7 Best Creative Festivals to Get Your DIY Fix
We all need a little bit of inspiration, guidance and encouragement, plus it’s oh-so-fab to be surrounded by our fellow dreamers, makers and DIYers. To find all that and more, you should, nay, NEED to go to one of the many festivals and conferences celebrating creativity. Whether you come visit us at our Re:Make Summit and Festival, head to Palm Springs for the next Alt Summit or hit every one of Renegade’s fairs, you’ll leave with a full heart and a head full of ideas.
1. Re:Make Summit and Festival, San Francisco, California: Yes, Brit + Co has our very own maker conference and festival! Our fourth annual two-day fest of awesomeness takes place this September 30 and October 1 (so register NOW). On the first day, we’ll bring together hundreds of the most badass leading designers, entrepreneurs, bloggers, artisans and brands for a day of celebrating the modern creative movement. On day two, there will be free DIY classes, projects and entertainment, and you’ll be able to shop from about 100 of our fave makers and artisans. Inspo will be at every turn, so come learn, make, play and explore with us!
2. WeMake Celebrates, Portland, Oregon: We all know there’s a huge Maker movement in Portland. All those trees, inexpensive rents and plethora of bars seem to have spurred quite the DIY spirit in the residents. This October, the “WeMake Celebrates: A Design Conference on the Process of Making” will be honoring (and inspiring) the thriving creative community there. The carefully curated event sparks a “creative dialogue with inspiring design thinkers known locally, nationally, and internationally.” This year’s speakers include illustrator and designer Lotta Nieminen, Britt Howard of the Portland Garment Factory and many others led by the master of ceremonies, the acclaimed illustrator Lisa Congdon. (Photo via WeMake Celebrates)
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3. Alt Summit: Taking place in various locations (the next one will be held in Palm Springs), the Alt Summit brings together creative entrepreneurs and social media influencers (mostly from the style category) to learn, share and explore. There will be classes, workshops, parties and oodles of heartfelt bonding with fellow makers and Instagrammers. You can learn how to fine tune your blog, how to run a successful Kickstarter campaign and how to make a killer DIY tutorial.
4. Maker Faire: The Maker Faire has taken over the WORLD. With events happening in the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City to Rome and Istanbul, this particular maker celebration has become quite the movement. The Maker Faire isn’t about your grandma’s DIYs. The tinker-based gathering brings together tech enthusiasts, engineers and scientists with crafters, educators, food artisans, hobbyists and more. It’s like if R2-D2 and Holly Hobby had a baby, then you’d have the Maker Faire.
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5. Renegade Craft Fair: While the Renegade Craft Fair — with locations in San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Austin, Portland, Seattle, Denver and London — is mostly about shopping, shopping and more shopping, it’s also a place for meeting, chatting and getting loads of inspiration. There’s a huge array of DIYers on hand at every one of their events, from small-batch pickle makers to accomplished knitters. Not only will you end up buying something you’ll cherish forever, you’ll leave with all sorts of priceless inspo.
6. Craft Lake City, Salt Lake City, Utah: The annual Craft Lake City Festival is a three-day DIY event in Salt Lake City with the goal to educate, promote and also inspire local artisans. They have broadened the term “craft” to stand for all things handmade: craft food makers, vintage vendors, DIY engineers, artists and performers. The festival happens in August, but there are workshops all throughout the year with highlights such as gold leafing, how to make your own herbal infusions and a class in DIY bath bombs.
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7. Pop Shop America, Houston, Texas: “It’s more than just a place to shop. It’s where you can transform ordinary to extraordinary,” Pop Shop America states on their site. Along with celebrating DIY makers twice a year at their shopping events, they also host a variety of workshops like a Mason Jar Dessert Mixes meet-up and DIY Beauty Bar class. If you’re in Texas, this is where you’ll be able to get your DIY on!
Which DIY-inspired festival would YOU most like to attend? Tweet us at @BritandCo and let us know!
(Featured photo via Getty)