How much are artist vendor fees?

10x10 booth areas are $80, and 20x10 booths are $105. The Young Artist Booths are $55 for a 10x10. All come with table(s) and chairs unless otherwise noted.

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.

Oh yeah! You can find more info about our volunteer needs, shifts, and times HERE: https://forms.gle/V5Wf8FNjwnAogxGf7

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.

AREA 22 | Side Street

AREA 22

Arts, Crafts, & Oddities Fair

Prepare for LANDING! This August 8th from 1–7PM, downtown Elgin becomes a galactic hotspot as AREA 22 touches down on Riverside Drive! Brought to you by Side Street Studio Arts, this isn’t just an art fair — it’s an interdimensional experience where fine arts, crafts, and curious oddities collide in the most vibrant corner of the Fox Valley.

Wander among alien-worthy artistry, witness live art and sculpture-making in real time, fuel up on stellar food and cosmic beverages, and groove to entertainment from this world and beyond. It's fun for earthlings of all ages — and yes, even your pets from other planets are welcome (dogs, snakes, or whatever species you roll with).

Free admission. Free parking. Rain or shine. Whether you're an art connoisseur, a curious collector, or just here for the strange and spectacular, AREA 22 is the ultimate art fair from another dimension.

Warning: You may experience more exciting art fairs in the universe… but we seriously doubt it.

FAIR HOURS

Saturday, August 8th

1pm-7pm

Riverside Drive, downtown Elgin!

VOLUNTEER APPLICATION

SPONSOR

ARTIST VENDORS

Crafty Crochet

Sewcastic Bag Designs

Bugs N Bones

Sweeet Bippy

Ana Swanson Studio

Serpent & Flame Candle Co

Arturo Aldama

Ashley Hanna Quade

Audrey Avril Art

Bobby Rowland

The Church of Dust

Bree Diesburg Photography

Bridget's Cove

Caskets &Co

Cathy Ann Handmade

Echo & Etc

My stained heART

Arte en los huesitos

Mydeye

Saucy Makes

Mystical Stitch Co

H1gherv1be Original Ink

Peony and Luna

Farrago Services

Eli Tatosian Art

Stoked Embers

Gabby Schmitt Art

Eye Candy Gemstones and Jewelry

Ohhunni

Magic Sasquatch Studio

jane.artista

ghennah art studio and gallery

Twisted Arts

Lythanthis Art

Scoops Color Lab

4M design

Psymonsen Studios

Punkburd Arts

The Life of Navi

Flora Ossa

LeoPerezArt

The Burning Moon Art

TheSoupOfTheDay

Oddball Art Labs

Icreateart2

Abstracts by Nancy Janko

Pete Kornowski - Imaginative Realism

Rae's Space

Microbiome Arts

anodynia

Bone & Blossom Tattoo Studio

Awesome Opossum Art & Design

Psychidyllic Arts

Feral Days Creative Studio

Fossil Creek Art

Dark Chord Audio Productions

Colorlust.creations

Flores Art Studio

WriterNZane

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
2026 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

VOLUNTEER APPLICATION

VENDOR AGREEMENT

- AREA 22 PRODUCT BANS -

We DO NOT allow the sale of live animals 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.

Rules/Reminders/Vendor Tips

ENTERTAINMENT

SPACED OUT COMMUNITY MURAL

Add your own splash of color to the free community mural project… fun for the whole family!

FOOD/BEVERAGE

Girl's Got Balls Food Truck - Gluten Free Arancinis

Goose's Natural Juices - Natural Juices, Italian Ice/Snow Cones

La Cocinata Familiar - Mexican y Guatemalan Food

Uncle B's Smoke & Fire - Down Home Southern BBQ

LIVE MUSIC

(coming soon)

AREA 22 EVENT LAYOUT

2025 AREA 22 - Riverside Drive Layout.png

FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What The Artists Are Saying...

The community feeling between the vendors and customers, I also really liked the audience it attracted because everyone was very positive and nice!

Talking to people genuinely interested in art.

The organization, the interactive mural was amazing! Vendor selection was great.

Meeting the people and seeing what a cool downtown area Elgin has!

Being a part of an artistic environment 😌

The community and event theme. I liked the community mural idea.

Location and vibes. Attendees were engaged and supportive. Even if they didn’t purchase, everyone was lovely to chat with.

I enjoyed the atmosphere and variety of artists!

Just participating. It was my first time and I had a good experience

Tents and tables provided

The vibes from staff and other vendors. Great location. Tents table and chairs provided. Pizza(:

Location was beautiful.

People interaction

I love engaging with viewers and patrons, and there were a lot of people to talk with. We always want a bigger crowd but that can't be controlled, but the folks that were there were very interested in all the event had to offer.

The atmosphere was really nice

Being by the river, being a part of an eclectic event. Tanner, Erin and staff were really kind and welcoming!!

Watching the mural come to life and chatting with 22 Crew & other vendors. I was happy to be able to encourage some first-time vendors and see what everyone is up to. I also appreciate the cooperative planning with local restaurants - having good vibes with local neighbors is great.

Getting to speak to people about my process and work. The attendees were mixed. Some were just out for a stroll and many did stop and talk with me about my process. It went beyond the “beautiful” I hear at other events I do. It was great to get beyond that first impression people get of my art and to explain process, materials and choices made as it’s created.

good variety of vendors

Having people appreciate my art, just hearing the appreciation helped out alot <3

Meeting the other artists!