Some of you sharp nerds reading this will think a Midwestern Stationery Fest MUST be in Chicago — but you would be incorrect.
Some of you sharp nerds reading this will also recognize Debra Skinner’s name. She is already an official and esteemed Paper Nerd at Large, with an impressive expertise in stationery fests (just witness her existing trifecta of TPN contributions here, here and here). This Chicagoan’s boots are literally always on the ground, traveling to fests and shops around the world — and even hosting her own Stationery Market last winter, in a snowstorm no less.
Today Debra drops in to spill on her latest project: Aurora Stationery Fest (ASF), happening this November 1. Aurora, Illinois, perches on the Fox River roughly 41 miles West of downtown Chicago, and as the second most populous city in the state, it is definitely not part of Chicagoland. I’ll let Debra take it from here!
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When I attended the inaugural New York City Stationery Festival in 2024, stationery markets and festivals were a new phenomenon in the United States. At the time, stationery and journaling were still relatively niche hobbies, with local paper-lovers often ordering stationery from overseas or from one of a few domestic stationery stores, such as Yoseka or Atlas Stationers.
As such, New York City Stationery Fest was a dream come true for U.S.-based journalers who had long admired from afar the international stationery fests planned in countries like England and Japan. Stationery fans traveled from all over the country to attend, including myself from Chicago, but nothing could have prepared me for how popular stationery would become in the United States soon after.
Bungu L.A., Chicago Stationery Fest, Little Craft Fest, St. Louis Stationery Fest, and more, seemingly every day – lovers of washi tape and stickers now have a litany of stationery festivals to choose from each year. With their own personalities and vendors, each fest brings something distinctive to the U.S. stationery event scene. But as founder of Stationery Club Co. who has attended many stationery festivals, I knew something was missing.
While fests in big cities like New York and Los Angeles are incredible, they can be costly to attend for both stationery vendors and attendees, especially with increasing venue and travel costs. And with so many attendees, it could be difficult to really interact with other members of the stationery community, meet new paper pals, and enjoy the company of fellow journalers.
So now, Aurora Stationery Fest has entered the fray!
ASF aims to be a cozy, Midwestern stationery festival focusing on local vendors and making stationery events more accessible. Held at Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora, Illinois, ASF is one of the first U.S. stationery festivals with a restaurant, brewery, and cafe on-site for attendees. Most tickets to ASF are free, and paid VIP tickets directly support the cost of the fest.
Two Brothers is a historical venue that used to be home to a train roundhouse, and is still located in the same building as the Aurora train station, making it convenient via public transportation. This dynamic history contributed to the train theme of Aurora Stationery Fest, highlighting local culture and landmarks. To celebrate the stationery community in Chicagoland, meetups are hosted by members of local stationery and journaling clubs, and all meetups are FREE to attend (though RSVPs are required!).
So, what does it take to plan and organize an entire stationery festival with limited resources? In short, a community who believes in it. From partnering with a venue committed to helping a new stationery event succeed, to working with local artists to create graphics, to consulting with many, many members of local stationery clubs, Aurora Stationery Fest is a true celebration of everyone who makes the stationery community so special in the Midwest.
All aboard to Aurora Stationery Fest on November 1st, 2026! Next stop – your journal! Reserve your ticket here!
P.S. Limited vendor spots are still available! If you are interested, please apply here!
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Thank you so much again Debra! As of now, I am planning on hauling my cookies from my current Aurora, Ohio, address to ASF’s Aurora, Illinois, one. I hope to see you there — and if you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to give me a shout.
Please note the Aurora Stationery Fest emblem you see atop this post, above and below. Brought to beautiful life by Chihiro Jameson of Little Love Press, expect to see it gracing an array of memorable merch. Preorders are available!
