Glenwood Arts Fest is one of my favorite shows each year. I've been doing it for 7 years and have been in the same spot for 5 years. There is such comraderie between neighboring artists that we've actually become friends outside the fest. Many of us do 3 or 4 shows a year together.
Last year, I broke a personal sales record for this fair and was so thrilled! But this year, the festival was saddled with expenses they didn't have the year before (Alderman's inability to waive permit fees, having to pay for lost parking meter revenues on the closed streets, etc.) so the booth fees were slightly higher and there were 40- 50 new artists competing for disposable income. The pie was sliced a little thinner this year, but all in all, it was a terrific show. We all had fun and the patrons were out in droves, as usual.
The fest has a kids art area with face painting, there's a nightly 'New Orleans' style parade where anyone who wants to follow the jazz/zydeco band can join in the fun and march through the entire fest. There are 2 stages with continual music and plenty of food options from both street vendors and local cafes. There are a few buy/sell vendors, but people who appreciate 'art' buy from us.
The organizers and volunteers are fantastic and they check in regularly with artists to offer a quick run for water or food or just to give you a 5 minute break if you need it. The top bananas are accessible and they are at the fest all day long, walking up and back. It's a wonderful team.
So, if you're looking for a really reasonable booth fee with nice sales, the application for this event goes up in April or May. I highly recommend this fun and profitable event.
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