Adams Morgan is not just the home of numerous hookah bars, late-night food spots and that one rude bouncer who took your fake ID last year (curse you, underwater-themed bar!). On Saturday, Oct. 3, it housed the Crafty Bastards “alternative” craft fair — an interesting event, to say the least.
Though craft fairs might seem like a great idea in an economic downturn — “We’re gonna get some cool stuff! For cheap!” — thriftiness turned out not to be the name of the game at this particular extravaganza, but variety.
As the event’s Web site proudly proclaimed, there were indeed 150-plus vendors spanning at least three large parking lots. The uniform-white tents stretched further than the eye could see. Many of the booths had pretty cool stuff, regardless of extravagant prices.
You could find all manner of ironic artwork (lots of old-time themes, animals in top hats, etc.), a thousand pairs of stereotypical homemade earrings (made from keyboard keys, bottle caps, beads and the like) and booths too numerous to mention that elicited the response, “I could make that myself.”
There were also many things you might want to own, but likely laid outside the price range of the average college student. A vintage cardigan with screen-printed scissors on it ran $150, while a few journals with cool covers from old books went for $35. It’s not that you didn’t want to own everything at Crafty Bastards, it’s just that the average person would probably feel guilty buying anything. To sum it up: all was cute, but unnecessary.
Most people seemed to buy something little, like a wolf charm, a little piece of art, or a button. There were also a few free activities throughout the day — hula-hoop lessons, pin making, needlepoint — so if you had some time to spare, there was some crafting of your own to do.
Despite the fact that most either left with empty hands or an empty wallet, the event provided a nice excuse to wander around in the sun, even if the fair was a little crowded; you can’t really go wrong exploring the neighborhoods of the District. This was the sixth annual Crafty Bastards put on by the Washington City Paper, so make sure to come out next year to see some of the creations. If you come into some inheritance money or want to get some ideas for do-it-yourself (for those so craftily inclined), it is certainly a recommended place to go.
You can reach this writer at thescene@theeagleonline.com.
