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We will be posting several recommendations in the next few days, but the first one is a show we have discussed before: The Holly Arts and Crafts Fair, held on the third weekend in October in the village of Pinehurst, NC. 2013 will be the 35 annual Fair, and it is well run and well managed by the Pinehurst Business Guild. It is a one day show held on the streets of historic downtown Pinehurst. Setup is from 7 AM to 9 AM  and the show runs 10-4. All booths are on paved streets in the village.

Applications open on January 1 and closed last year on March 31, though that may not be set in stone as the application has not yet been posted. It is a juried show, juried by members of the Business Guild. That membership changes as new officers are elected, and others terms of office expire.

The application is a PDF which you print out and mail in with two photos of your work and one of your booth. There is no application fee, and a booth (10x10) is $75. We have done the show now for four years and sell around $1500 each year. Pinehurst is an affluent community located in the highest per capita income county in NC. There are informed, intelligent buyers looking to decorate their second home (or third!) as well as dog walkers, children in strollers and those looking for $5 Christmas ornaments. No music, two food vendors, although all of the local shops and restaurants also remain open.

Consider doing this show under two senarios: 1, as a fill in show for an open weekend, you can stay at the Red Roof in and eat an McDonalds and go on to your next show with $1,000 or so you did not have. 2, Come to town for a luxury vacation weekend, stay at one of the downtown inns within 50 yards of the show site, play a few rounds of golf at the finest courses in the world, dine in luxury and go home with the same amount of money you came with.

Not all of the work at the show will be fine art, there are ducks on a stick, hand painted gourds, and some knitted Christmas ornaments. We have seen the quality of the work increase each year and want to do our part to help.