Applications to table at South Side Zine Fest 2025 are now CLOSED! We’re really excited about the enthusiastic response we’ve received to our call for tablers.
Thank you to everyone who applied! We’ll let all applicants know via email if you’ve been accepted or waitlisted by 11 p.m. CT Monday, June 9.
Questions? Please email us at zineclubchicago@gmail.com
Image description: A blue and red flyer featuring the South Side Zine Fest and Zine Club Chicago logos and this text: “Join Us for the Inaugural South Side Zine Fest! Presented by Zine Club Chicago; A celebration of self-publishing with Zine Camp vibes!; Applications Closed!; Apply Online from 11 am Monday 5/19 to 11 pm Sunday 5/25; Find more information on zineclubchicago.com”
The application to table at the inaugural South Side Zine Fest is now OPEN! Find it here: tinyurl.com/ApplySSZF2025
Applications will be accepted 11 a.m. CT Monday, May 19 through 11 p.m. CT Sunday, May 25, 2025. Only fully completed applications will be considered. We will be prioritizing zinemakers with strong ties to the South Side of Chicago in our decision process. We are asking tablers to make sure that at least 75% of your items will be zines.
The inaugural South Side Zine Fest presented by Zine Club Chicago will be held 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, July 26, 2025 at the Richard J. Daley Branch of the Chicago Public Library, 3400 S. Halsted St. in Bridgeport, Chicago IL 60608. Admission is free!
Our tables are 6 feet long. Each tabler will be offered a 3-foot table space. There is no cost to vend; however, we are asking each tabler to donate $5 worth of zines to be given away as part of our free raffle for festgoers.
Please note that we are a very small fest! We appreciate your understanding that we will not be able to offer a table to everyone who applies. Our hope is to continue to grow our fest and be able to offer more tabling opportunities in the future.
We will notify all applicants as to whether they’ve been accepted or waitlisted by 11 p.m. CT Monday, June 9, 2025.
South Side Zine Fest is presented by Zine Club Chicago. Jamie Kadas (Curvy Girl Comics) and Cynthia E. Hanifin (Zine Club Chicago producer), both native South Siders, are the fest’s volunteer co-organizers. This free community event is made possible by a grant from the Richard J. Daley Branch of the Chicago Public Library and individual donations from Zine Club Chicago members.
You can find more info about South Side Zine Fest and Zine Club Chicago on our social media channels: @zineclubchicago
Image description: A blue and red flyer featuring the South Side Zine Fest and Zine Club Chicago logos and this text: “Join Us for the Inaugural South Side Zine Fest! Presented by Zine Club Chicago; A celebration of self-publishing with Zine Camp vibes!; Applications Open!; Apply Online from 11 am Monday 5/19 to 11 pm Sunday 5/25; Find more information on zineclubchicago.com”
We’re SO EXCITED to announce our brand-new event: South Side Zine Fest! Our celebration of self-publishing with Zine Camp vibes will be held 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, July 26, 2025 at the Richard J. Daley Branch of the Chicago Public Library, 3400 S. Halsted St. in Bridgeport. Free!
We’re expanding our Zine Camp hijinks to include tabling by local zinemakers and collectives. We’ll be prioritizing self-publishers with strong ties to the South Side of Chicago. Programming will include a panel discussion with local zinemakers, all-day zinemaking stations for folks of all ages, a zine swap, button making, and more.
South Side Zine Fest is presented by Zine Club Chicago. Jamie Kadas (Curvy Girl Comics) and Cynthia E. Hanifin (Zine Club Chicago producer/founder), both native South Siders, are the fest’s volunteer co-organizers. This free community event is made possible by a grant from the Richard J. Daley Branch of the Chicago Public Library and individual donations from Zine Club Chicago members.
Image description: A blue and red flyer featuring the South Side Zine Fest and Zine Club Chicago logos and this text: “Join Us for the Inaugural South Side Zine Fest! Presented by Zine Club Chicago; A celebration of self-publishing with Zine Camp vibes!; 11 am-4 pm Saturday, July 26, 2025; Richard J. Daley Branch, Chicago Public Library, Bridgeport; Find more information on zineclubchicago.com”
Zine Club Chicago on Marz: Wanderlust Zinemaking Hangout Life on Marz Community Club, 1950 N. Western Ave. in Logan Square/Bucktown 7 – 9 p.m. Thursday, May 15, 2025 Free!
