Why We Created Our First Dungeons & Dragons Inspired Artisan Market

Rantana Creations will be selling a variety of dice bags and other apparel at this event - photo by Rantana Creations

When people hear "artisan market," they usually picture rows of vendor booths, handmade goods, and perhaps a nice afternoon of shopping. Those things are certainly part of what we do at the Streetz Artz Alliance, but they're never the whole story.

From the very beginning, my goal has been to create experiences that people remember, not simply places to shop. Every market we organize starts with a question: "What would make this event genuinely fun?" Sometimes the answer is plants. Sometimes it's Halloween in July. Sometimes it's comics and collectibles. This summer, that question led us somewhere we've never gone before.

Welcome to Dragons, Drafts & Crafts.

On Saturday, July 18, we're transforming Hopvine Brewing Company in Aurora into a gathering place for fantasy fans, tabletop gamers, local artists, and craft beer enthusiasts. It's our first event inspired by the world of Dungeons & Dragons, and judging by the response from our artists, it certainly won't be the last.

Fantasy has never been more popular. From tabletop role-playing games and fantasy novels to streaming shows, video games, and collectible card games, people are embracing worlds filled with dragons, magic, and adventure. At the same time, we've watched artists throughout our community create incredible fantasy-inspired work that often doesn't fit into a traditional craft show theme.

So we decided to build an event around it.

Instead of asking artists to fit into an existing market, we created a market that fits them.

That meant partnering with Hopvine Brewing Company, one of our favorite brewery partners. They immediately embraced the idea and even took it a step further by brewing Character Development, a brand-new Dungeons & Dragons-inspired beer that will make its debut during the event.

The timing couldn't have worked out better.

Visitors can browse handcrafted artwork while enjoying a fresh beer release, great food, and a welcoming brewery atmosphere. Better yet, Hopvine is one of the participating breweries in the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild Summer Passport program, giving craft beer fans another reason to stop by and check another destination off their summer adventure.

One of my favorite parts about themed markets is seeing how artists respond.

Instead of bringing their normal inventory, many of them have spent weeks designing brand-new products specifically for this event.

Left to right: Geekbit Creations, CluedIn Escape Rooms and Luna's Loops

Luna's Loops has been sewing fantasy-themed dice bags, potion bags, mushrooms, plush creatures, and even "Dice Jail" bags for those troublesome dice that just won't roll in your favor.

CluedIn Escape Rooms is bringing something completely different—a free mini escape room experience where visitors can solve puzzles to help defeat a powerful Lich before exploring painted miniatures and tabletop accessories.

Myths & Monsters has been busy crocheting fantastical creatures, including an adorable Beholder inspired by one of Dungeons & Dragons' most iconic monsters.

Wicked Fun Crafts is premiering new fantasy-inspired fragrances complete with original storytelling that feels like it came straight from a role-playing campaign.

Geekbit Creations has even been promoting the event as though adventurers are accepting quests on their way to Aurora.

That's exactly the kind of creativity we hoped this theme would inspire.

Beyond those special creations, visitors will discover an incredible variety of handcrafted goods from local artists and makers. Jewelry, pottery, illustrations, fantasy art, handcrafted dice, books, Magic: The Gathering cards, gaming accessories, home décor, collectibles, plush creatures, original paintings, vinyl, handcrafted décor, and so much more will fill the brewery throughout the afternoon.

One of the things I'm especially excited about is the number of artists making either their first Streetz Artz Alliance appearance or their first event at Hopvine Brewing. Welcoming new artists keeps every market fresh and gives visitors something new to discover every time they attend one of our events.

The lineup includes 13th Moon Games, Angelic Celestial Whispers, Art by Andee Dandee, Ava's Whimsical Wares, Avijo Design, CluedIn Escape Rooms, Crafted Laserworks, Custom Dice by Alyssa, Dark Fey Arts, Geekbit Creations, Kulay Illustrations, Lourdes Suero Heiy, Luna's Loops, Magic Deck Vortex, Metta Clay, Myths & Monsters, Rantana Creations, Roczilla Records, Saucy Makes, Skulls & Sketches, Uniquely Q, Wicked Fun Crafts, Wolf Den Gaming, and Wylde Mountain Thyme.

Another reason this event feels special is because it's completely indoors.

July weather in Illinois can be unpredictable. Whether it's ninety-five degrees and humid or pouring rain outside, everyone inside Hopvine will be comfortable while enjoying great food, locally brewed beer, and a room full of talented artists and makers.

That's one of the reasons we've enjoyed partnering with Hopvine Brewing Company. Their welcoming atmosphere, excellent food, and commitment to supporting local artists make them an ideal home for creative community events.

This market is also another example of what we're trying to build with the Streetz Artz Alliance.

We're not interested in creating the same market over and over again. We want every event to have its own identity. We want artists to be inspired to create something new. We want visitors to feel like they're discovering something different every time they walk through the doors.

Sometimes that means dragons.

Sometimes it means Halloween in the middle of summer.

Sometimes it means comics, records, or plants.

Whatever the theme, the goal is always the same: bring together local artists, small businesses, independent breweries, and the communities that support them.

If that sounds like your kind of adventure, we'd love to have you join us.

Dragons, Drafts & Crafts takes place Saturday, July 18, from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Hopvine Brewing Company, located at 4030 Fox Valley Center Drive in Aurora.

Admission is free, the event is family friendly, and parking is free.

Gather your party, roll for initiative, and come discover one of the most unique artisan markets we've ever created. We look forward to seeing you in Aurora.