A Jaunt to Chi-town for Chicago Stationery Fest
Pastrami sandwiches, stickers, and more stickers
What a wild ride we’ve had in the “Windy City” of Chicago. I’ve been to Chicago several times, and each visit blew me away with new experiences, delicious eats, and lovely nostalgia from my years of living on the East Coast (the PNW vibes are just too different). People are dressed up when they go out for dinner, and the red-brick/sepia color scheme across town gives off an air of elegance and romance that new buildings and structures in Seattle couldn’t compare to. I find myself constantly looking up at the various facades of different architectural buildings.
In 2017, I visited Chicago during the height of summer for the Urban Sketchers Symposium, where 800+ people took over the streets to sketch and paint. In 2023, I returned to the city with our Japanese colleagues to introduce PLOTTER at the Chicago Pen Show, and we marveled at cool buildings on one of the iconic architectural river cruises. This year, we’re back in springtime to attend the inaugural Chicago Stationery Fest, hosted by the local stationery store, Paper and Pencil. It was an absolute blast and I had a great time.
But first, pastrami
Before I dive into my experience at Chicago Stationery Fest, please spare me a few minutes and listen to me talk about this great deli. I was introduced to the institution of Manny’s Delicatessen by Elliot’s family, who live in Chicago. They swear that it’s the best Jewish deli in town, with monstrous pastrami and corn beef sandwiches, hearty latkes, and chopped liver as condiments (my favorite). The cafeteria style seating hints at incredible parties and family hangouts in the past and the future. According to Wikipedia, it has been described as "the biggest, best-known, and oldest deli in the city" and has been a favorite among politicians in the past.
All I know is that the delicious pastrami sandwich had drawn me straight from the airport, two trips in a row. My Uber driver back in 2023 had warned me about how sketchy the neighborhood could be, but that didn’t keep me away.
As soon as we touched down in Chicago on Friday, Elliot and I rented a car and drove straight to Manny’s. When we first visited in 2019, the deli even had a sandwich called “The Dickle”, in which instead of sliced bread, the meat is sandwiched between two halves of a pickle, my husband’s favorite. Now he orders the pastrami and corned beef combo, and creates the makeshift pickle himself by ordering an extra pickle on the side.
When you enter, you first grab a cafeteria serving tray, then move down the aisle to order your food. It reminds me of another nostalgic deli: Katz’s deli in New York City, another one of my favorites. I would differentiate the two — Katz’s serves thicker slices, while Manny’s gives thin but generous layers. Watching the staff assemble the sandwich is also a work of art. The small slice of rye is buried under a pile of meat and topped at the end, almost like a garnish.
Flying in from the West Coast, we had an early morning flight with barely a bite, so I was ravenous by the time I bit into the large sandwich: “What Am I, Chopped Liver?”. The fluffy and fatty corned beef was the ultimate remedy. We assured the guy behind the counter that we’ll be back in five days before we leave for the airport. Going to Manny’s has now become a ritual whenever we visit Chicago.
Chicago Stationery Fest — A festival for stationery lovers
I’ve been to many pen shows around the country since 2021, but this is the first stationery-themed show I’ve been in a while (I don’t know if Planner Con counts, back in 2017-2018). Some of my colleagues had worked during Yoseka Stationery’s Stationery Festival in Brooklyn, NY, so they had a reference to compare to. I’m familiar with stationery- and illustration-themed shows in Taiwan, but this is the first of its kind I’ve visited in the United States.
Stationery people are a unique bunch. We enjoy the art and creativity of greeting card makers and illustrations, we also enjoy stickers and systems designed for planners, but we also love frivolous things we can add to our journals such as stickers, stamps, and washi tape. At such events, pens are only a small part of the stationery world. Unlike at planner events, we aren’t here to learn how to be more efficient, be inspired, or be more productive — we are here just to indulge in those magical moments when a small stationery item fits JUST RIGHT in our diaries or journals. I have always defined stationery as a hobby that appreciates creativity and folding these arts and moments into our lifestyle. We choose and collect stationery that defines our personality, whether it is through a colorful strip of tape or a rant-y/rage-y sticker.
At the Chicago Stationery Fest, we are in good company. The show is held in a two-story event venue called Artifacts that features exposed bricks, steel staircases, and vintage nostalgia that reminds me of old letterpress or print shops. The organizers, Paper and Pencil, are stationery lovers, and tried their best to curate a great list of vendors and provide a fun experience for attendees: booths to browse, drinks and food to purchase, workshops, and lots of seating areas for stationery lovers to hang out and mingle after shopping. I like that people get to stay in the venue and hang out with friends, new and old. It’s a place where people from different backgrounds and cultures can mingle and indulge, unapologetically, in the same hobby: stationery.
