Once a year, around the second weekend of September, Chicago offers two unique experiences, one for book lovers and one for art lovers: the Printers Row Literature Festival and the Ravenswood Artwalk. For the last 40 years, Chicago has been home to the Row Literature Festival, located on the streets of South Dearborn, from Ida B. Wells to Polk St. What began as a small community book fair in has now expanded to nearly 100,000 visitors over the course of their two-day event.
The festival includes various local bookstores and small-press authors selling their books, vendors offering book-themed merchandise, and by authors and other figures in the book industry. For instance, during this year’s Sunday events, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner John West, author of “The Internet Will Die, and So Will You: On Learning to Live in Our Digital Age,” discussed learning and digital awareness for people in today’s technological age. The talks are a great opportunity to learn more about a topic and meet an author.
This year, there were also multiple publishing press shops selling their books, such as , and small, unique book shops such as , a Chicago-based independent publishing company.One of their books, “FreakBoy82: Super Chaos,” a book with a unique superhero premise, was available, and the authors were present, speaking to festival attendees and signing copies. Something especially fun was the Books4Cause booth, where they sold used books, and all the proceeds went to supporting , also called Books4Cause.
In addition to books, there were vendors that sold bookmarks, book art, book stuffies, stickers and jewelry. had some fun book-themed pins and hair clips, and had hats and keychains. Vendors were not limited to physical items; some offered editorial services, brainstorming consultations, custom art for your books, supportive writing groups and more. Best of all, the entire festival experience is outdoors, so attendees can get some fresh air while exploring.
A short drive or slightly longer train ride away, the same weekend as the Printers Row Lit Festival, the neighborhood hosts a two-day ArtWalk event down Ravenswood Avenue, where the craft workshops and galleries along that street open their doors and give attendees a glimpse of what they offer. There are drawing and painting studios, glass-blowing classes, pottery workshops, and much more that you can explore as you wander down the street.
You can do a quick sketch of a model in a drawing studio, see a glass blowing demonstration, or observe the results of ceramics courses. Starshaped Press, a that still sets all its type by hand, was also open for visitors. The artwalk is intended to let people dabble in creativity, learn about local artists and shops, and features local artists selling their craft, giving attendees a chance to see art, meet the artist, and support a small business.
Although the time to attend these wonderful events has passed, consider adding them to your September calendar for next year. You can easily attend both events in one day, or take the time to savor each one individually; the choice is yours! You do not have to settle for the typical city trip; explore, try something new or just wander aimlessly.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of 星空无限传媒. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, 星空无限传媒 or the Seventh-day Adventist church.