Virginia Beach - Is it that bad / good? - Forum

Now that I am back in Virginia I am looking at applying for the Virginia Beach Boardwalk show. The one thing that scares me is I keep hearing that it is necessary to remove all of your work at night. I may be able to get my husband to come help me on the weekend but most likely I'll be working alone for most of it and the thought of totally removing my work each night is very daunting. I'm not worried too much about wind, my setup has proven to be pretty solid in reasonably high winds. I am worried about vandalism and theft. I heard that there was a hotel I could get that had parking close to the booths so removing work would not be so bad but then I heard the hotel had changed its parking so that was no longer possible.

So do I really need to take all my work out each night and if I do, is the show worth it? What kind of a chance am I taking if I leave the work in the booth? Is there anything I can do to make it any easier? If there is back space where I can store my boxes and table I can at least take it down each night and secure it in the booth. Is that an option?

I haven't gotten into the Boardwalk yet - but I've done the Neptune for several years - and the Steel Pier Classic (also at the boardwalk) for a few years.

I have heard of theft - mostly people entering the booth from the back (oceanside). I have gridwall on three sides, making it impossible to enter from the back. I always hope that if there are people scoping out who to rob.... they notice that my booth won't be easy to enter.

Even so - I take down all my work (mixed media) - stack them and wrap them like a burrito in a waterproof tarp. I put the burrito on top of a table in the middle of the booth and surround it with my other display items (like the tall director chairs). This makes it very difficult to get to - and it protects it from sand and moisture.

So far so good.

Kathy

Replies

Dan Bondroff September 22, 2011 at 12:12pm

The back side of the tents that face the ocean are vulnerable, but it would not deter me from doing the show. No show is 100% safe. I did well this year and would go back if I get in again. I did not remove my paintings at night, just my valuables.
Kathy Rose September 22, 2011 at 9:31am

I haven't gotten into the Boardwalk yet - but I've done the Neptune for several years - and the Steel Pier Classic (also at the boardwalk) for a few years.

I have heard of theft - mostly people entering the booth from the back (oceanside). I have gridwall on three sides, making it impossible to enter from the back. I always hope that if there are people scoping out who to rob.... they notice that my booth won't be easy to enter.

Even so - I take down all my work (mixed media) - stack them and wrap them like a burrito in a waterproof tarp. I put the burrito on top of a table in the middle of the booth and surround it with my other display items (like the tall director chairs). This makes it very difficult to get to - and it protects it from sand and moisture.

So far so good.

Kathy
Ann Marie Crosmun September 22, 2011 at 8:32am

Several years ago, my tent wall was sliced horizontally (the side facing the ocean) at the Neptune Festival. All that the thief took was my zippered credit card pouch. It was full of blank credit card slips. I had a good laugh, but I bet that he was quite angry after he left the scene, opened his 'booty' and found that it wasn't worth straddling the boardwalk railing. I had left some of my less expensive pieces in the tent-they were not disturbed. Interesting......
Scott Martin September 7, 2011 at 1:31pm

My first year was this last summer and I had a double booth and was a outer wall short (long story) and I was at the very end of the show so it would have been an easy steal and I had absolutely no problem. There was one theft that I know of from a high end cubist type painter other then that no issues. The entire length of the show has hotels within a 100 feet or so from whichever booth number you get and the show accepts and places you in a specific booth number before you even accept or pay so you can book lodging directly across from where you are located. Depending on your situation you might consider staying a block or two off the boardwalk and save some $$$ on the hotel. Parking was available very easily everyday for 5-10 bucks no overnight in those lots though. I stayed in a Days Inn and it was just o.k. walked the two blocks to the show and saved over 200 for the stay. I would probably do that again as the show 4 days including setup. Note.... be prepared to be sandblasted I had a few friends with white mesh panels that were quite dirty after the wind and sand and if you don't clean it out of everything in can scratch things in your display (think sandpaper).
Pat Finney September 7, 2011 at 9:47am

I did the show for three years and never took any product down (except for that which might get blown over by the wind). I have never heard of vandalism being an issue. They do have trailers placed every couple of blocks that you can use for storage if you don't want to leave your work out overnight.

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