The 606 Project: Chicago Indie Artisan Market

Appropriately set in Wicker Park, on Small Business Saturday, the first of the The 606 Project Chicago Indie Artisan Markets took place.  A collection of hand-picked, Chicago creatives, artists and makers came together to showcase their creations and promote shopping local.  

The holiday market took place in a vacant storefront at 2042 N. Milwaukee Ave on November 29th and 30th and featured the following vendors: 

 

MADE IN jewelry - Sin Clarity Clothing - WhitneyJCreations - Susan Williams - 

Chantal Johnson -  Function by, Jennifer Creighton - Mademoiselle O-Fee-Lee - Reformed School - Chocolate Twist - Weldon - BrokenTart - GreenBean Soap Co. - Morgan Reed jewelry - Cities In Dust - MCB Project - Dream Babes - Zitroe clothing - Mashallah - The Bread & Butterfly - SenTEAmental Moods - Amelia Jane Vintage - Little Green - Wulfka clothing - Kevins Cutouts - Cyze Photography  - Silk Shaman - PterodactylPants - Lindsay Lewis Jewelry - Upcycle Bottleworks - Seven Tiny Seas - Linda Alcala - Jesyjunkpockets - Vintage Refined Decor  - Re|Source Designs - Jourdon Gullett - Latressa Collection - Smitten Love - Knock Down Barns - Divine Chef - The Juice Guru - VK Urban Farms - Angelo Julian Salon - Angels Envy - Brian Selke  - Alicia Zapata 

  

 

Lana Nikolenko, founder and owner of MADE IN jewelry, is one of the four artists behind the creation of The 606 Project. 

Halfstack Magazine:  How did the planning for this event begin?

Lana Nikolenko: "I have done a bunch of events and at every event I am always like, 'I wish that was different, or that was different', and I was sharing a booth a couple of months ago with Sarah [of Sin Clarity Clothing] and Whitney [of WhitneyJCreations] and we are sitting there saying, 'wouldn't it be great if we throw a holiday market'?  That's where the idea was born and every week from then on, we would meet and sit there and talk logistics, details and it just kept getting bigger and bigger!"

HS: How did you choose what artists to bring together?  

LN:  "A lot of people we know.   A lot of people I have seen at events.  Some people we scouted from Etsy.  It was important to us that it was all Chicago, all handmade and  all, like, the 'little guy'."  

HS: Are there any plans for any future markets?

LN: There definitely is.  I could see it happening quarterly, since it took us about three months to coordinate this, so possibly in March. 

 

Market shoppers enjoyed live music and local food and drink samplings while perusing the local vendors.  I was excited to see some familiar faces and to meet new ones!  One of my new-found favorite vendors is GreenBean Soap Co.  It is no secret that I am obsessed with handmade soap and beauty products.  I definitely know where to stock up once my shameless collection of soap in my shower is depleted.  


For more information on upcoming events,  "like" The 606 Project on Facebook.