Hug Your Homies: DIY Festival Vintage Vendors

It’s that time of the year again! The Utah State Fairpark opens its gates to the 18th Annual Craft Lake City DIY Festival presented by Harmons. Being Utah’s largest local-centric arts, music, science and technology festival, DIY Fest is a three-day event. Experience the best of our state’s creative culture with over 500 local artists and makers, three stages for music and dance performances, a youth entrepreneur area, a STEM building with hands-on exhibitions, dozens of food vendors and more. Kids of all ages and dogs are welcome — find more info and get tickets at craftlakecity.com!

It starts with a laugh, a sticker, a shirt. It ends with asking your friends, “But how are you really?” Hug Your Homies is built on the belief that small actions and intentional questions create opportunity for real conversation about mental health.

Hug Your Homies was founded by ski enthusiast Dan Parisi after he lost a friend to suicide. What started with quirky stickers has quickly become an entire brand dedicated to reminding people that looking out for your friends isn’t just kind – it is lifesaving. Parisi works to bring this message specifically to the outdoor community, beginning at the slopes of Alta Ski Area.

As the brand grew, Parisi wanted to ensure everything was done intentionally. He did not want to mass-produce hats and T-shirts but instead spent the majority of the spring sourcing secondhand materials for his summer markets. “Nineties skate and surf stuff are the coolest of all time. I am trying to make stuff that I’ve always wanted,” Parisi says.

Currently, Parisi donates a portion of proceeds to Alta Community Enrichment, but he is also looking at partnering with local organizations who focus on suicide prevention or mental health. “I want to see the money benefit our local community a little bit more,” Parisi shares.

Although Parisi operates as a one-man show for now, he has still prepared hundreds of secondhand finds that will have new designs for DIY Fest. —Porshai Nielsen

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