This past weekend I sold at the Darlington Apple Festival located in a beautiful VERY small town of Darlington, MD. This was my 3rd time selling there although I want to say I sold there 4 times, but can't really recall if I did or not. That is besides the point. I do look forward to this weekend as it usually occurs on one of the best Fall weekends we see - not too cold and rarely too hot, maybe temps reaching 75 degrees, and some of the best crowds any show has seen in the area. Vendors (and this time I am going to use the term vendors) have the option of setting up the day before (Friday starting at 5:00 p.m.) or early morning Saturday. It is an hour drive from home and decided this time I would set up on Friday and SOOO glad I did. I got to my spot just in time - same spot as in the past, where 1 minute later my neighbors brought their big trucks and tractor trailers with barely enough room to maneuver around. There are other reasons why setting up early at this show is wise. 1) It takes place throughout the whole town - not just on the main street. Spaces can be found in parking lots where churches are, all around the elementary school and in the park as well as a few other little outlets. The main street is about 5-6 blocks long and driving through the area with many willing to cause accidents getting around other people who are simply trying to find their spaces, it is not a pretty site. This occurs throughout all of set up time and then all over again in the a.m. only there are more people set up with more canopies and cars blocking aisles. 2) The show takes place both on grass and pavement and the sooner you set up the less likely you will have to contend with mud. Mud everywhere as the who drive the "big wheels" are not considerate of where they drive creating huge ruts in the grass and carrying it all over. 3) Spaces are super tight not one inch can be spared on all three sides of one booth. In the past, there was a few inches, but even this year people who buy 2 spaces couldn't put up two canopies - each space, where I was, was expected to fit in a parking space width with another behind you. When I got there in the morning to finish setting up my work, I couldn't get my sides down as I couldn't get behind my canopy or on the sides - it angered many of us. I would hate to think how I could have gotten my trimline up with all the others set up first. So, the rest of the show. After setting up many of us were thankful the sun came out - it rained that night and the forecast claimed it would be a wash out day. It was a beautiful day. The crowds showed up too. I learned, from a police officer, that last year's "gate" count was 65,000 and I believed it. I want to think it was about 60,000 this year as it seemed the crowds thinned out early. Sales for everyone were all over the place and attribute it to two things - location of your booth at the show and what you sell. A majority of the booths were geared towards country craft like stuff with berry vines, country portraits, flower arrangements, wooden toys (and if I hear another pop gun I will "shoot" someone), all kinds of jewelry, handmade kids clothes (not the crocheted stuff, but NICE clothes), alpaca fabric wearable art, mixed with some watercolors and other 2D art. All in all, I liked the variety. There is always buy/sell at this place including the pan flute players, but the Amish mums and whoopie pies as well as other nice handmade items drowned out the other "stuff" nicely - there were 250 exhibitors. The area I was in many didn't make much although it seems those of us at least made our booth. I made 2 times my booth and that isn't wonderful, but hey it could have been worse, and did have quite a bit of lookers and new fans too add to my list. One friend - Gus who is on there - did well, selling out of her table runners, place mats and the like! In the past I did quite well, and attribute this year to people not spending as much yet still come out to want to support the event. I can't fault that. So, would I do the show again? This for me is tough. I have done it years in the past (not 10 or 15 times) but want to think yes as long as the economy bounces back. The area has suffered some set backs as it is near Aberdeen Proving Ground and they had major layoffs recently and other businesses in the area closing or closed. There isn't much in the area there - no gas station or McDonalds, a few shops, one main one closed and if the economy doesn't pick up, I could see it become a ghost town despite some historic/farming attributes the town contributes to the area. At least it is close to Rt. 95 and another popular area, Havre de Grace (a sailing town with historical nautical museums and art places too). I want to add the photos are ones I took at the beginning of the day (first five mins. of it being open). The one is an aisle shot from my booth (my booth is the one with the chair on the left side) and the other is from the aisle looking down the Main Street. I do not have any special food or drink type things to report - when to the Cracker Barrel both Friday and Saturday and have to say their trout is like butter and love their service.
