WELCOME!
INFO FOR ACCEPTED ARTISTS

We’re excited to have you as a part of the festival this year! If you’re returning, thank you very much for coming back. Many of the patrons look forward to seeing their returning favorites. If you’re new to the festival this year, we appreciate you joining the BAF family of artists and hope you enjoy the community or artists and shoppers we bring together.

  • Download It

    Get all of the information on this page by downloading this PDF.

  • Get the Artist load in map & Info Pack

    2023 Load In Map

  • WHERE TO STAY NEAR THE FEST

    Walk to the fest from

    Leavitt Street Inn & Tavern

    Ray’s Bucktown B&B

    Short drive to the fest from

    Hyatt Place Wicker Park

    The Robey

    Wicker Park Inn

    There are a lot of larger hotels downtown and several Airbnbs in the area too!

  • Load In / Load out

    Saturday Morning Load In
    6am - 10am
    Please remember your booth number to speed up the process. Volunteers will be on-hand at the entrances to give you your laminated booth number sign.

    If you are at the wrong entrance, you may be redirected. We’ll have volunteers with hand carts to help unload your vehicle and keep traffic moving. Please be safe, and listen to our volunteer staff.

    Artists in the park:
    Enter at W. Belden Ave. & Western Ave. Note: This entrance will close at 9:30 a.m. to allow the food trucks to load-in.

    Artists on Lyndale St.:
    Enter at W. Lyndale St. & Western Ave. Open until 10:00 a.m. for load-in.
    ———
    Sunday Evening Load Out
    7 - 9 pm
    Volunteers will be on hand to help direct parking and with load outs.

    Please use the dumpsters behind the main stage to deposit any trash you may have before you leave.

  • Parking Near the Fest

    There is limited parking because we are in a neighborhood. We do our best to provide parking for our artists.

    Parking is available at the PNC overflow lot located at 2311 N Western Ave (Southeast corner of Western & Medill). Look for volunteers at the entrance. Artists may park overnight in this lot at their own risk. We do not have overnight security in the lot.

    Please do not park oversized trucks or trailers on Bucktown neighborhood streets. You may be towed.

    You must place a parking pass in your window to park in any parking lot provided by BAF. Without a parking pass, you will be towed. Passes are distributed at check-in.

    Street spaces are first-come, first-served. As of 2014, the Pulaski School teacher’s lot is no longer available to our artists for parking on Saturday or Sunday.

    No parking is allowed in the alleys. Violators will be towed.

  • About Booth Spaces

    Booth assignments will be sent out in mid-August. See your booth assignment on Zapplication. If you would like to make a request, you can make a note in your application or email booths@bucktownartsfest.com.

    Bring signage for your booth & wear a name tag. Our visitors are here to meet you and learn about your work. Putting up a sign with your business or artist name on it helps them find you! And a name tag gives them the chance (and all of us!) to know you better.

    Spaces are approximately 10’x10’ – some on the streets and some in the park.     Park spaces offer gorgeous shade, but uneven and hilly terrain. We have done our best to remove unaccommodating spots from our map and make it a great experience for everyone.

  • Tax reporting

    Artists at the Fest may need to register with the Illinois Department of Revenue and submit Special Event Tax Revenue forms. Not everyone needs to register/file—some may only need to fill out a special event coupon. Generally, artists eligible for these special event coupons include those who do fewer than three Illinois art shows per year and out-of-state vendors.

    To find out your tax liability, if any, please contact:

    Illinois Department of Revenue
    Special Events Unit: (847) 294-4475
    Taxpayer Assistance: (847) 294-4200
    Rev.Specialevents@Illinois.gov

    Learn about your responsibilities to the Illinois Department of Revenue as a vendor:
    http://tax.illinois.gov/Individuals/SalesandRelated/fairs.htm.

  • Be a good neighbor, a reminder

    Just a reminder that we can’t do the fest without each other! Whether it is helping someone with load in, bringing them back a drink, or keeping an eye on someone’s tent while they grab some food, your small kindnesses are welcome.

    WHERE THE MONEY GOES
    BAF is an all-volunteer run organization with no paid staff. All of our proceeds go to fund arts education at Holstein Park and in the Bucktown/Wicker park neighborhoods.

