Saturday Blues

So the craft fair was shaping up to be good. All the vendors buzzed around the lot setting, and resetting their goods, until they had it just right. The temperature at 9 in the morning was reaching 90 degrees and the humidity felt like 100%. It was hot. So after fixing the displays I sat down for a much needed rest, and some water. Our location was the best thing about the day. My booth over looked the bay, and we watched the dolphins swimming and the pelicans flying. That was really the highlight of the day. The only thing that went was a few business cards, and I mean just a few. The parking set up for the show was not great. The vendors were able to park in the lot close to the tents, and the visitors to the show had to park across the street. The street happened to be a 4 lane divided highway... So you can imagine that it would take a bit to cross the road, and people seeing that probably just kept on driving. I think about 60 visitors total passed my booth, which is not very many. I was highly disappointed, as were the vendors just beside me.
So when we saw the storm clouds rolling in around 3:30 we really hoped for rain. When all the other vendors started packing up we did too. All in all, it was a long hot day, with not much more than a business card passed out.
At least we got to watch the dolphins.

38 day countdown

I found the first craft fair that I will participate in here in Florida. The 3rd Annual Panhandle PhunFest! I have been in the sewing room all day, thank goodness for a little rainy weather. Cutting, sewing and ironing describes the activties for today. With only 38 days until the festival I have to get busy and make as many of my eco friendly items as I possibly can. This festival supports a good cause, the Fisher House on Eglin Air Force Base. It is a place where family members can stay when they have a loved one recovering in the hospital.
If you are in the area on September 26th go to Navarre, and stop by the Phunfest! Looks like they will have a ton of craft vendors, and some good music. I hope to see you there!

Setting up in a craft fair

There are a few craft fairs near by that I might start setting up in. I need to get a better display area though. I found some pipe and drape displays that would be perfect for the 10x10 spaces that I can rent. It really sets your booth apart from the others, giving you a sense of a small shop. Usually the trade fair booths are partitioned into 10x10 slots, you can rent bigger, but I don't have that many bags to fill a bigger space. The fairs that I have found are inside which is great since the Florida heat can be overwhelming in the summer.

With all my bags and coffee sleeves set up on a plastic table I really like the way the table skirts look. It gives the display a finished look, and not to mention hidden storage space under the table for the boxes that I carry the bags in. It is important to me to have all the supplies hidden beneath the table. That way they are easy for me to get to, and out of sight.

The last thing required at the fair is a sign that is easy to read. The easiest way to get your sign up is by using a banner stand. That way it can draw attention from across the room and ease people into your booth. That is what we are striving for after all, getting the customers to come shop!

Don't forget the other essentials like a snack, water and bring lots of change! Most of all have a little fun!