Attention, craft lovers: Renegade Craft fair kicks off in Chelsea this weekend

One of the biggest design and craft fairs in the country, which will have more than 180 creators in attendance, returns to Chelsea’s Metropolitan Pavilion this weekend.

The traveling Renegade Craft fair has set up in cities across the U.S. since its founding in 2003 – this is already its second edition in New York City this year, after an earlier summer fair in Greenpoint.

Brooklyn-based muralist Amelie de Cirfontaine has been to Renegade four years in a row. She said the vibes are much kinder than at the sometimes stuffy art world.

“This feels more community-like, more approachable, more homemade,” de Cirfontaine said. “Like if you were to walk into a concept store but have every piece speak to you, because the maker is right there.”

Visitors can expect to see ceramics, prints, jewelry and textiles, as well as embroidered clothing and stationery, homemade bath products, and work that’s a little harder to categorize.

“For the holidays, if people are trying to meet small, local makers, it’s really the place,” de Cirfontaine said.

Tech worker Samaa Nadkarni, 25, is selling her Flower Child ceramics line at this weekend’s fair.

She said it’s her first time selling in a retail-like environment. After picking up ceramics as a pandemic hobby, she sold her first pieces through word of mouth or independent commission.

“Weirdly, I’ve gotten a lot of commissions from just walking around Williamsburg with my stuff in my little basket,” Nadkarni said. “On my way home, people will stop and be like ‘Oh, where did you buy that?’ and I’m like ‘Oh, I just picked it up from my kiln.’”

Alongside the handmade and the hobbyists turning pro, Renegade also features established artists and mature brands.

Baxter Wood, a sustainable fashion company that makes raincoats, boots, and other products out of recycled plastic bottles or carefully sourced, biodegradable yet waterproof rubber, has been featured in outlets like GQ and Vogue.

Baxter Wood’s founder Kweku Larbi, who was at Renegade’s San Francisco fair last weekend, said that although Baxter Wood is a larger, established brand, its booth fits right in.

“I always connect with the vendors next to me,” Larbi said. “I have a candle lit downstairs from the vendor in the booth next to me last weekend. It’s pretty incredible meeting people and thinking ‘I used to be where they are’ and thinking how we can all grow together.”

Amelia Greteman, who studied textiles in undergrad and furniture at the Rhode Island School of Design, concurs.

“Something really nice about these fairs is that people from all backgrounds attend,” she said. “It’s a great way to meet makers that aren’t just in academia.”

The Renegade Craft Fair runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. this Saturday and Sunday. There is a $5 suggested entry fee, payable at the door.