Baltimore Zine Fest: An Event for Community Creatives

Baltimore Zine Fest began a few months ago, when a group of DIY Punk creatives from the Baltimore community got together to organize the event. The fest is scheduled monthly at different locations around Baltimore, and so far has been held five times. Baltimore Zine Fest is described as a “free, safe, radical community space about sharing, creating, defending, uplifting and enjoying one another.” Anyone can attend, vend, distribute, donate, and trade, no matter their experience levels. The festival is also an opportunity for teaching, learning, creating, and performing as well.

The term “zine” comes from the word “fanzine,” which is a combination of both the words “fan” and “magazine.” Zine’s are forms of self-published print work, traditionally made by hand, and typically reproduced using a copy machine. Zines can cover a variety of topics and can contain many different types of media, from text, to photos, to drawings, etc, as they are heavily influenced by artistic self-expression. One creator, Sylo, who was heavily involved with organizing Baltimore’s Zine Fest first began printing zines in 2018. “a Baltimore zine fest had been a goal of mine since 2020! I was inspired by anarchist book fairs and really, free markets that I saw on social media,” they stated.

Sylo identified that the DIY punk community in Baltimore had been growing greatly over the last few years. Many shows began to pop up, and that is when they realized it would be a good idea to get together with other creatives and establish a space dedicated to hosting community events for the scene. Sylo noted “The last 4 years the DIY punk community has really grown in Baltimore and shows were happening constantly. Myself and others felt like we needed a separate space to have community events, highlight local vendors, and skill share within a safe and open environment.”

One organizer who has chosen to remain anonymous, stated, “Sylo reached out to me about making the free Baltimore Zine Fest an actualized regular thing and I had been wanting stuff like this for the community. So we came together and reached out to vendors, anarchists, radicals, and friends to help us make it possible, and have had it monthly since,” they said.

The fest is inclusive and welcoming towards everyone. Participants have brought many different types of zines to the events, covering topics such as radical political philosophy, poetry, films, art, relationships, queerness, and more. One attendee stated there are, “...zines about different skills and about fighting back against authoritarian structures and systems, Indigenous philosophers, interviews from liberation fighters in Palestine, the list goes on.”

In addition to zines, attendees have sold other handmade and specialty items as well, like patches, jewelry, crocheted items, upcycled clothing, chain mail, glasswork, crystals and rocks, etc. Often, local and small artists or bands come out to play music at the events, making it a true all-encompassing place for creatives, whether appreciators of art, or artists themselves. So far, Baltimore Zine Fest has hosted multiple bands, some local, but also some from out of state. “We’ve had Desire Path, queercore punk from Kansas City, MI, Sad Roach, eggpunk from DC, from Baltimore perform in the park after our September Zine Fest,” says one organizer.

“A hallmark of the zine fest is the mutual aid table in which all items are freely given, and people visiting are also free to bring clothing to add to the stock,” says one organizer. The organizers stress that the event is not just a place for sharing items, creations, and creativity, but skill sharing and learning as well. In the past, Zine Fest attendees offered a print-making station with all the supplies necessary for people to participate in creating prints of their own, as well as zine-making stations, and a DIY clothes-making station. 

An anonymous organizer of the event stated, “We always have free resources and harm reduction and street supplies and clothes, but are trying to outreach to the people who need it more, the people stuck on the street, our unhoused neighbors to feel more safe and welcomed and our space to be apart of and connect with our community.”

“One of the key elements to Zine Fest has to be that space is free, if you'd like to vend, or skill share, or hang out, or play music, it's a truly autonomous space for anyone to enjoy,” stated Sylo. 

The next Baltimore Zine Fest will be on November 23rd at an indoor location to be announced. Additionally, a folk and punk show will follow after the main event. To stay up to date with upcoming and future Baltimore Zine Fest events, you can follow @bmorezinefest on Instagram.