Craft that harkens back to another era of vintage objects is all the rage. This new wave of craft has become so popular in the past five years that New York, Chicago and San Francisco have all participated in hosting The Renegade Craft Fair as a way for independent crafters to sell their wares in one massive setting.

I tell you this background information because it explains why I was so smitten with the success of the Picnic festival this Sunday in Portland.

More than 70 local Portland vendors migrated from their basements, attics and spare bedrooms to the often-overlooked Lincoln Park for one day of hawking unique handmade crafts.

Items ran the gamut from an old Nancy Drew book turned into a circuitry project complete with knobs and speakers to silk-screened underpants and onesies.

This is not your grandmother’s “crochet a tissue cover” craft. This is the do-it-yourself craft at a more primal level. It is Etsy in real life.

There were a plethora of stuffed monsters: scary ones, ones with their large intestines showing, ones that came from the bottom of the sea. There were yard sale items, letter press notecards and a remote control tank with a lighthouse soldered on top. There were polyester dresses, vinyl totebags, aprons and buttons. There were things that were really old and new things made to look old. The best t-shirt of the day. “Screw Vintage: This t-shirt is from the future.” Handmade of course.

In addition to all the craft booths, there was a music tent set up to showcase some of the latest local indie bands. Their soundtrack for the day was only further accentuated by a cozy layer of local East End fog.

This first ever Picnic festival was a collaborative effort made up of Ron Harrity, founder of Peapod Recordings, a small record label based in Portland; Diane Toepfer, artist and proprietor of Ferdinand located at the bottom of Munjoy Hill in Portland’s East End; Sean Wilkinson, art director and co-founder of The Bollard, a paper focusing on Portland, Maine news, nightlife, art and culture; Noah DeFilippis and Amy Teh, designers and owners of Pinecone+Chickadee, a Portland based design and silkscreening studio. These are all talented and good people who moved here filled with energy to make things and make things happen.

Perhaps I take things far too literally but I did indeed plan my day around the event and packed myself a tablecloth, some good eats and checkered napkins. To my dismay, I was the ONLY ONE actually having a picnic in the middle of all the activity. I am hoping folks take the hint for next year. I am hoping there IS a next year.

Picnic was a resounding success that showed the Portland, Maine can compete on the national level when it comes to craftiness.

Ron and Diane.

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