One of the pieces of information an artisan needs when deciding to which arts and crafts shows he/she will apply is traffic. The estimated number of people who attended in the past tells us if the show is established, well advertised, and popular. Unfortunately that information is not always available. Occasionally I find a website for a show that actually has pictures of people in the aisles and shopping (and not just their volunteers manning the donations table). When I can't get numbers, these pictures sometimes prompt me to give the show a try.
StART on the Street just had it's eighth show yesterday. They have no problem advertising that they get over 200 vendors and attract over 20,000 people. That's what I want to hear. When I can't get that information, this is what I want to see.
This show takes place on Park Avenue in Worcester. It begins at 11am and somewhere between 12 & 1pm this mass of people arrives making getting from one booth to the next a bit of a challenge. At times we had so many people in the booth I could've used a third person.
The variety of arts and crafts runs from the truly funky and kitchy to high end and polished. You can buy a skarf made from recycled t-shirts or fine art. But StART isn't just a craft show.
Throughout the day they have a variety of musicians performing, dancers, performance art, mimes, and even a poetry reading stage this year. There's a section dedicated to keeping children entertained.
And I can't leave out the Chinese dragon who made an appearance.
This is a fun show. It's loud, it's crowded, it's full of the unusual and the unexpected. You should try to get there next year.
We're heading out to Worcester tomorrow for the annual StArt on the Street that takes over a portion of Park Avenue. It's big, it's loud, and it draws around 20,000 people. We decided to go back to Worcester after taking a break last year to sell at the Old Deerfield Fall Craft Show. But I visited this year's show with a friend just to see if the people who told me last year they weren't going to return, really didn't return. And they didn't.
While even the fall show, the biggest and best attended of the 4 they sponsor, didn't have all the spaces filled, I was happy to see some new artisans at the show. Tina's Baskets is not your traditional basket. She came with basketry art. Even her actual baskets were unique yet usable.
Liz Blanchflower came with her handcrafted sterling silver designs and unique French knot cord necklaces.
Lou Rudinski, woodturner, came all the way from Maryland to set up a tent with beautiful wooden bowls.
I had a laugh looking at the Art of Conni Togel. It's all about sheep and they are wonderful! This one is called "Big Horn Sheep".
I hope these new vendors did well so that they'll return. Having attended this craft show as a patron for years, I always like to see new artisans.
A neighborhood of historic brownstones, brick sidewalks, and old trees. The perfect setting for a September craft show and another successful Mattoon St. Festival. And unlike some shows that are losing their popularity both with vendors and customers, Mattoon St. seems to be growing. They hosted 100 vendors this year. That may be a record. And I really think the traffic increased as well. Of course it helps to have good weather.
We showed up with both our steampunk and fine silver jewelry this year. There are several other jewelers with beaded designs so I left those at home. I was happy to see that our silver was almost as popular as the steampunk and I saw a couple of my newest pieces go to good homes. It's really bitter sweet when a piece I've put a lot of time and effort into gets sold. I tend to get attached. Well, I can only hope my customers love wearing them as much as I loved making them.
I've talked so much about this particular show that a few of my fellow AWM members applied this year. And I was pleased when they also reported having a good weekend.
Awards are given out for first, second and third place in a variety of categories--fine art, jewelry, glass, etc. This year Jansjems came in second in the jewelry category, losing first place to my good friend Kathleen Anderson and her polymer clay jewelry.
And then there are the roving musicians. From a harpist to a lady's barbershop quartet they have something for everyone. The accordionist and clarinetist got together at one point and even played a couple of polkas. And, no, I didn't request them.
The Mattoon St. Association makes a real effort to make you feel comfortable. Bob McCarroll is on site both days in case you need anything. They allow set up on Friday night which I just love. On Saturday morning I'm cool and calm and not all sweaty from setting up the tent. The food court only has 4 or 5 vendors but there's alway a nice selection. There were crepes this year to die for. And, as in the past, volunteers come around on Sunday just before closing and offer vendors hors d'oeurves or cheese and crackers. A rather nice touch.
I wasn't certain I was going to apply again for this year's Church on the Hill Craft Show but I'm glad I finally did. Last year was a bad one for weather, traffic and sales. But I decided to give it another go and was pleasantly surprised that all the bad from last year was good this year.
Two other AWM members were present at the show. Amy Love was located across the aisle from Aviva of Sieber Designs and her colorful quilts.
We spent some time comparing notes about how we dealt with the very hilly terrain. We all had to shim our tables to level them off. My tent was notched higher in the front than the back to make it look level. It's a very rough park to set up in. But being in the center of town we picked up a lot of tourist traffic and the businesses in town were busy too with people who came just for the craft show.
It's been many months since I spoke with Emily of Emily Betti Designs. We met in Springfield, I think. She also makes jewelry and has a shop on Etsy. We chatted a bit and since I could see her booth from mine, I noticed she was having a good weekend too.
Thai Indigo Village had a booth across the aisle from us. This is a family business located in Northampton. The weaving is just exquisite.
I must say though that there were way too many jewelers this year--about every third booth. In talking to one of the organizers I learned that like lots of other shows they had trouble attracting non jewelry crafters and accepted more jewelers to fill the empty spaces. And how did all these jewelry vendors do with so much competition? Well, I learned that 4 of us did well enough to come back again. As for the rest, I don't know.
For the official review of this craft show, see my side pages.
