TAKING OUR SHOW ON THE ROAD

This photo is from last September at the Little Falls, Minnesota Arts and Crafts Show.

The usual set up is for a 10 x 10 foot space. We use a pop up canopy tent. We connect sections of grid wall to form the sides and back of the booth with a system of velcro straps and cable ties to secure the sections. We have zip on panels for the sides, back and front which we can drop down for protection from the elements, but nothing about the tent is waterproof. We have some tarps that can go over the top and drop down to cover the sides and we have some awnings. And we pray for no rain.

We love our Little Falls location (right in front of Curves which we find hilarious) because we have not had anyone occupy the space right next to us. That allows us to hang bags on the outside wall giving us lots more display room.

We have lots of hanging racks and baskets and each time we set up it turns out a little different from the time before.

The set up and tear down are hard physical work. We have to unload from the back of the truck and carry everything to the designated booth space. Sometimes we are able to park very near to our booth, but other times we use a hand truck to haul things in.

Last year we did the Cranberry Festival in Wisconsin. We got into town after dark and decided to drive in just to see where we'd be and what the parking was like. The set up was to be the following day. We were quite surprised to see many, many tents already set up. We got a parking spot on the street and walked, carrying our flashlight, across the school yard and found our booth space. We knew we'd have to use the hand truck the next day, and decided to come earlier than we'd planned. As we were getting into the truck to head for our motel, another vendor expressed surprise that we were leaving and suggested that we should take advantage of the parking place we had and warned that by the next day we might have to wait in line for a parking space or walk even further to cart things in. So, we did our set up in the dark with the light of one flashlight. There were a few others doing the same thing when we started, but pretty soon, we were the only folks left. The streets were blocked off and only vendors could get in and the police and volunteers provided security.

After we'd been working for awhile I noticed a church about a block away with a huge neon cross at the top of the traditional tall pointed steeple. I said to Georgia, "This could be a country western song (then singing) I set up my booth 'neath the light of the neon cross."

It was a funny night - me holding the flashlight under my arm, and then forgetting I actually had it when Georgia would ask me a question and I would turn and flash her in the face interrogation style. We won't be back at the Cranberry Festival this year. It's a fun show, but it opens at 6:00 a.m. every morning, and that is just WRONG! We were exhausted.

The weather is a huge factor for vendors at outdoor shows. Georgia and Nancy did two shows this summer in California where it was over 100 degrees. That gets dangerous. We've agreed to forfeit our entry fee if the forecast predicts temperatures over 90 degrees.

So, for those of you who wonder what it's like to do Arts and Crafts Shows - it's hard physical work with lots of unpredictable variables. We have a lot of laughs, however, and we enjoy meeting and talking with our customers.