37th Annual Sidewalk Sale Ins & Outs

Jennifer’s summer plans include the 37th annual Atlas Sidewalk Sale. Are you planning on making a pilgrimage to Atlas? Check out the blog for more information. 

The Biggest Fountain Pen Sidewalk Sale In The World Returns

       If you find the heat of Chicago summers stifling, there’s an oasis of cool waiting for you August 15th and 16th. The 37th annual Atlas Sidewalk Sale returns bigger than ever with more activities to connect you to your favorite fountain pens and accessories.  

       In addition to the full gamut of vendors, there will be two days of workshops and seminars, meetups, and nib smiths. Kirk Speer of Pen Realm and Matthew Chen will take walkups for nib grinding. Sign up when you arrive to get your pen serviced on a first-come, first-served basis!  If you are attending any of the workshops or meetups, please be prepared to check-in with your name and/or seat reservation confirmation.  The meetups will take place in the 'Living Room' area of our retail store while the workshops will take place in the most southwest corner of our store.  Be on the lookout for the event map which will be released on our Instagram a few days before the event!  This will show you where every vendor will be located.

       There is a collective space where non-locals can gather and turn the event into a fountain pen getaway. The Hotel Allegro is conveniently located near the Atlas storefront and while the room block is full, they may have additional rooms available, check the link. I'm planning on turning this year's event into a sanctuary for my fountain pen passion by staying as close to the store as possible. If you drive into the city and need parking, we recommend the garage 225 W. Wacker St. (garage entrance on 281 N. Franklin St.) as it is the closest and least expensive. Click here for the parking garage reservation link and then submit the duration of your stay. Use access code: 'ATLAS225' for the discounted rate of $14 with up to nine hours of parking.  If you don't plan to drive, we recommend a great pair of walking shoes and enough time to get around on foot. However, to speed up your journey (and to get back to the Sidewalk Sale for more shopping) some options for getting around without a car include using the Divvy bikes (https://www.divvybikes.com), taxis, or the Chicago Transit Authority (https://www.transitchicago.com).

       The retail store opens at 8 a.m. on both days, while the sale will start at 9 a.m. If you are able to join us in person, we encourage you to find some time to come in and see the latest renovations to the storefront. If you’re part of the online Atlas community, you know we’ll make sure to include you. Just stay tuned to the socials for the details. 

       So, get ready for some one-of-a-kind Atlas moments. (No event would be complete without some surprises, right?) We can’t wait to meet you on the sidewalk this year. Check out the limited edition Atlas merch - that baseball shirt is da bomb! Get them before they disappear like the warm Chicago summer weather. 

If you want a little history on how it all got started over 30 years ago, click on the link to check out my prior post: https://www.atlasstationers.com/blogs/news/sidewalk-sale-returns

*Our Sidewalk Sale will still run as usual, even during rainy weather. We have a contingency plan to adjust our vendor setup inside and outside of our retail store. Our retail store will remain fully operational and fully stocked with products, fully staffed with Atlas team members, and will have plenty of space provided for our vendors!*

 -Jennifer Houghton