  • Are dogs allowed?
    Of course! We love our pups.
  • Are strollers and wheelchairs allowed at the event?
    Absolutely, always. We strive to make all our events family friendly and ADA accessible to the best of our abilities.
  • What do I do if I have a large purchase on show day and need to pull up closer for pick up?
    Please talk with the vendor you are purchasing from and they will contact fair management. At that time fair management will coordinate pulling your vehicle up closer for pick up.
  • How are the animals I see at the fair sourced?
    None of the animals you see at our event were killed for the sake of art or collecting for AREA 22. All of our vendors are required to source sustainably. This can come from a variety of sources including: vet clinics, farms, sanctuaries, road kill, foraging, antique/vintage auctions and more.
  • Will there be food and drink at the fair?
    YES! There will always be food and drink vendors available for purchase.
  • Where exactly is the event?
    AREA 22 will be held on Riverside Drive in downtown Elgin. You can check out the Google Map below for exact directions.

LOCATION

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