Quirk, Strangeness and Charm

The DIY movement has yielded a host of alternative craft shows and festivals, but there's only one Strange Folk. The early fall festival of handmade art takes place in outdoors in O'Fallon Community Park (401 East Fifth Street, O'Fallon, Illinois; www.strangefolkfestival.org), and takes advantage of the space by bringing together 150 vendors selling everything from Jillian Nickell's dreamy screenprinted posters to robots made from scavenged kitchen equipment (courtesy of Bill's Retro Robots, of course). In addition to the small village of artisans, Strange Folk brings in some of the most danceable local bands to entertain the shoppers -- so danceable in fact, that this year's festival includes a dance floor for those so inclined. All this and an alpaca petting area; Strange Folk is tough to beat. The 2013 installment takes place Saturday and Sunday (September 28 and 29). Admission is free.
Sat., Sept. 28; Sun., Sept. 29, 2013