Gender neutral cheetah sweater. Chili oil for breakfast and dessert. Candles paired with specific music playlists.
These are just a few of the unique handcrafted items available at the Renegade Chicago Holiday Market. This holiday market begins Saturday and continues Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. It’s located at Morgan Manufacturing, 401 N. Morgan.
Each of the approximately 170 artists seems to have an interesting backstory and impressive skills.
Cat-obsessed Cheetah Sweater creator Kat Peterson, 46, of Texas, draws the designs by hand. James Lee, 39, a chili oil maker from Park Ridge, was inspired by his grandfather, whose face is painted on his bottles. And soy wax candle makers have synesthesia, a phenomenon in which some people can experience two senses at the same time.
![Lit by Lex candles owned by Lex Davis. It will be sold during the Renegade Craft Fair.](https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/83c20fa/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7008x4672+0+0/resize/840x560!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FYuuazwI8Cdxjv6ydmMCQnn5H5kY%3D%2F0x0%3A7008x4672%2F7008x4672%2Ffilters%3Afocal%283504x2336%3A3505x2337%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F25168223%2Fmerlin_117992262.jpg)
Lit by Lex candles owned by Lex Davis. It will be sold during the Renegade Craft Fair.
“This is a way to reflect what’s going on in my heart,” Lincoln Park resident Lex Davis, 26, said of his business, Lit by Lex. “When I create a candle, I first create a scent and then base it on the color that scent brings.”
Next comes the music. Davis’ “woody” candles (amber, teak, sandalwood, cedar, etc.) are part of her “Orange Girlfriend Series,” and are featured on the Orange album Rollin’ Girlfriend’s song “Everything.” It is named after “is Everything”. Customers are also given a QR code to access the playlist associated with each candle.
The market, which is expected to draw more than 10,000 people this weekend, is the first annual event held across the country for Renegade Craft, which has been organizing artist showcases since launching in Chicago in 2003. I will conclude. Our small team of organizers is passionate about supporting small businesses. We have built a group of craft artists and designers who are attracting attention. renegadecraft.com.
![Shoppers will wander around the Renegade Craft Fair featuring creative small businesses at Morgan Manufacturing in the Westtown area on Saturday.](https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/02f4825/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7008x4672+0+0/resize/840x560!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2Fdc7JU1ec_6A6rTTxdKeZbZ49Mtw%3D%2F0x0%3A7008x4672%2F7008x4672%2Ffilters%3Afocal%283504x2336%3A3505x2337%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F25168231%2Fmerlin_117992212.jpg)
Shoppers will wander around the Renegade Craft Fair featuring creative small businesses at Morgan Manufacturing in the Westtown area on Saturday.
Founder Susie Daly said, “It was a huge hit from the moment it was released.” “I like talking to vendors the most because their backgrounds are all so unique. For example, they live on a farm and raise their own livestock to make yarn; Or maybe a lot of people live in cities and have these groups.”
Multiple customers on Saturday said they enjoyed supporting small businesses through the market.
“It’s nice to put money into the hands of someone who earned it or worked on it,” said Terrell Jenkins, 54, of Rogers Park.
Andersonville resident Amy Atkinson, 40, said she enjoys the diversity.
“I mean, where else can you find bedazzled berets?” she said.
![Amy Atkinson (left) and Courtney Crawford browse Clouds & Ladders jewelry at the Renegade Holiday Market on Saturday.](https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/765d4b7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5350x3567+0+0/resize/840x560!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2F1lNaq9hgQ2XCq63P0r0Lr_03epU%3D%2F0x0%3A5350x3567%2F5350x3567%2Ffilters%3Afocal%282675x1784%3A2676x1785%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F25168233%2Fmerlin_117992226.jpg)
Amy Atkinson (left) and Courtney Crawford browse Clouds & Ladders jewelry at the Renegade Holiday Market on Saturday.
Customers may not find the Catsicles character on clothing or stickers anywhere other than at Baby Cats of California, owned by Texas transplant Kat Peterson.
“I worked for a company, and I knew they would never produce the kind of print that I wanted to put out there,” Peterson said.
According to Lee, Chili Oil owner James Lee and his wife Sufei Zhang started making their specialty chili oil as a hobby and soon sold 5,000 bottles from their home. Currently, their products can be found at several retail stores in the city.
Paulie Gee’s also sells a special pizza with oil called Netflix and Chilee.
![Kat Peterson, owner of Baby Cats of California, smiles as customers look at the parkas.](https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9047172/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6707x4471+0+0/resize/840x560!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2Fph1-lrwwWwpsVBso9MB2tIwXWoc%3D%2F0x0%3A6707x4471%2F6707x4471%2Ffilters%3Afocal%283354x2236%3A3355x2237%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F25168245%2Fmerlin_117992202.jpg)
Kat Peterson, owner of Baby Cats of California, smiles as customers look at the parkas.
“I love eating it in the morning with a fried egg or on toast,” Lee said. “I like to mix it with mayonnaise to make a slightly spicy mayonnaise dipping sauce. Or you can grill fish and drizzle it on top. It’s also delicious drizzled over vanilla ice cream.”
Lee said he can’t get enough of his grandfather, Heejae Lee, the star of the logo.
“He’s 98 years old now,” Lee said. “I think he’s surviving thanks to the chili oil.”
![Elias Gonzalez and Gemma Warren pose for a tin portrait during the Renegade Craft Fair on Saturday.](https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2171420/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7008x4672+0+0/resize/840x560!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2Fyh4awHtU8NAvlPbi9qEc8cEopaw%3D%2F0x0%3A7008x4672%2F7008x4672%2Ffilters%3Afocal%283504x2336%3A3505x2337%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F25168241%2Fmerlin_117992238.jpg)
Elias Gonzalez and Gemma Warren pose for a tin portrait during the Renegade Craft Fair on Saturday.
window.fbAsyncInit = function() { FB.init({
appId : '425672421661236',
xfbml : true, version : 'v2.9' }); };
(function(d, s, id){ var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) {return;} js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));