As always, I’m typically on the other side of the table working as a vendor, this weekend for both TRAVELER’S COMPANY USA and PLOTTER USA. We were assigned a lovely nook at the corner of the venue, which thankfully accommodated the long queues and enthusiastic customers. The show organizers and volunteers were so helpful and kind that I felt spoiled, at times. When the crowd gets overwhelming, we can also take a quick reprieve inside the Vendor’s Lounge, hidden away by the bathrooms.
The stationery community absolutely shows up for these kinds of events. The event sold out weeks before the festival, and everyone wanted to come to the event first thing on day one of the weekend. This resulted in an inevitable long queue outside, from what I’ve learned. It’s a growing pain and a lesson that each event holder all had to learn, because no one knows what to expect when doing a new event for the first time (us included, last year, when we hosted the TRAVELER’S COMPANY Caravan in Long Beach, CA).
We were overwhelmed with customers on Saturday, with enthusiastic fans and friends greeting each other and browsing all the exciting tables.
On Sunday, some adjustments were made which led to a much calmer and relaxing festival experience. Although the organizers made the mistake of managing the crowd for day 2, I truly believe it wasn’t with malice or bad intentions — they just want people who had committed to having a good time. I heard that despite canceling tickets and refunding Sunday’s single-ticket holders, they were still able to re-enter the venue without any costs once the crowd slows down on Sunday. Although it’s some effort to make it right, some people are rightfully upset, especially if they had already spent the money to travel and make a trip out of it. Let’s see if the NEXT stationery show will get it right (looking at you, Little Craft Fest).
The haul - artist alley meets stationery gift store
Overall, the theme of Chicago Stationery Fest is unique — I particularly enjoyed the liberal flair and a strong emphasis on local creators and businesses (for example, Field Notes, Galaxie Safari, Starshaped Press). There are sprinkles of Japanese stationery influence here and there (Itoya, King Jim, and yours truly), but the domestic stationery scene is strong at the Chicago Stationery Fest.
Once I walked through the venue, it is understandable why the event space is packed at times…there are just SO MANY THINGS to look at, even within a single booth.
Let me shout out the Chicagoans first
It was SO NICE to see Erick from Amarillo Stationery featuring his Latin American-focused stationery selection, including his own ink line and notebooks. I was especially enamored with a collection of stickers that combined Mexican motifs with Studio Ghibli characters. Erick is a seasoned pen lover but his taste for stationery does not feel out of place at a stationery-focused show like this one.
I learned about Starshaped Press through one of Field Notes’ letterpress collection releases. They are also the brand that put together a letterpress block print that’s featured on the cover of the event pamphlet. They even have a mini letterpress at the table that allows you to try pulling your own print. I enjoyed looking at everything at their booth, and purchased a print to frame for my studio.
Another one of my favorite finds at the festival is La Familia Green. First, it was the cats and dogs that caught my eye. Then the whimsical bylines and captions caught up, and I’m sold, entirely. I picked up a handful of their stickers and their humorous greeting cards. The hand-drawn illustrations hold the perfect degree of scrappy but authentic, and I love the attitude that a small sticker of theirs could evoke.
I also picked up stickers from Soft Paper Studio, Marigold Press, and Cardinal Crowns. A lot of the stationery businesses are women-owned, and I love how funny and powerful women can be in their way of expression.
Out-of-towners here to steal the show
I was looking forward to shopping from NiNi Mart, the brand by Mayhemstudio that features cute illustrations and sticker sheets for your journals. I’ve been a fan of her work since her time at Yoseka, and it’s been lovely to follow her small business adventures around New York. I was especially psyched about the NiNi Bean freebie sticker that features her iconic cat illustration with Chicago’s Cloud Gate. SO CUTE. Ame from Ameruu shared the table with May, and I restocked a few of her cute stickers as well.
Mugobunni, from Canada, was another artist who drew pop-y, cute illustrations and turned them into sticker sheets. They were obviously a hit at the show, because by the time I had the chance to shop, a lot of my favorites were sold out. I was determined to own some of her stickers, so I went to her online shop after the first day and immediately placed a large order. I MUST HAVE YOU, chubby raccoon sticker sheet!
