Your Guide to Fall 2025 Arts and Crafts Fairs in Chicago

Chicago’s street festival season generally stops after Labor Day Weekend, but there are plenty of art fairs and festivals taking place throughout the city during the fall. The events offer a perfect opportunity to find anything from a new piece for your home to a special holiday gift, or just to browse. 

By Dave Lifton (@daveeatschicago)

This weekend (Oct. 3^rd – 5^th, 2025), the West Town Chamber of Commerce will hold its 15^th annual Art Walk. Nearly 50 establishments, including the neighborhood’s many galleries, shops, and restaurants, will display the works of local artists. Take a free public art walking tour, see live art demonstrations, and meet artists. In addition, 19 businesses will have special promotions for those wearing their Art Walk button, which can range from $6 glasses of wine and beer at All Together Now to $15 buckets of Brazilian fried chicken and $9 caipirinhas at Brasero to 15% off at furniture and home decor store The Golden Triangle. 

That same weekend, on the Far North Side, the Andersonville Annual Arts Weekend will showcase more than 60 artists in galleries and businesses along the half-mile stretch of Clark St. that comprises the neighborhood’s main drag. Attend receptions and parties on Friday night, make a collage at Ridman’s Coffee, and watch a performance from the company of the Gus Giordano Dance School. The weekend is dedicated to the memory of Todd Mack, who founded Foursided, a beloved framing and gift shop that specializes in local products. 

The 5th annual Black Girl Art Show takes over Navy Pier’s Aon Grand Ballroom on the afternoon of Oct. 12. A traveling exhibition, the event will consist of art installations, displays, and live performances from more than 100 Black women in a celebration of unity. Tickets can be purchased at Eventbrite. 

Marwen, which has given free visual art classes to more than 15,000 children in Chicago since 1987, hosts its 19^th annual Art Fair on Oct. 17^th on three floor of its River North space. Tickets ($50 in advance, $60 at the door) grant you access to an open bar and hors d’oeuvres, and the opportunity to bid on more than 400 pieces by 150+ artists in Marwen’s network. Last year’s event raised a record $120,000 through tickets, sales, sponsorships, and donations, with $19,000 going to the artists.  

Every month, the Chicago Artisan Market brings together the top craftspeople and artists from the Chicago area to sell art, home décor, clothes, and food. More than two-thirds of the vendors at the market are minority- or women-owned businesses. On Oct. 19^th, Nov. 16^th, and Dec. 14^th, the event will be held in its regular home of Morgan Manufacturing (401 N. Morgan St.) in Fulton Market, and it heads to Ravenswood’s Artifact Events (4325 N. Ravenswood Ave.) for its holiday market on Nov. 29^th – 30^th.

Another traveling show, The Other Art Fair, hits Artifact Events from Oct. 30^th – Nov. 2^nd. The fair took its name from the founder’s belief that too many galleries shut out up-and-coming artists, and prides itself on featuring affordable art from a diverse group of 115 global creators. Guests can participate in interactive installations while enjoying music from DJs and a bar. 

Just in time for the holiday season, the Evanston Art Center will host its 23^rd annual Winter Arts & Craft Expo from Nov. 22^nd – Dec. 20^th (except Thanksgiving). The month-long fair will contain work from more than 150 artists selling hand-crafted jewelry, ceramics, glasswork, and art in multiple disciplines. Shoppers wishing to get an early jump on the fair can come to the preview party on Nov. 21^st. 

Farther north, the inaugural Handmade Holiday Market is slated for Nov. 23^rd at the Lincolnshire Marriott Resort, with 80 curated artists and craftspeople selling their wares. A $10 ticket includes a glass of champagne upon arrival and a $2 donation to WINGS, Inc., an organization that provides housing and counseling to victims of domestic violence and their children. 

Lastly, those needing a last-minute one-of-a-kind gift can check out Renegade Craft on Dec. 20^th – 21^st, where more than 170 artists will be on-site at Morgan Manufacturing. Attendance is free, but a donation of $5 to support Renegade Craft’s future efforts in creating spaces for artisans to sell their goods.

The author will, one day, finally work up the courage to buy a painting of dogs playing poker and hang it unironically on his living room wall.