Vendor Guidelines 2025

YarnCon 2025: Saturday and Sunday, April 5-6


Vendor Information & Guidelines


Thanks so much for your interest in vending at YarnCon, Chicago’s only independent fiber festival! We know many of you make and sell more than just items related to the yarny arts, but we ask you to focus your selling toward fiber-related crafts, and leave the other items behind. We’re fairly liberal on what can be included in this show, but we do reserve the right to request items that are in no way related to the show’s purview not be sold or displayed.


What can you sell? YarnCon is focused on the independent fiber artisan, so our most important criterion is that you must have a hand in the making of your items. As for the items themselves: yarn (of course), fiber for spinning or felting, knitted/crocheted/felted/woven objects, tools, gadgets, books, patterns, or instructions related to spinning, knitting, crochet, felting, and weaving are all on the mark. Items like t-shirts that relate to these crafts are great, along with bags, cards, and gifts with a fiber-related theme. A belt buckle with the image of a ball of yarn, for example, is fine; a buckle with skulls is great too, but save it for your next show, please. Thanks for helping us keep the show focused on fiber.


APPLICATION FEE: The $50 application fee is not refundable. This fee will be applied toward your booth fee if you are accepted into this year’s show.


COVID POLICY
If you feel sick, please stay home! Masks are not required inside the building, but everyone should feel comfortable wearing one if desired. If the public health situation changes closer to the show dates, we’ll make sure to update everyone.


HOTEL BLOCK

We’re working on a room block at the Hampton Inn Chicago Downtown West Loop a few blocks from the Plumbers Hall. More details to come.


POSITIVITY, PLEASE! 
YarnCon is put together by a small group of volunteers as a labor of love. We are happily continuing our “Positivity, Please” policy. This means that we agree to treat everyone with kindness and respect, and we’ll assume positive intent in all our interactions. We encourage the same for everyone -- vendors, assistants, volunteers, etc. Be mindful of how you treat others, and let’s have a great show.


DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION
YarnCon is made up of a diverse, inclusive, and equitable team where all of us, whatever our gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation or identity, education or disability, value and respect each other. We are committed to an anti-racist, nondiscriminatory approach in all aspects. We respect and value diverse life experiences and heritages and ensure that all voices are valued and heard. We’re committed to modeling diversity and inclusion for the fiber arts industry and to maintaining an inclusive environment with equitable treatment for all. There will be zero tolerance for discrimination at any YarnCon event. 



LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
YarnCon is held each year on the traditional unceded homelands of the Council of the Three Fires: the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi Nations. Many other tribes such as the Miami, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac, and Fox also called this area home. The region has long been a center for Indigenous people to gather, trade, and maintain kinship ties.


The schedule

  • Sale hours: Saturday, April 5, 2025,  from 10am-5pm and Sunday, April 6, 2025, from 10am-3pm. All times Central.
  • Setup time will be: 11-3pm on Friday afternoon, and 8-10am on Saturday morning. We cannot confirm Friday hours with the venue until closer to the event date (but it’s a pretty safe bet). Vendors will receive staggered setup times within the above hours.
  • We will open the building on Sunday morning at 8:30 with pastries, coffee, and tea to give vendors a chance to chat and admire each other’s work before sale hours begin. Come mingle and chat with us!
  • Breakdown is Sunday from 3-5 pm. No early breakdowns, please.
  • Vendors will be able to park in the North parking lot (Randolph Street side) at no charge. Overnight parking in the lot is possible if requested in advance and a waiver signed. Please be considerate of your fellow vendors and try not to take up more than two spaces.





The fees


  • FULL: $375 for a 10’x10’ booth. (Add $50 if you require electricity.)
  • DOUBLE: $750 for a 20’x10’ booth. LIMITED NUMBER OF DOUBLE BOOTHS. (Add $50 if you require electricity.)
  • MINI: $175 for a 4’x4’ booth. No electricity available in this section, but battery-powered LED lights are fine.
  • A non-refundable application fee of $50 is required with all applications. Vendors who are accepted will have this amount applied toward their booth fee. Applications are not considered complete until this fee is paid. 

The nitty-gritty


  • Standard booth space is 10’x10’, double is 20’x10’, mini size is 4’x4’. Double booths are limited so that we may maximize the overall number of independent vendors at the show. Vendors may bring their own chairs and tables or rent one or both from YarnCon. All chairs and tables provided by YarnCon must be requested in advance in the vendor application at additional cost; no extra tables/chairs will be available on-site. 

  • Building and parking lot are secured (locked and patrolled) overnight. Once the lot is locked, no in/out is allowed for the night. YarnCon is not liable for damage, loss, or any other destruction of exhibits or products. Insurance for vendor and products is each vendor’s own responsibility.

  • Limited access to electrical outlets is available for $50, and MUST be indicated on the vendor application. Access will require the use of extension cords and sharing of outlets. Please bring your own grounded (3-prong) extension cords and mats or rugs to cover cords. No large batteries or generators of any kind, please; only extension cords.

  • Wifi will be available at no additional charge. YarnCon makes no representation as to speed, as this is wholly maintained by the venue. Login information will be supplied in person during setup.

  • Vendors are required to collect and report their own combined Chicago/Cook County sales taxes, which is 10.25%. All vendors should check Chicago’s tax rate prior to the show.

  • Vendor agrees that vendor name and website as listed on the application may be used for promotional purposes by YarnCon prior to and during the event, on the website, for advertisement, and in the event program.

  • Vendor agrees that pictures taken during the event may also be used in YarnCon promotions.

  • Vendors are asked to donate one item to be used as a door prize. This is not mandatory, but we’d really appreciate it, since customers love it! A volunteer will collect door prize items prior to the start of the show. Please attach a tag with your biz name!

  • If, for any reason, it becomes necessary to cancel YarnCon, all booth fees beyond the $50 application fee paid by vendors will be returned.

  • Booth fees for vendor cancellations made after January 31, 2025, for any reason, will not be returned.