If you ever wondered whether or not Chicago loves stationery, look no further than the Chicago Stationery Fest that took place March 21-23, 2025!
Hosted by an adorable indie stationery store, Paper & Pencil in Andersonville, Chicago, this sold out event welcomed 1600 guests to shop, connect, and share their love of all things stationery. I was honored to be invited to work the event on staff, so my report of the fest will be from that perspective.
First, as far as conventions, festivals, and other massive gatherings go, for a first time event, I’ve never seen so much care and preparation and thoughtfulness go into an event. With a clear chain of command for staff and over 50 volunteers helping throughout the weekend, the event organizers really made sure we knew our stuff!
Everyone was required to attend training, we all got to tour the event space prior to the event itself, and we were kept in communication before, during, and after the event with such clarity.
Of course there were some struggles, mostly regarding the line and capacity on day one, but we listened, learned, and spent the night pivoting to try and ensure everyone was able to enjoy the fest on the second day in safe and welcoming manner.
Overall, the vendors were happy, the attendees were happy, and staff were happy. To work with so motivated and supportive people who hustled so hard during the event was just… bliss. Truly, I am grateful for the experience and fortunate to make so many new friends!
With that said, let’s talk about the event itself!
March 21, 2025 – CSFClub + VIP Party
Before the fest started, I quickly teamed up with Eli Tea Bar in Andersonville to host a an open club meetup. We had nearly 40 people attend from all over the country to sip tea and meet other stationery lovers! It was such a wonderful time. I personally enjoyed meeting new folks. Shoutout to all the awesome people from Atlanta and Colorado who made it out!
There were 200 VIP tickets that sold out super fast and VIP guests were able to check in early and attend the VIP Party. Tables were set up with food and drinks and for the most part, we all sat around chatting about various stationery things and meeting new people! It was pretty cozy and made everyone excited for day one!
March 22, 2025 – Day One
My day personally started around 5am. I took the bus, grabbed some coffee, and headed out to Artifact Events in Ravenswood. By 6:30am, most of the crew was there and super excited to start the day. Doors opened for VIPs at 9am, so we had some time to finish cleaning, setting up, and recapping things like building policies, safety, and processes.
By 8am, there were already people standing in line and the line became a pain point for day one. However, I can tell you that everyone involved in with the fest was doing their best to get people into the event space as safely as possible.
With the doors open, guests were able to spend time shopping, eating, and attending meetups and workshops. One of my favorite parts of the space itself were all of the tables and chairs set up for people to sit and enjoy the company of others. It brought me so much joy seeing people from all over connecting and sharing and swapping and chatting about stationery things! It feels so rare to have a place to SIT during events, and I wish more event spaces did this (so we don’t have to sit on floors, steps, or leave facilities just to rest for a bit!).
The vendors hall upstairs was fantastic. There were so many different local and international sellers, artist, makers sharing their wares. From well-known vendors like Plotter to local printmakers such as a. favorite design, you’d be hard-pressed not to find something to purchase for your stationery needs!
Because of how busy it was, I wasn’t able to really check out most of the fest during day one. Working in Guest Services meant I was helping folks with registration, check-in, understanding the line, and assisting guests with other needs.
It sure was busy, but even with hiccups, I had an incredible first day! Most everyone was super kind and understanding and I’m so thankful folks were patient.
By the end of day one, I was hella tired but motivated to work with the team to make day two even better. We stayed late in order to make needed adjustments to improve flow from day one, and I’m thankful that everyone on the team was energized and willing to work together to problem solve! You should’ve seen everyone in motion! A well-inked pen, we were!
March 23, 2025 – Day Two
Another bright and early morning with about two hours of sleep. We arrived tired and energized, determined to make the best out of day two of the fest!
The flow of lines ran much smoother, the workshops were moved to an entirely different location, and the Paper & Pencil pop-up booth was moved to help with crowd control. And y’all, let me tell you right now, the difference was night and day!
We were able to get folks in with almost no wait time and there was more space for people to comfortable move around. I’m so thankful for our leaders and the team for their willingness to make changes and for executing them so quickly!
This day, I was able to walk around a bit more and schmooze with vendors and patrons alike. I didn’t spend much, but did purchase a super cute sticker sheet from Nini Mart and got a couple other little things for friends.
As the show was unwinding, it was also time for me to host the last Meetup of the fest: a Techo Kaigi hosted by the Cozy Stationery Friends Club. We had a solid two tables full of people sharing their planners and journals, mostly Hobonichi. I guided folks through the process of a techo kaigi and shared how I approach it.
Getting to sit down and learn from others how they utilize their planners and other stationery tools was insightful for me personally. I left the meetup determined to continue enjoying my process, but with the caveat of trying something new. (In this case, I immediately picked up a Hobonichi Cousin, as I realized my lovely a6 avec was too small for the kind of journaling I do!).
From managing finances to daily tasks to junk journaling, we all learned a lot about the different ways people user their planners!
We closed out the day helping vendors pack up and cleaning up the space. I was absolutely exhausted and in pain (little did I know, I worked the entire fest on a broken foot and sprained ankle!!!). But we shared our ups, our downs, many hugs, and some pizza.
Final Thoughts
Chicago Stationery Fest was the first of its kind for the midwest and Chicagoland area. It focused on connecting stationery fans while supporting local and indie vendors with a great mix of popular brands, too.
Shoutout to Mochinut for supplying DELICIOUS donuts which helped fuel many of us during the event.
I got to meet so many incredible people and make tons of new friends. We saw several new club members as well, and it was a delight seeing people excited to use our club stamp in their journals!
A massive thank you to Tyler, Collyn, and everyone who worked on putting the fest together. It was NOT an easy feat, but ya’ll CRUSHED it. Thanks for the opportunity to be part of something so special right here in Chicago.
I hope we’ll see a second Chicago Stationery Fest in the future!
If you attended, what was your favorite part of the fest? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Cozy Stationery Friends Club 
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