    We are grateful to you for helping us expose the public to art without a fee — and for helping us raise money to fund classroom projects (defined by teachers) and host all season art and music classes at Holstein Park. None of this would be possible without your great talents!

  • Fest Contact

    Should you have any questions, concerns, or just need an ambassador to watch your booth for a couple minutes and can’t find one, please call or text Maria Mariottini. She will be your “weekend of” point-of-contact this year and can be found roaming the festival to check on artists or at the Info Tent.

    Maria can be reached via text/call at (773) 263-5882. Please be sure to let her know your booth number and name when you send her a message.

about booths & things

  • Our Booth Spaces

    Spaces are approximately 10’x10’ – some on the streets and some in the park. Park spaces offer gorgeous shade, but uneven and hilly terrain. We have done our best to remove unaccommodating spots from our map and make it a great experience for everyone. Many returning artists request their same space each year. New artists are assigned to spaces as available.

    Bring signage for your booth & wear a name tag. Our visitors are here to meet you and learn about your work. Putting up a sign with your business or artist name on it helps them find you! And a name tag gives them the chance (and all of us!) to know you better.

  • 10x10 Tents Only

    Only 10’x10’ size tents are allowed. Our smaller confines do not allow for much gravy room. If you come with a larger tent, you will lose your booth assignment and will be asked to move to a space where your tent can be accommodated, even if you are already set up.

    Just a note: There is a small amount of storage room behind most tent areas – but not a lot. We put up fencing behind the tents to protect the neighborhood grass, so really there is only a little “nudge” area.

    **Please remember to weigh down your tent with sandbags if you plan to leave it erect overnight on Saturday.**

  • Booth Assignments

    Booth assignments will be sent out in mid-August via Zapplication.

    You may request a booth in your Zapplication. Once shared, all booth assignments are final. Change requests will not be accepted. Exchange, sale or the switching of spaces is prohibited unless approved by BAF. Artists who do not cooperate may be asked to leave.

Load in & load OUT

  • times to know


    SATURDAY

    6:00 am to 10:00 am
    Artist load-in

    7:00-9:00 a.m.
    Coffee available at the Leavitt Street Inn and Tavern

    11:00 am to 7:00 pm
    Fest hours

    SUNDAY

    11:00 am to 7:00 pm
    Fest hours

    7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
    Artist tear down and load-out

  • Find Your Entrance

    Traffic flow can be a challenge during loading. For this reason, we have designated entrances to help maintain the flow of traffic and to make load in and out better for everybody,

    Artists with booths in the park
    Please enter at W. Belden Ave. & Western Ave. Note: This entrance will close at 9:30 a.m. to allow the food trucks to load-in.

    Artists on Lyndale Street
    Please enter at W. Lyndale Street & Western Ave. Note: Open until 10:00 a.m. for load-in.



  • Unloading & Loading

    During load in, volunteers will be on-hand at each entrance to check you in and give you your laminated booth number sign. Please be ready with your booth number.

    Please park as closely to the curb as possible while you unload. Once unloaded, please go park your car and then return for set up. There will be volunteers on hand to help you unload your booth contents and to watch them while you park your car.

  • Parking Availibility

    We are in a neighborhood and parking can be tough. We do our best to provide parking for our artists, but it changes based on availability each year. You will receive more information about available parking when you check in the morning of the fest.

    Street spaces are first-come, first-served. No parking is allowed in the alleys. Violators will be towed.

  • Parking Pass

    A parking pass will be provided in your artist welcome pack. Please place the BAF parking pass in your window to park in any parking lot provided by BAF. Without a parking pass, you will be towed. Passes are found in your artists’ folder at check-in.

    If you’re on the street, neighbors or the police will know who to contact if there is an issue.

  • Security

    Off duty police officers provide security throughout the weekend of the fest and at the park overnight on Saturday night to protect your booths.

  • Load Out

    All booths must be packed up and loaded out on Sunday evening.

    Please DO NOT leave trash on the streets or in the park. If you do, our volunteers will have to collect it. There are dumpsters located behind the main stage for your garbage.

Let’s spread the word together!