Chicago’s Best Markets for Artists and Makers

Updated September 5, 2018

Are you an artist or a maker and are looking for spaces to not only showcase and SELL your work in Chicago? We’ve compiled a list of farmer’s markets, pop up shops, and other arts and crafts opportunities to represent your hustle around Chicago.

Special Events Management

Special Events Management is the largest full-service producer of events in the Midwest. This includes many of Chicagoland’s most popular and best-known runs/walks and art/street festivals. In fact, each year nearly 500,000 individuals participate in SEM-produced runs/walks while another 1.5 million visit our art and street fests. With SEM you can reach an eclectic audience for your products or services at many of Chicago’s hottest summer events by becoming an exhibitor affiliated with the 2017 Chicagoland Best Fest Series — a series of the most popular and acclaimed events and street fairs held in the city and suburbs.

The Wells Street Art Festival is listed among the best juried artist events in the Midwest (and the country!) and boasts attendance records of over 50,000 people.

SEM’s events also include the Belmont-Sheffield Music Fest, Northalsted Market Days, Taste of Lincoln Avenue, AIDS Run/Walk Chicago, Sheffield Music Fest & Garden Walk, Festival de La Villita, Roscoe Village Burger Fest, Lakeview Taco Fest and the Chicago Cubs’ Charities’ Race to Wrigley, to name just a few.

You can find more vendor information here.

Renegade Craft Fair

Renegade has grown into a Chicago mainstay, attracting bustling crowds, exceptional Maker talent, and collaborative features at every Fair.It is filled with makers and creators with incredible talent who are always featured as the main attraction.

You can find vendor information here.

Chicago Artisan Market

This curated marketplace celebrates the ingenuity of independent, small businesses who channel their creative passions into one-of-a-kind designs, home goods, art and food. This market boasts more than 100 of Chicago’s finest artisans.

You can find vendor information here.

Randolph Street Market

Randolph Street Market brings you the most interesting Chicago shopping, eating and drinking extravaganza just West of the downtown area!

The dealers and vendors of the Randolph Street Market Festival are very special people! They have been hand-picked to participate based on their merchandise mix and the way they conduct their businesses.

You can find vendor information here

Chicago Art and Design show at Navy Pier

Amdur Productions is proud to announce the second year of The Chicago Art & Design Show, an indoor art & design show at famous Navy Pier. The spectacular high ceiling Ballroom will be the location of this 100 artist show. Original art of all types is welcome. An area of the show will be reserved for galleries so as to allow a limited number of galleries to represent artists.

Over 9.2 million people come to Navy Pier annually. This show will be heavily marketed to the entire Chicago Metro area as well.

You can find artist information here.