If you want something done right, it’s often best to do it yourself.
And if you want to share what you’ve done, bring it to Saturday’s second annual Allston DIY festival.
Celebrating the freedom of individual expression and community building, the DIY meet-up features educational workshops, a swap meet and music for the masses.
It’s free. That’s the point, event organizer Chris Longenecker said.
“A bunch of folks are involved with various creative and artistic pursuits — whether musical, political or artistic — outside of consumerism and spending money,” Longenecker said.
Longenecker said the festival exemplifies the idea of doing things for the joy of it, rather than just to make a quick buck.
The all-ages, sober festival points a finger at “oppressive consumerism,” Longenecker said. So you won’t see a dollar sign hanging up anywhere.
Even the music is free: Bands playing the festival will use amps powered by bicycles.
“The thing that unifies everyone is that the interests are … not to claim fame,” Longenecker said. “These folks follow through with something they genuinely love.”
Rachel Leone, 25, a volunteer, said the DIY movement allows people to live outside the mainstream.
“It’s the counterculture,” she said. “It is about community support and community building. We want to build something better.”
Follow Steve Annear on Twitter @steveannear
