Sunday had me at the first ever Trillium Art Fair in Glenwood Gardens. It's not too far from our house, so I didn't have to get up and head out terribly early. It started at 11 am and I managed to drag my husband there to help me set up my brand new tent. It went up in a snap, even without the directions which I didn't realize were tucked in the bag with the stakes. (Got a funny look from my husband when I found those. It's okay, I get that look from him a lot. lol) I might need to add a table next time I do an outdoor show. Looking at my display like this makes me feel it's on the small side.
I guess they publicized the event pretty well because all day long it was a steady stream of people, sometimes lots at a time. People were there before it opened and were already shopping. The weather held up nicely - not too hot and not a cloud in the sky. It was awesome! Lots of people had their dogs with them (many walk their dogs there daily on the trails, from what I learned), so next year if I get in again I'll have some doggie treats there for all my four-legged browsers. They had a really nice set-up and it's just an amazing park that I never even knew existed. Various local bands played throughout the day and I was set-up near the stage. Below is the first band, Jake Speed and the Freddies, who are awesome, by the way.
I thought I got really lucky when the first thing I sold was a necklace. From there it just never slowed down. I actually had to call my husband to bring me more $1's and $5's. I ended up with over $500 in sales, eight of them credit card transactions (thank you, Propay!), making it my most successful show so far. I never could have anticipated those kinds of numbers. Most times, I'm thrilled if I make $150 or so. They already have the date set for next year and I am definitely going to try to get in again.
Below is the view from my booth when the fair first opened at 11. There wasn't much time after that to take photos!
Congratulations on such a good show! I did a similar show here in SoCal but it was very slow. But it's always a pleasant show in that the people who do show up are very nice. We also get lots of dogs--next year I'll have to bring a big water bowl and some treats, too!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations!! That sounds like a VERY successful show!
ReplyDeleteThanks, ladies! I'm still very excited and in disbelief about it. I don't expect it will happen like that very often, but it sure makes you feel good about your craft.
ReplyDeleteBear, I have to admit, I was just as much interested in trying to sneak in a pat on the head to all of the pups there as I was to have people shopping in my booth. I know that sounds weird, but I love meeting new dogs! lol