What is the Renegade Craft Fair?
The Renegade Craft Fair (RCF) is a curated indie-craft marketplace showcasing the brightest talents in contemporary craft and design. Our fairs bring hundreds of makers out of their studios and workshops and into the spotlight for a festive weekend celebration of all things handmade. Each individual event is juried from hundreds of applications, then curated to highlight an eclectic array of both experienced and emergent designers producing one-of-a-kind and limited edition goods in a wide variety of media.
Renegade is the first, largest, and most well respected event of its kind and has been a major force in pioneering the way for the booming DIY craft movement since it’s inception. Following our Chicago debut in 2003, RCF quickly spread across the US (and to the UK) and presently hosts events in Austin, Brooklyn, Chicago, London (UK), Los Angeles, and San Francisco. RCF events attract tens of thousands of people per fair and over 250,000 visitors annually.
What kind of crafts will be there?
At Renegade you’ll find all manner of handmade goods. Our diverse roster of artists come from a DIY or indie-craft background and combine new and traditional craft techniques with modern design aesthetics to produce fresh, innovative goods you won’t find anywhere else. Expect to be wowed by cutting-edge fashion and jewelry designs, sophisticated ceramics and housewares, contemporary furniture and lighting, bath and body products, screen-printed art, and papergoods – just to name a handful.
Check out what we mean by visiting our Photos and the Makers Page for this event.
What kind of festivities can be expected?
We strive to create an atmosphere as festive, fun and inspiring as can be with decorative art installations, hands on workshops, live DJ’s from local indie music outlets, photobooths, local artisanal food and drink, and much much more.
Very carefully! Since we receive many more applications than we can accept for each event, we jury each application based on their originality, quality, and how their items fit in with our ‘Renegade’ indie-craft vision. We also take into consideration vendor price points, our need to diversify the items available at the fair and other criteria. All applications are juried in-house by select members of our staff.
If you are interested in learning more about the application process, fees, and criteria for this event, please visit our Apply Page.
If you’re interested in applying as an artist/maker, please read the application information here. If you’re interested in having a non-profit booth, leading a workshop, creating an installation, learning about sponsorship opportunities, etc, please email us.
When and where is the fair being held?
The 3rd Annual Renegade Craft Fair London will be held Saturday + Sunday, November 9 + 10 from 11am – 6pm each day. The fair is being held at The Old Truman Brewery, located at 81 Brick Lane, E1 6QL in the vibrant Shoreditch neighborhood situated in London’s East End. The venue, which spans both sides of Brick Lane and houses a multitude of renovated creative warehouse spaces, sits on a historic 11-acre site located near Spitalfields Market.
There are two entrances to the venue – the main entrance is located in Ely’s Yard, on the West side of The Old Truman Brewery, just North of Hanbury Street, and there is another entrance on the East side of The Old Truman Brewery, on the Brick Lane side. The Renegade Craft Fair will be upstairs in the F Block T1 space – the same building as The Sunday UpMarket, just one floor up.
How do I get there?
We encourage you to walk, bike, or take public transportation to the Fair.
The venue is easily accessible by London’s Tube –
A 5-minute walk from the Liverpool Street station (servicing the Central, Metropolitan, Circle, Hammersmith & City lines, and the National Rail services): From the station, walk east on Liverpool Street to Bishopsgate. Head north (turn left) on Bishopsgate to Brushfield Street. Head east (turn right) on Brushfield Street to Commercial Street. Walk east (turn left) on Commercial Street to Hanbury Street. The Old Truman Brewery will be on your left.
A 5-minute walk from the Aldgate East station (servicing the District, and Hammersmith & City lines): From the station, head north on Commercial Street to Hanbury Street. Walk east (turn right) on Hanbury Street and the Old Truman Brewery will be on your left.
A 15-minute walk from the Old Street station (servicing the Northern Line and the National Rail services): From the station, head east on Old Street to Great Eastern Street. Veer to the south where Old Street splits and becomes Great Eastern Street. Continue south on Great Eastern Street. At Shoreditch High Street, Great Eastern Street becomes Commercial Street. Continue South on Commercial Street to Hanbury Street. Walk east on Hanbury Street (turn left). The Old Truman Brewery will be on your left.
Plan your trip here.
For 24 hour travel information contact +44 (0)20 7222 1234
There are also several bus routes that will get you to Shoreditch near the Old Truman Brewery –
from the West End: 8, 55, and 242
from East London: 8, 26, 48, 55, 57, 242, and 388
from South London: 35, 47, 48, 78, and149
from The City: 26, 55, 242, 243, and 388
You can view a map of the area here.
Is there parking nearby?
Although the venue is located out of the Congestion Charging Zone, parking is extremely limited and driving is not encouraged. Two car parks (capacity 80 cars each) are located near The Old Truman Brewery for a daily rate, and are available on a first come first serve basis. Car park entrances can be found at 89 Brick Lane, or at 1-15 Hanbury Street.
Is there an entry fee?
The Renegade Craft Fair is always free to attend.
Do the vendors only accept cash or do they take debit/credit cards?
Some booths will be cash only and some will take both cash or debit/credit cards. It’s always good to bring plenty of cash with you, as not all vendors will be able to run cards. Typically, vendors will charge credit cards transactions in their local currency (£GBP $USD €EUR etc). Cash transactions will be in £GBP. Find information on the most up to date exchange rates here.
There are no ATMs in the Old Truman Brewery itself, so we recommend having plenty of cash with you before you arrive at the event. As Shoreditch is a popular London destination for shopping and dining, there are several ATMs located in the area.
Easily accessible cash machines nearby:
Barclays
Located in Old Spitalfields Market
101 Commercial Street
Santander/Abbey National
224 Bishopsgate, south of Brushfield Street
Are pets allowed?
We’re so sorry, but no pets are allowed in The Old Truman Brewery. Oh, how we wish they were!
What’s the deal with the owl?
The owl has been the mascot for The Renegade Craft Fair since its inception, inspired by a vintage burlap tapestry Renegade founders purchased from a thrift store shortly before organizing the first Fair. Artist Mat Daly (married to RCF co-founder Susie Daly), produces limited-edition screen-printed posters for each Renegade Craft Fair which always feature an owl in a different design – an RCF tradition since 2003.
