Since I knew we would be traveling to St. Louis last weekend, I was particularly interested in the blog post my blogging friend, Paige, put up on her wonderful blog, Lenox Knits. If you haven’t looked at the things Paige knits, I am warning you, you will have to buy one of her beautiful scarves. Anyway, Paige mentioned that she would have a booth at the Strange Folk Festival.
We decided that my husband shouldn’t do very much walking since he is just getting over a bout of tendinitis so we didn’t go to the festival. I am mentioning it here, on my blog, as a reference so that when we do get to go, I will have all the info.
The Strange Folk Festival showcases indie crafts and indie music. I didn’t really know the significance of the “indie” conotation so, of course, I used my Swagbucks search bar and did some searching. In the Urban Dictionary, indie is described as (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself. I didn’t think that was quite the “indie” I was looking for so I went on to search at Wikipedia. There I found the following:
Indie is a shortform of “independent”
The indie design movement is made up of independent designers, artists and craftspeople who design and make a wide array of products without being part of large, industrialized businesses.
They are supported by a growing number of indie shoppers who are seeking niche and often handmade products as opposed to those mass-produced by corporations. Such products may include jewelery and other accessories, ceramics, clothing, glass, metalwork, furniture, cosmetics, art and much more.
Indie designers often sell their items directly to buyers by way of their own online shops, craft fairs, street markets and a variety of online marketplaces, such as Etsy. However, they may also engage in consignment and/or wholesale relationships with retail outlets, both online and offline.
The indie design movement can be seen as being an aspect of the general indie movement and DIY culture.
Now that’s more like it! Yes, I believe the Strange Folk Festival is a gathering of artists who sell their handmade products. You can eat wonderful foods, listen to authors discuss their books and participate in the The Upcycle Exchange. Best of all, you can purchase beautiful, handmade items that will fill your life with pleasure while supporting the handmade movement.