Do the endless shopping mall lines make you shudder? Do you cringe at the thought of hordes of sticky kids impatient to sit on Santa’s lap? We’re with you. Luckily, since 2005, the ladies behind St. Louis’ Rock’N’Roll Craft Show have been serving up a craft and music event that provides a great “mallternative” to chain stores and food courts...

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Sara Arnold, who spends hours each week turning old leather belts into sleek, modern-looking rugs, considers herself part of the "alternative crafts" movement. She is one of a growing number of people in their 20s and 30s who are using traditional craft techniques to make nontraditional projects, often employing recycled or unusual materials. Arnold and other organizers of the Rock n Roll Craft Show in St. Louis say calling their work "alternative" helps patrons know what to expect...

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The annual, one and only, original and oh so cool Rock -n- Roll Craft show. We got lucky enough to be passing thru St. Louis for the annual Rock n Roll Craft Fair - an event we’ve wanted to attend for a couple of years...

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This craft show is like no other because in addition to featuring handmade craft items by local artists, the craft show will also feature music from local bands...

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They won’t be open at 11 p.m. on December 24. But artist-run holiday markets offer gifts so lovely, you could almost skip the wrapping. Maybe wersquo;re weary of that pop gun going off the day after Thanksgiving. Weary of weaving through overcrowded mall garages, searching for a spot to park. Weary of dodging overstuffed shopping bags; weary of trudging up and down escalators; weary of swiping cards and drinking hazelnut coffee in food courts. Whatever the reason, there’s been a surge in young, independent artist-run holiday markets in St. Louis over the past few years. Based on events like Chicago’s Renegade Craft Fair, the merchandise—including hand-knit scarves, letterpress posters, hand-bound journals, purses, lamps, jewelry, paintings and photographs—is far closer to art than to craft (so banish those images of beaded jute plant hangers from your head). Prices range from $1 to $300, which—if you consider that in many cases, you’re buying a piece of art—is pretty darn affordable.

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A new generation is redefining the craft fair. No more crocheted tea cozies: These fairs rock... Jessi Cerutti underestimated how hungry St. Louis was for cutting-edge crafts when she put together the twice-annual Rock n Roll Craft Show. "I thought it would be a rinky-dink fair, but we ended up with 50 vendors," says Cerutti. A slate of bands play — but the monkey mascot is what won us over...

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...To help kick off this homegrown scene, we decided to put on our craftypants and throw together a little mixtape so you can get prepped for the sounds this weekend, or at least give you something else to listen to while making the rounds. But we couldn’t keep the excitement to ourselves, so we teamed up with Courtney Watson to round out the sound.  As with all good mixtapes, this one comes in two distinct flavors: Side A provided right here, and Side B from Courtney.  And if you’re really excited, we’ve thrown in some Bonus Tracks to make your own mix-craft...

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