One of the best things you reported here, Michelle, is the importance (especially at this kind of event that is spread all out) of getting there early for set up. My husband always liked to be the first in line to set up (me, I was the curmudgeon who thought that was dumb), but many times I was grateful that we were there early. It saved us many times from overcrowding, someone encroaching on our space, or we found a problem and could get moved.
I love to attend this kind of an event, (well, really, all kinds of event), but I can afford to buy and there really is a place for these festivals. Kevin Kaye did a report last week on the Fallasburg Festival (near Grand Rapids, MI) and one of the things I liked about that festival was not only would there be people like Kevin have $600 lamps but there was also homemade soap and good smelling things and beautiful wreaths. Another show we used to do like this was in Madison, IN, along the Ohio River, the Madison Chautauqua. It was sort of y'all come and everyone sorted out their own customers.
Yeah, they are "different" shows. I must say I am VERY jealous of you to be able to do shows and crack a grand. I am still not able to tap into the shows where my true target market audience attends, just make due with what I can. The only "high end" type shows I could do are Sugarloaf - which sorry Charlie - $500+ for a show that is not getting the same attention as it once did (i.e. less buyers) and then those in Gaithersburg/Chantilly VA. I would love to do the Bethesda Row shows, but their deadlines are too far in advance - accepting apps for jurying and then letting you know when you are accepted. I also have a fear of doing zapplication too - where I may have more opportunities getting into other shows - fine art/craft ones. My downfall is I sell things (mind you I make every bit of it) reed diffusers, air freshener sprays, and nearly all things nice smelling - something some fine art places don't find typical "fine art" and it sucks. I say that because I see promoters upset that all they get are jewelry applicants and buy/sell creeping in, what about me??? I fit a great niche - a growing market to boot. And I can sell least $2,000 a show if given a chance, but I can't risk doing a show that is $500 and still make the "pennies" that I am able to make, I am making money, just not A LOT. To date the best show is the MD Wine Festival - $25 for a space with 15% commission - it's the best with about 25,000 or more people in attendance many with money to boot. I do have fears leaving the comfort zone of Maryland - where I live, as I don't know what to expect going a little further away. As far as I know I could still be making the same amount I am but with more expenses such as travel and so on. This is why I actually have a part time job working in a boutique to spot new trends and buying habits of customers as well as earning a little extra pay both in hourly wage as well as a monthly check on my items which are also for sale in the store. It's nice when I am not doing shows on certain months. I do believe it is the area and the way the economy has ended up. So far now I am doing what I can to work out whatever kinks I can, earn whatever I can until the day we ride out the economic downturn. On a side note - thanks for the compliment on my review. I must say there weren't any tractors just the people with the big "butt" hitches and larger than life trucks. It's like "look at me and my big "toy" because I make big bucks at these things, so watch out". It amazes me that despite the big rides, these people still use a 10x10 space fill it with stuff they fit in their hitched trailer and 2-3 hours with 2-3 people. Here I show up in my VW wagon (2002) with my canopy, woodlandmarketing display and merchandise and can get it all up ready for my first sale in 1 and 1/2 hours. You should see the looks I get from people still struggling to get their canopy up - I love it!!! - Michelle
Nice report, how many exhibitors overall. Can you crack a grand there? Great pics, gives us a real feel for the place. Hell, with all those apples,and cider, all you had to do was bring some vodka and then you wouldn't even worry about those tractor trailers. The shows you attend are a different animal than mine, but I like the perspective you bring to it. Keep it up. Aloha, Nels
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I love to attend this kind of an event, (well, really, all kinds of event), but I can afford to buy and there really is a place for these festivals. Kevin Kaye did a report last week on the Fallasburg Festival (near Grand Rapids, MI) and one of the things I liked about that festival was not only would there be people like Kevin have $600 lamps but there was also homemade soap and good smelling things and beautiful wreaths. Another show we used to do like this was in Madison, IN, along the Ohio River, the Madison Chautauqua. It was sort of y'all come and everyone sorted out their own customers.
Thanks for this report.