DIY Street Fair

What a wonderful event! So much local talent creating wonderful things. I stocked up on Detroit paraphernalia and had had a local brew along with some great food truck BBQ and finished it all off with a funnel cake!

As always, my favorite Ferndale festival of the year! Spend way too much money, buy way too many awesome local goods, and all the while have great cocktails to boot! So sad to see it’s over, but so excited for next year already!

Another smashing success but a little lower key this year, which was just fine. Detroit BBQ was smoking some killer grub, El Guapo always does a great job and Mac Shack was killing it too. I didn’t check out Hero and Villain yet but they had an impressive following also.
The vendors were great as usual, the Funky Ferndale Art Fair was not really my speed but it was a nice departure from DIY itself, plus it gave me a reason to hit up Public House for one of the best Old Fashioneds I’ve had, compliments of Kat.
One more point of remark, the WAB finally got to showcase it’s new outdoor festival digs for beer vending. The new addition was a very cool spot to chill and people watch out of the sun.
DIY is always my favorite summer event I just miss when they had carnival type games like the hammer swing a few years ago. A few more crowd attraction besides the bands would be fun.

Excellent local festival. The DIY street fair occurs simultaneously with the funky Ferndale art fair which is great planning. Personally I prefer DIY and mostly stayed on that side of Woodward.
The fair is jammed packed with local vendors selling their unique handmade goods. There is a nice variety of stands from jewelry, soaps, home décor, and of course plenty of Michigan and Detroit themed apparel.
Then there’s the food and music. Most of the food options revolved around BBQ, but there was also mac n cheese from the Mac Shack and yummy bowls from Delectabowl. I had the Beggars bowl and it was darn delicious. Treat dreams was also set up with plenty of unique ice cream flavors. And then of course there plenty of ice cold beer. Lastly the music was ongoing and a blast. Some bands more my style than other but fun nonetheless. As the night drew on it was fun to watch people dancing and having a great time.

This was a really good street fair (I am rating the 2015 version). Drink tickets, but you could use credit cards to purchase them. The beer booths ranged from good local beers to high end national brands, for $ 6. Decent food trucks parked spread out in different areas, porta toilets with hand washing area, sectioned off table area.
The sales booths were trendy semi ironic arts and crafts, clothes, ruins of Detroit art. Just a fun vibe and no roofing or cutco knife booths, unlike Royal Oak. The music ranged from okay to good.
The cops had a booth for kids, along with a nearby kid’s facepaint area, and they were doing their best to ignore the pot odor, and several merchants helped by burning incense.
Strongly recommend.

Had a blast.
Lots of vendors on multiple streets with a wide variety of offerings that made it really hard to get back to the car without having dropped a few hundred bucks at a minimum.
And as the day turned to night, the musical acts were fun and the crowd really got into it, so that’s always a plus.
Add in walking around to WAB and other businesses in the area, and you’ve got yourself a day.
Definitely plan on going back next year.

I saw Death, the Suicide Machines, Doc Waffles and a 4^th band whose name escapes me for free. There were lots of booths with tons of cool and funky stuff for sale. My favorite was the tent with multiple vendors selling all manner of show posters. So much eye candy, I could have spent another half an hour there. I didn’t hit up any of the food vendors but they were there, too. Maybe next year. What a great street festival. The view from here was that a good time was had by all.

All in all, this is a fun day out in Ferndale. Some good music, cool vendors, good eats.
A good time was had by all.
I would have gone 5 stars, but for two minor hiccups. First, they have let in the rain gutter salesmen. Technically, it was a booth selling insoles and sheets (?) as part of the art fair that irked me, but still… When you start packing in crap beyond your mission just to sell more booth space, that is strike one.
The DIY fair was also way-​heavy on the Detroit pride t-​shirt booths (and t-​shirts in general). I love Detroit, I’m proud to call SE Michigan home, I’m delighted to be back in the area. Now more than ever, Detroit needs some love. But let’s also acknowledge that we’re in Ferndale here, kids. If you want to support Detroit, get your ass out of the suburbs and go buy something in the city. And when you’re in Ferndale, there ain’t no shame in showing 9 Mile some love. Buy yourself a nice Ferndale shirt.

