This was my 3rd year to participate in the American Artisan Festival and a sad one as the founder Nancy Saturn died this spring.
The festival featured 170 artisans of all stripes. This is the first year of Zapp lacations and, as usual artists from way far away attended. This show is a good example of a show that should stay regional and not national.( I will give my reasons to you via email if asked.) The show is Fri afternoon, Saturday-Sunday show in Centennial Park with the 2nd year of very hot conditions which I felt kept good crowds away in droves. Those folks that did attend bought, but not willingly as everyone seemed very price conscious.
Set up and tear down is very easy here as most booths are accessible by vehicle. If you live within 8-10 hours of Nashville consider this show next year.
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  • I understand what Mark means, but I have to come down on the side of "hard lesson learned". It is tempting to click on your Zapp folder for all those cool shows that come beckoning in your e-mail, but I can't imagine doing that without doing some research first. Not that you can predict these shows with any confidence, as we know, but some checking seems called for. That being said, when one of my favorites goes Zapp, I cringe because I know the competition heats up. There must be lots of folks out there that can just hop in an RV and go where the shows are, devil-may-care. That would not be me. :)
  • Realize of course that opinions of mine are like a small body part that everyone has at least one of although there are some folks that seem to be nothing but that part. That said, I said regional v national, not just local, mincing words I guess. Anyway, this opinion has been formed by observation of my fellow exhibitors, i.e. folks that come the furtherist seem to have the highest expectations of the greatest rewards based on the fact of how far they come.
    Let's talk potters and jewelers of which every region has plenty. And because they (me and my pots) seem to be in greatest proportion to everything else. (see above: opinions) I never know weather or not to feel sorry for the potter that came 2 long days to sell far less than he needs to make a profit or have the capitalist view of hard lesson learned. So, since I have been selling my work for nearly 40 years, I feel justified in saying that Zapp ( and they are good at what they do) has spoiled the regional shows by the calendar of available week-ends and to hell with how far the show is from where you live. I know lots of us are on a circuit of shows we have lined out, but lots of those shows turn out to be duds. If you were closer to the duds you know enough to avoid them and that is what is lost to Zapp and the nationalization of our shows. Thanks for your attention. see opinions above once again. ;-}
  • so would I. I thought about doing this show, it's not that far from me, but I'd like to know more.
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