Maddie Hannes writes2013 Record Fair Recap

It's not that I forgot, it's just that it's taken me two whole weeks to recover from the excitement that was the CHIRP Record Fair & Other Delights. I left the fair the evening of April 13 with a somewhat lighter wallet and a significantly heavier tote bag, and have since been wearing out the needle on my turntable enjoying my purchases (especially a very reasonably priced new Ys by Joanna Newsom and a dusty but lovely-sounding For the Roses by Joni Mitchell, confirming for everyone that I've spent way too much time going to renaissance fairs).

If you missed it, here's your chance to see how this year's record fair played out; and if you made it, enjoy the reminiscing!

The view from the balcony of the Chicago Journeyman Plumbers Hall, site of the Record Fair (photo by Kelsey Phillips)

The day started out sort of bright and early as about 100 Early-Bird ticket holders braved the brief morning blizzard and scoured the crates for the choicest records before the real crowds showed up. Luckily, the snow and rain stopped by the time the doors photo opened for regular admission at 10 AM, and vinyl fans quickly filled the auditorium, which remained crowded most of the day. Total attendence for the event topped 1,000 people!

Shoppers peruse the crates (photo by Margot Buermann)

Record fair attendees browse the selections at the CHIRP table. CHIRP collects music and movies throughout the year from generous donors. (photo by Kelsey Phillips)

Throughout the day, dealers and CHIRP DJs provided a soundtrack by spinning records straight from the crates. Onstage entertainment included a live painting session by artist Anna Todaro, a music quiz emceed by CHIRP DJ Mary Nisi, and a performance by experiemental dance group Laboratory Dancers.

The Laboratory Dancers incorporate costumes, projectors, paint and lush soundscapes into their performances. (photo by Patrick Bobillin)

Lawrence Peters watches the crowd from the stage during his DJ set. (photo by Patrick Bobilin)

In addition to the ridiculous number of records, shoppers also browsed CDs, tapes, books, crafts, zines and artwork. When it came time to refuel, local eateries Handlebar and Irazu were on hand to serve up delicious vegetarian and Costa Rican dishes, Dark Matter Coffee kept everyone awake and alert throughout the day, and Goose Island poured local craft beers.

Vintage posters paper the walls of the Record Fair (photo by Margot Buermann)

Vinyl fans of all ages discover records they love (photo by Patrick Bobilin)

In 11 hours, 57 vendors and 1,000+ attendees helped CHIRP raise over $13,000 at our biggest fundraising event of the year. Thank you to our vendors and sponsors for helping us make this year's fair better than ever before, and thank you to all the attendees who came out to celebrate vinyl, shop independent dealers, and support community radio. We can't wait for the next one! You can see more photos from the Record Fair and other CHIRP events at our Flickr page.

Peace, love and vinyl (photo by Patrick Bobilin)