As warm-weather travel season kicks off this month, we’re embracing the joys of hitting the open road in collaboration with our friends at Life on Marz Community Club! Y’all are invited to help create a group zine on the theme Wanderlust.
Please join us for Zine Club Chicago on Marz: Wanderlust Zinemaking Hangout, 7-9 p.m. Thursday, May 15 at Life on Marz Community Club, 1950 N. Western Ave. in Logan Square/Bucktown.Free!
We’ll provide all the zinemaking supplies! Just bring your creativity. Life on Marz Community Club, our favorite locally owned taproom and café space, offers awesome alcoholic, CBD, and non-alcoholic beverages from Marz Community Brewing Co. and more, plus some very fun snacks, for purchase. DJ Nate Large will be providing sonic accoutrement during the evening, and we encourage y’all to stick around for some awesome music!
Zine newbies and longtime enthusiasts alike are always welcome at Zine Club Chicago. This free community event series is produced by Cynthia E. Hanifin. Anna Jo Beck is the creative force behind our visuals. Liz Mason is our indispensable co-conspirator.
More info on the Zine Club Chicago social media channels: @zineclubchicago
Image description: A flyer featuring an image of a multi-lane highway with the Chicago skyline in the background and this text: “Zine Club Chicago on Marz: Wanderlust; 7-9 p.m. Thursday, May 15; Life on Marz Community Club, 1950 N. Western Ave; Free!; Info at zineclubchicago.com”
Zine Club Chicago Zine Fun Fair! 1:30-4 p.m. Sunday, May 18, 2025 Richard J. Daley branch of the Chicago Public Library 3400 S. Halsted St. in Bridgeport Free! All ages!
For our kickoff this month, we’ll be hosting a Zine Fun Fair at the library! During this laidback drop-in event, folks of all ages are invited to make their own mini zines and mailable letter zines, participate in a zine swap, and explore our South Side Zine Library that is permanently housed in the branch.
Please join us for the Zine Club Chicago Zine Fun Fair, 1:30-4 p.m. Sunday, May 18, 2025 at the Richard J. Daley branch of the Chicago Public Library, 3400 S. Halsted St. in Bridgeport. Free!
We’ll provide the zinemaking supplies. If you’d like to participate in the zine swap, just bring a zine (made by you or someone else) to trade. Or you can make one on the spot to swap!
Also at our Zine Fun Fair, the Zine Doctors will be in! Seasoned zinemakers, including Liz Mason (Caboose) and our producer Cynthia E. Hanifin (Pulaski at Night), will be on hand to offer support and feedback on your zine project, whether you’re new to self-publishing or a veteran zinester fine-tuning your latest issue.
But wait, there’s more! We’ll also have a recording area set up for folks who’d like to make a short (one minute) video about their latest zine for a new channel on YouTube launched by our pal Billy McCall (Behind the Zines Distro)! For a preview, check out the I Love Zines channel.
We’ll be holding three more events at the Richard J. Daley branch this summer (did someone say Zine Camp vibes?) and autumn, so keep an eye on this space for more announcements coming soon!
Thank you to branch manager Jeremy Kitchen and his team for inviting us to bring all kinds of cut-and-paste hijinks to their library this year.
Zine newbies and longtime enthusiasts alike are always welcome at Zine Club Chicago. This free community event series is produced by Cynthia E. Hanifin. Anna Jo Beck is the creative force behind our visuals. Liz Mason is our indispensable co-conspirator.
More info on the Zine Club Chicago social media channels: @zineclubchicago
Image description: A cut-and-paste flyer featuring a photo of a Tilt-A-Whirl fair ride and the following text: Zine Club Chicago Zine Fun Fair!; 1:30-4 p.m. Sunday, May 18; Richard J. Daley branch, Chicago Public Library, 3400 S. Halsted St., Bridgeport; Free!; All ages!; Zinemaking!; Zine Swap!; South Side Zine Library!; Zine Videos!; The Zine Doctors!”
Zine Club Chicago is a free community event series for self-publishing enthusiasts that was launched in July 2018. Zine newbies and longtime devotees alike are always welcome at our events, which take place in person at locations around the Chicago area and online.
Zine Club Chicago 