This fest just gets better and better every year. They grow in really smart ways – like adding more vendors, food trucks, a pretty dope kid’s area, cocktails (in addition to craft beer), a ferris wheel and now a second stage for bands. I also really like the variety in the vendors and that they keep the quality consistent. A lot of times I go to craft/​art fairs and walk away impressed but not with much in my bags to take home. However, at DIY I always spend a pretty penny. I can’t wait to hang up all the artwork I picked up and wear the jewelry I snapped up this year!
The energy is so wonderful. Everywhere I turn I run into someone I know just so psyched to be there. It’s like a joyous friend reunion. The food and the beer are wonderful, the tunes are fabulous, and (this year at least) the weather cooperated during my visit creating a perfect storm of awesome. I got there around 1pm on Saturday and stayed all the way until 11 socializing, shopping, and enjoying myself immensely. Keep up the great work, organizers!

I wish it were the DIY Street Fair everyday. Seriously. I went last year and again this year. I will be making sure that I have absolutely nothing to do when it rolls around next year. It’s officially worked its way into an event that I will plan other stuff around.
The booths are all very cool. The beer selection is great. The people are cool. The activities, events, and bands are all usually really good.
Words can’t do this fair justice. You have to go check it out for yourself.

My favorite Ferndale festival. Something for everyone, especially if you dig sweet handmade goods and stuff you won’t find anywhere else. I always find the most unique stuff and the vibe is super cool and laidback. They had great bands this year too, much improved. Can’t wait til next year!

The DIY Street Fair is SO MUCH FUN. I seriously cannot wait until it comes around again!

Everything that’s great about Ferndale distilled into one happy 3 day weekend. Also, probably the best street fair/​art fair in the Detroit area (they’ve lost some competition in the last few years: 4^th st, DFA, etc.)
Sometimes its what you *don’t* do that sets you apart: No admission fee, no water bottle gouge, no drink-​ticket-​to-​dollars calculus, no lousy carnival food, no raingutter salemen. So easy to spend the whole weekend here.

this is tops on reasons why i love living in ferndale.
this is the outdoor festival to go to in southeast michigan. perfect size and perfect setup. and you don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a good time. 20 dollars for 5 beer tickets is an awesome deal!
i get so excited for the labor day weekend just to hang out at the DIY fair. every year i get something amazing for my house. the last two years i’ve gotten some deep discounts on framed photos the last day. every year i drink amazing beers. clementine lemon thyme beer, yummo! every year there are great bands and great crowds.
this year they added some food trucks. i heard taco mama was amazing, but she sold out before i got there. treat dreams had some awesome ice cream shots. we got a green fairy shot which was vanilla with absinthe and some vanilla and hot damn ones.
i’m already looking to next year. it seems to grow a little each year.
love, juston

I look forward to this event ALLLLL summer long. I love attending this every year. Sampling beer, shopping, and bad ass music, what more could a girl want?! I always buy some kind of handi-​crafted thingamabob from someone who worked hard at creating a piece of art. The vibe is chill, the people are cool and you are guaranteed an awesome time. P. S. the food is great too! Mark it on your calendar for next year folks, you will not be disappointed :)

Rating DIY anything less than 5 stars is a sin. It is the best thing ever. I don’t feel like writing a lot so read everyone else’s reviews because yeah, they are right.

