June 12, 2011
Glendale, Ohio (Cincinnati)
Booth Fee: $40.00
Jury Fee: It is a juried show, but they do not charge a jury fee.
This was my third year at the Trillium Art Fair and the third year for the fair itself. Glenwood Gardens is a beautiful park nestled back in a spot where you wouldn't expect it. It is home to many large shade trees, flower gardens and rotating exhibits – this time it is a sculptural exhibit: Big Bugs.
The show organizers do a nice job limiting the jewelry category and having a nice mix of other artists. This year there were painters, photographers, metal sculpture artists (with those cute copper garden fixtures!), handcrafted purses and of course jewelry artists, among others. It really is a nice show. There are always volunteers and park employees walking around throughout the day, distributing water and granola bars in the morning at set-up and then checking to see if anyone needs booth sitters for breaks. I usually take advantage of this because I do the majority of my shows solo, so that is a much appreciated perk!
I have been fortunate enough to have the same spot every year on the east side of the park and the shade trees in the middle really work to keep my booth fairly cool (even in last year's heat). This year, the temperature was a dreamy 80º and there was plenty of sunshine, which had lots of people out shopping. Generally I find that the majority of people shopping are actually spending too. The park is dog friendly, so there is an endless parade of furry friends all day, which I find fun. They also have a couple bands play throughout the day, which adds to the energy of the fair.
Loading and unloading can be a little tricky as you are not allowed to pull up into the exhibit space, which is grass, and there is a chain-link fence around the area. They do open large double gates at one end, so you can unload with the help of volunteers and carts. This year, artists parked down the hill away from the main parking lot and were shuttled back to the exhibit area.
Overall, this has been one of my best shows consistently for three years and I really hope to be in it again next June!
