The very name of the Craft Lake City DIY Festival indicates the spirit behind the event—the idea that creative people have the ability to use whatever tools they have available to them and make interesting things. So if you thought that the COVID-19 pandemic would mean the absence of Craft Lake City from 2020, you’re just not thinking inventively enough. This year, the event has moved to the virtual space (craftlakecity.com/diy-festival, Aug. 7-9), while still providing a showcase for Utah’s artisans, writers, makers and other crafty citizens.
“Attendees can rest assured that the Virtual DIY Festival will still pull out all the stops,” CraftLakeCityExecutive Director Angela H. Brown says via press release. “Just because we must stay physically distant, does not mean we will not be engaging socially. We are flexing our creative muscles by building an interactive virtual environment for participants and exhibitors alike.”
While that engagement will in part include a somewhat traditional portal where visitors can read about the participating artisans and see their work, the virtual festival will also offer a more immersive experience of creating an avatar to “walk the aisles” of the virtual festival space and even chat with the artists themselves. The event itself is free, but guests are asked to donate what they can, and to support the more than 150 invited creators whose jewelry, visual art, personal care products and more will be available for purchase. This might be the closes approximation you’ll find this summer to the buzz and energy of being at an actual festival. (Scott Renshaw)