NFO XPO (pronounced “info expo”) has been the centerpiece of Version Fest since 2004. Version Fest founder Ed Marszewski describes the event as a combination of the Renegade Craft Fair (the annual sale of DIY goods that started in Wicker Park in 2003), “crazy party,” art fair, trade show and science fair—with a dinner break for Korean-Polish barbecue.

This year’s NFO XPO will be held at the Viaduct Theater, where 30-plus galleries, collectives and organizations will show their work on the main stage. Several participants are local—including the Green Lantern, Polvo and ThreeWalls—but many aren’t from these parts, including Philadelphia’s noted collaborative Space 1026, Dallas-based Plush Gallery and Berlin’s Der Weiße Salon.

NFO XPO’s international focus is not surprising, considering it’s meant to evoke the kind of cutting-edge cultural festivals Marszewski experienced when he lived in the Netherlands. The goal of NFO XPO is to introduce people to new art, film, video, music (in the form of live concerts by bands such as the C*nts, Skarekrauradio, and Pillars and Tongues) and fresh ideas. NFO XPO’s “Free Univerwity” [sic] has lined up some impressive visiting lecturers, such as former SAIC prof Gregory Sholette, whose keynote will address Version>08’s theme, “Dark Matter”; Nato Thompson, a curator for NYC’s Creative Time, a nonprofit that has helped fund public art projects since 1974; and Kristen Cox, the Chicago activist who founded the Fire This Time Fund, which raises money for local groups working for social, economic and environmental justice.

Even NFO XPO’s barbecue is designed to be inclusive: Vegetarians will be able to feast on Tofurky kielbasa.

NFO XPO will be on view at the Viaduct Theater (3111 N Western Ave) Saturday 19, 1pm–2:30am; and Sunday 20, 1pm–1:30am. $8 each day, $10 for a two-day pass. Admission includes dinner. For more information, visit versionfest.org.