It was great to catch up with Kirk from Pen Realm and Ana from Well-Appointed Desk at the show, who are both regulars at pen shows year-round. It was also a pleasure to see Aggie from Little Red House again, and I finally secured one of her Taiwan Bear Bubble Tea hats!
Hot Dang Press from Georgia came in hot (pun intended) towards the tail end of the show, where some creative TRAVELER’S notebook users applied their hot-press stickers onto the leather covers. This unleashed a mad dash towards the end of Sunday for everyone to do something similar. We saw the art of enabling within the stationery community in full force that afternoon.
Here are a few other outtakes from the event:
Feeling Stationary after Stationery
Just like when I visit pen shows, I’m 100% sure I missed some gems at the event despite my best efforts to try to document the entire experience. Pen Shows typically drain me after a long day, and this fest is no different. Despite my best intention to hang out with new friends or old, all I wanted to do after each day was to retire to our hotel, put our feet up, and order takeout.
The show organizers recommended the Guesthouse Hotel, which was a beautiful and clean establishment that we called home for the three days. It is only a 5-minute drive away from the event venue, and offers just as many food options in the Andersonville neighborhood. The hotel operates like an airbnb where you get to enjoy the whole suite and kitchenette, with maintenance and cleaning available only by request.
We were able to enjoy relaxing evenings in our suite’s living room, devouring Asian takeout, sipping on bubble tea, and watching trash TV shows to wind down the day.
The hotel is also not far from Paper and Pencil’s brick-and-mortar store, which we had the opportunity to visit on the Monday following the show.
The store is small but filled to the brim with a great selection of stationery (if you’ll take my reference, these are the GOOD stationery). We enjoyed delicious pastry and coffee from Lost Larson nearby, and had the opportunity to meetup with another icon in the stationery world: Cherie from Hamstergampoong, who moved to Chicago from Thailand! I’ve admired her stationery style and cafe journaling lifestyle for the longest time, and I can’t wait to follow her adventure in the U.S.
I ate more things in Chicago
I had to get a Chicago Dog when in Chicago (but sorry, I removed the sport pepper and tomato). My team and I hurriedly devoured these delicious hot dogs from Devil Dawgs, trying not to chew in front of the customer’s face. These hot dogs were loaded and wonderfully messy. If relish isn’t dripping on your shoe, are you even enjoying a Chicago dog?
Shout out to Matcha Moo Tea, which was stationed as a makeshift cafe on the first floor of the Chicago Stationery Fest venue. They were whisking up matcha drinks like no tomorrow, and offering vegan toppings and milk options. We thoroughly enjoyed the mango matcha as a much-needed sustaining liquid throughout the second day of the show.
Right by the event venue was Spoken Cafe, where we fueled up with coffee and bagels each morning. I love how packed the cafe is with signage and regional ephemera (Louisiana-themed). It feels very “traveler’s-y” and we welcomed the warm and cozy vibes before heading towards the show and start the day.
Elliot’s sister took us to a great restaurant on Sunday night called Lula’s Cafe, a funky restaurant with seats built into corners and coves, featuring an eclectic design. The food was New-American and so delicious. I can still taste the garlicky and buttery Parmesan taste on the perfectly al-dente bucatini pasta. The ultimate combo of wood-fire roasted steak and sweet potato was also a star of the meal.
I spent a day in downtown Chicago with my colleagues, and we celebrated the success of the show at The Purple Pig, another iconic Chicago food institution featuring pork in Mediterranean style. We ordered lavishly, and was rewarded with mind-blowing plates, one after another.
I wrapped up my Chicago trip (it was cut short because I had to rush back to Seattle for my naturalization interview, as mentioned in a previous post) with a quick visit to the Field Museum and admiring Sue the T-Rex up close.
It was an awe-inspiring experience, to see how the world had evolved throughout time to the shit show that it has become today. I wish dinosaurs still roamed the Earth and could pick off shady politicians with a single bite. Apologies for the derailment of this wholesome article.
Anyways.
This Chicago trip was such a fun start to spring, and will soon be followed by another stationery festival in Houston, Texas. I’m three weeks away from hopping on another plane to the event, and I can’t wait to enjoy the stationery company all over again.
Did you visit the Chicago Stationery Fest? Have you been to a stationery show?
Thanks April for the take along on your trip. It was a wonderful satisfying read and visual treat.
Not sure if I liked your sticker haul or your food spread more hahaha- looked like a lot of fun