“Crafty Bastards was started about six years ago by The City Paper because we wanted to have an event that we felt spoke about the city and The City Paper. And, what people think of DC is that it is very button down. You know, the K Street crowd, blue suits and red ties, and that is not the DC that we know and love. Crafty Bastards has over 150 crafters that make things, most of which are not mass produced. Some make things only for this event. You can’t find this stuff unless you come to Crafty Bastards. We bring them together with about 20,000 people who come to shop.
"The event puts us in touch with people who read and look at The City Paper and it’s a great conversation starter. Crafty Bastards is the unique, one-of-a-kind thing. It reflects our advertisers, many of whom are local Mom and Pop stores. That is the advertising that has always worked for The City Paper.
“And, isn’t this a great location? I remember when they took me down to the school for the first time to see the site. I remember saying, “You’re crazy.” But, it is a perfect space. When the school was built in the late 60's, early 70's, the plaza was built for community purposes and it was supposed to be used like this, yet it never is, with very few exceptions. So, we’re actually using this space as it was intended.
“In the past, it was not so difficult to get the permits, except for this year. The DC government had us doing much more work and permitting for the event than in the past. If anyone is listening in the District government, that is a difficult and expensive process!
“We tried doing Crafty Bastards twice a year. We did one other one in Silver Spring last year and it was too much. You know, it is not our core. We are too busy writing and publishing to do more than one a year."
While the next Crafty Bastards is a year away, you can find links to this year's fair vendors and support their work here.
Amy, left, is pictured with Hunter.
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