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The Lucketts Fair - 2010 (second day)

Posted by Walt Bennett on August 30, 2010 at 5:38am
It was a bit hotter on Sunday. Although they lowered admission prices this year, the crowds we'd seen in the past (20k+) weren't there and the total seemed to be more like 10,000. We had about the same sales on Sunday as Saturday - nothing to get excited about, and not quite in the 'good' range. After talking to our friends scattered about the grounds, I think we must have been in one of the best locations overall. One said they'd only made $80 on Sunday (although they'd cleared expenses overall) and were probably not coming back next year. Most others said about the same, including not wanting to come back. One crafter with about thirty years experience said he was considering taking next year mostly off, doing only two or three shows, to build inventory. No happy faces anywhere.

Overall, I believe the event is on the right track by lowering admission and parking fees, but it'll take a while to get the crowds back. The jury process is really broken and needs fixing - there's always been some buy-sell people at this event, but they were separated from the really hand-made people. This time everyone was all mixed together, with about 25% buy-sell. The supposedly juried area layout is one of the worst I've ever seen. Attendees can't tell where they've been or where they're going. The spoke arrangement just doesn't work, but after hearing how many crafters have complained about it and how often, I don't think they'll change it. I still can't figure out what the area we were in was supposed to be (it was called "the Country Store"), but even though there were buy-sell folks in it, it turned out to be the most comfortable and lucrative area to be in. We'll try Lucketts again next year as long as we can get the same spot!
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Comments

  • Bari Appelstein February 27, 2012 at 12:59pm

    Did any jewelry craft vendors do the 2011 show?  Does anyone want to comment?  I am new to this fair and I am considering it for the 2012 show.  We do jewelry with many pieces over $100.  Is this too much for this show.  I would appreciate any feedback anyone can provide.  Thanks in advance.

  • Walt Bennett August 31, 2010 at 1:36pm
    We live 30 miles away, but all the six other crafters we know have been complaining all along. We also weren't in that area and I was able to talk to the lady running where we were so I believe we'll get back there again. Don't know what to say about the 'juried' part.
  • Connie Mettler August 31, 2010 at 12:47pm
    Do you live near? Is there any way you can have some input from your years on the road as an exhibitor?
  • Walt Bennett August 31, 2010 at 6:00am
    Lucketts started out as an antique sale and grew into that plus music, arts and crafts, buy-sell, kids rides, and food. It's managed by volunteers from the immediate area as Lucketts itself is only slightly larger than a crossroads town. It's between Leesburg, VA and Frederick, MD and used to have a large draw. Everything was all sorted out and separated four years back the last time we were at it, with the hand-made in the large field next to the old school house. No shade, lots of heat, but we were all in back to back rows that were easy to walk through. A couple years back someone came up with the idea to have an large anchor tent (not a vendor) in the middle of the field and spokes radiating out from it of back to back rows of vendors. Not even the volunteer lady managing the 'Country Store' area we were in this time that I talked to could tell me why. I doubt the person managing the juried area showed up as all the vendors in that part were really upset about it still being that way although the'd been complaining about it since it started.
  • Connie Mettler August 30, 2010 at 9:37pm
    Good report, Walt. So, would you say the problems occurred because of the changes? Sounds like you think these were needed changes. But a "spoke" layout? What is that about? Is this event put on by a committee or a promoter?
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