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It is always great to do a show in your hometown and have it profitable.

No hotels, no travel, no restaurants.

In NSB you have two annual art/craft shows.One is Images but it was cancelled this year.

The Fiesta, put on by the city’s dept. of Leisure Services went on.

There were a little over 200 exhibitors spread out on the streets and in a park.

One caveat.  This is more a craft show rather then fine art.

That said, there were many respected fine artists there. And, they give out nice cash awards.

The majority of booths are festooned with lowend beaded jewelry, bird houses, pottery, etc.

People with images or sculptures of birds and marine life do very well here. The guy with carved totem poles, made out of palms always sells well here.

My neighbor across from me, with marine creatures cut and polished on metal, nearly sold out.  At showend he had two very little pieces left.

Most of the exhibitors are regulars every year.

The booth fee is well under $300 and you can leisurely set up on Friday.  I was there at 8 am and out on the beach by 11am sipping margaritas.

NSB is my hometown, moved here four years ago from Ybor City.  Best move I ever made.

We are right on the Atlantic Ocean right below Daytona.

The Town is very mellow.  We do not have the congestion that most East Coast towns have.

What we do have is an abundance of reasonable bars and restaurants right on the water.  You can drive your van on the beach for miles.

There is a lot of people with disposable income living here.  Most have conservative tastes when it comes to art and craft.

So, with Images cancelled, I was hoping we would see more of that crowd here.  Did not happen.

The weather was perfect, cool morns with warmer afternoons, no rain threat.

I was on the street, Julia. We all had six foot spacing between booths.  That is very nice, more room to hang images on the outside.

Last year, I did about $1200 here, and with Covid, I figured if I could do that again, I would be a happy camper.

Knowing that they tend to buy low end here, I came loaded with framed 11x14 photos at $99. Good move, sold them all.

So Saturday was great, made what I did here last year that day.  I celebrated very hardy Saturday nite.

Sunday tends to be a slower day, and it was.

Around noon a guy came into my booth.  Just recently moved here and was looking to decorate the new condo.  Almost hooked him on the first go.

He liked my new work on metal.  I have my 30”x40” images, on aluminum, priced at $999.00.

Around 2pm he came back, with his wife, always a good sign.  We talked a little, and then, he told his wife, “Honey, get on the phone and transfer $1000 to my checking account.”

Bang! I nailed the sale.  My first big one on metal.

Needless to say, I celebrated mightily that nite.  Watched 12 episodes of Schitts Creek.

Most of my fellow exhibitors did very well.  We had a thinner crowd than normal, but the ones who came, bought.

Keep this show in mind if you are batching a bunch for Feb.

BTW.  Got my first vaccine today.  I feel awesome.

Aloha, Nels.