...and 1 long wooden pole

The forums on Etsy frequently have questions posed by crafters who are just beginning to sell at craft shows. Often they are asking what they should bring, how much inventory, what kinds of displays. Seasoned professionals inevitably respond with "the list." We all have a list of all the things we need to pack to successfully set up our temporary shops at local craft shows.

My list is a full page & 2 columns long. It includes a tool bag, a kit for adjusting jewelry pieces, a box of office supplies, a suitcase of jewelry displays, and maps and directions to the event. I haven't added to my list in some time but when I got home from a show in Connecticut this past weekend, I added to the list "1 long wooden pole."

It rained. It was our first show in a steady, heavy downpour. Don't let anyone tell you that EZ Up tents are waterproof. They lie. To be honest it only rained heavily for about 3 hours on Saturday. Sunday it only sprinkled. But what I found out on Saturday was that when it rains that hard, water pools in the corners of the roof of my tent and eventually the seams leak. So you need to keep clearing the water by poking at it with a long pole or something.
We've so far been very fortunate to always have very good neighbors at the craft shows we attend. Thank you, Katharyn, of Crippen Works. She was located across the aisle from us and her displays used long wooden dowels one of which we borrowed to keep the roof clear of puddles.