This is one of my favorite festivals of the year. Great/​interesting/​affordable art, fun people, great free music, and excellent food and beer choices — really it can’t get any better

So you know how a lot of fairs and festivals can start feeling really trashy as the day goes on? People get progressively more drunk and the litter piles up? The sun covers everyone in a sticky glaze of sweat and you end up spending $ 15 on a cup of water? Or, on the other side of the spectrum, the elderly, small children, and oblivious tourists clog every vein of movement in the vicinity?
Thank goodness this is not at all the MO for the DIY Street Fair. Instead, there is room to breathe, the place is kept clean, and there are plenty of places just to perch on a curb or at some tables and rest. Eat. People Watch.
The DIY booths were fairly heavy on the t-​shirt and clothing side of things. But there were also some quirky booths selling things like little characters made out of condoms.
My absolute favorite was the Four Chamber Forge booth with hand-​made rustic jewelry out of reclaimed urban wood. So insanely beautiful and very reasonably priced. The ‘Detroit Lives’ shirts were also great (and apparently they are at the Rust Belt Market every Saturday if you missed them at the fair).
The music wasn’t bad and it also wasn’t loud enough to where it overwhelmed the entire fair. The beer stands seemed really expensive! But I saw a lot of breweries represented. Were I a sunny-​day-​drinker (and not the dark, divey, and sultry bar drinker that I am) and the prices were more reasonable, I would’ve loved to sample all those Michigan brews.
Definitely some kids running around but they were well-​behaved little buggers with mellow parents. Wasn’t crowded enough to kick social anxiety or claustrophobia in gear, but enough hustle and bustle to make the place feel loved.
And there was FREE WATER! In compostable cups! Halle-freakin’lujah! So refreshing (pun?) to hydrate one’s self without having to sell your soul to finance some h2o in a non-​enviro-​friendly bottle.
Great selection of food. The pulled-​pork sandwich from Omnivorous Catering was particularly memorable with the option of 7 different creative and mighty delicious sauces, as well as kimchi!
Have fun trying to park, though! Even the paid parking spots were filled up. The residential streets were packed, too. Put yer walkin’ shoes on and get ready for a nice saunter (it really was pleasant, actually).

As a new addition to Ferndale, I can’t tell you how many times residents and friends told me to check out the DIY fair. Even more than the Dream Cruise, DIY holds a special place in Ferndalers’ hearts — and for good reason, as I came to find out.
The DIY backs up with the Ferndale Art Fair, so I take them as a single unit rather than two separate events. Take a section of Nine Mile and turn it into an open-​air fair of arts, crafts, photography, sidewalk sales for local businesses, and everyone out with their kids and dogs on a sunny day. Now spice up with a variety of food vendors (including food for the pups and a carnival-​like atmosphere with the obligatory lemonade, popcorn, and corndog options), and you have the art half of the festival.
On the other side of Woodward, the area around the WAB became a smörgåsbord of local craft beers, B. Nektar’s delicious meads, and more food vendors providing hot dogs to tacos and the Emory’s ridiculously tasty French fries. It’s free to enter and fun to navigate through an array of stalls and tents where ridiculously talented locals turn kitsch into glorious creations, be it fun cards to household goods, or astound with what they can do with yarn or metalwork. Truly, I know we are a gifted city but rarely do I feel so pathetic in my art-​and-​craft skills as I did here.
Was that reason to be sad? No way. I love talking to the people who make the beers or the lovely hats, and they are more than happy to share their stories, offer custom work, and promote their favourite places around town. Definitely a resource for anyone interested in knitting or beading or metalworking, I highly recommend it just to become acquainted with some of the serious developments in the arts and crafters community.
Best of all, the Michigan focus shines through. There are representatives from other areas, but the Buy Michigan! Buy Local! theme gently flows through rather than slapping you in the face. The organizers found some wonderful representatives in several fields, and I really do hope this continues to grow.
Finally, the music of the DIY is probably as much a draw as the food and shopping. Plenty of local bands show, including some unexpected ones (Insane Clown Posse, and it was rumoured Jack White was going to show, which didn’t pan out) ranging from rock to indie to techno. Meet friends, have a beer or mead, and listen to music showcased on a stage. Jump over to Como’s for a meal, or kick back and chow on a taco while hearing how someone made a giant metal t-​rex skeleton out of forks last winter just because they could. RAWR, Ferndale, you are amazing.