With the holidays now over and 2011 only a few days away, I'm working on my craft show schedule for next year. You think it's too early? Not really. Last year I applied to a show in Virginia and the application deadline was Jan. 2. I learned to start early a couple of years ago. I had heard good things about the Mattoon St. Festival in Springfield which takes place in September. I looked for an application online but didn't find one. So around the end of January I emailed the contact on their website. The jewelry category was already full! As it turns out, Mattoon St. only juries you the first year. Once you're accepted you only need to send in the next application with the booth fee. And they send you that application 2 weeks after the show. If you sell jewelry you need to return it immediately or they quickly find people to fill your spot. So I have already sent in my check for the 2011 Mattoon St. show. Live and learn.
After 3 years of research and experience I now have a pretty good idea which shows I want to apply to. But if you're new to all this, here are a few things to think about when making your selections.
How do I find shows? --Talk to friends and fellow artisans to get suggestions --Go online and google "New England Craft Shows" or "Massachusetts Craft Shows" and you will often run across websites that list shows. Some want fees to give you more information. Instead, write down the show names in the list and then search for their websites or information about them in other places. If they don't have a website, there might be a phone number listed for information. --Join a local artisan group. They share information.
How do I know if it's a good show? Well, often you don't. But if you're unable to attend the show to check it out and don't know anyone who has already sold there, you need to consider your product and your expected customers when you're making your best guess. --If you're selling inexpensive, fun items that appeal to children or teenagers, you need to find a show that attracts them. Perhaps a fair or music festival. Will your product also appeal to mothers and grandmothers buying for children? Then maybe a church fair or high school craft show is a good choice . --If you're selling higher end products like gold jewelry, quilts, or handmade clothing then you need to find shows that attract professional women who like to dress well and decorate their homes--and can afford to do so. Shows in or near major cities would be my pick. Or shows in wealthier neighborhoods. --And with fine art, you might want to consider "art shows" rather than craft shows as they will attract customers who are looking specifically for paintings and sculpture. --Are you creating for a niche market? Steampunk art and jewelry is one example. And while that would sell best at a steampunk show, I have found through experience that my steampunk jewelry also sells well anywhere there is a young crowd or tourists. --Stay away from economically depressed areas where factories have closed or people are still struggling the make ends meet. And while I admit that this is true almost everywhere, some towns are doing much better than others. --Some products just sell well almost anywhere. Canvas bags, silk screened t-shirts, fabric purses, and hand painted, holiday inspired, wooden home decor seem to do well at many of the shows I attend. --And the fall (September & October) seems to be the best time to do craft shows, at least here in New England. People have started buying for Christmas, they have their Christmas Club checks, and they're not yet fully involved in the holiday party/family dinners chaos.
For lists of shows in Mass. & Conn., check out the websites below frequently as they update often. http://www.jaminmark.com/eventinfo/states/MA.html http://www.eastcoastartisan.com/index.html http://festivalnet.com/events.html?fn00077 http://www.artscraftsshowbusiness.com/shows.aspx?state=CT http://www.indiecraftshows.com/events
To apply or not to apply, that is the question.I seem to be always looking for a new craft show in the hope that I will find my customers there. We've had several successes this year and I'll reapply to those but I'm looking to replace the poorer shows.
Knowing that high school shows and church bazaars are definitely not good shows for us, we decided to take a look at a show at the other end of the scale--the professional promoter shows.
There are a few big promoters who run shows along the East Coast. Sugarloaf Craft Shows, Castleberry Fairs, and Craft Producers are the biggest I know of. Spaces at Sugarloaf start at just over $500 with electricity extra. It's a lot of money but would it be worth it?
This past weekend we drove down to Hartford for the Sugarloaf show at the Expo Center. It is definitely huge. We went on Sunday and by 1:30 the parking lot was full and they were sending cars to an open area at the end of the street. People were piling into the show despite the $9 entrance fee. My first impression was that this was the place to be.
But on closer inspection, most vendors were not doing well. Some were barely covering the booth fee. Higher end jewelry wasn't selling and pottery was selling only if it was unique. One potter has perfected a purple glaze that you can't miss. Though this show didn't have the usual mass of country craft vendors (I don't think I saw even one), the food vendors clustered in one aisle seemed to be getting most of the business.
Had we done the show this year we would have had no competition in the steampunk jewelry catagory. We might have been able to take in $800-1200. But after subtracting the booth fee we wouldn't be left with much. I can make that much at a much less expensive show and end up with more profit.
So Sugarloaf is out for now but there's a Castelberry show in the same location in December. It's $450 for the booth fee and their most expensive show. Is that because it's their best show or because the Expo Center costs so much to rent? I'll try to get to that show too and find out.
For anyone interested there is a more detailed review on my Arts & Crafts Shows Review page for Oct/Nov.
Weather couldn't have been better for the Old Wethersfield Fall Craft Show at Cove Park. We were among 100 artisans displaying a good variety of arts & crafts. We had a good day and met some nice people.
As usual I took some time to walk around and talk to other crafters. It's always good to get an opinion of a show from people who have done it before. It was our first time there. And once again I heard from 3 separate vendors that traffic and sales were less than last year. We heard that same song in Lenox and again in Old Deerfield. The economy certainly wasn't any better last year yet I think that because it hasn't made a momentous rebound, people are even more cautious than ever.
Susan from Three Sisters Jewelry has been doing this show for years. She designs what she refers to as "outrageous" jewelry. It's actually a nice mix of vintage pieces and gemstones and quite wearable. She said that she missed the excited conversations of customers who spot a new design or unique item and call over to their friends to see it. People were quieter, more introspective, and thought hard before actually purchasing something. We had one customer return 3 times to look at a bracelet before she finally gave herself permission to buy it.
Perhaps because this was our first year in Wethersfield and our steampunk jewelry is still quite new to most people, we had a successful day. And, fortunately, our prices are still in line with what people will spend on a unique piece of jewelry. But what will next year bring?
We spent the weekend at the Old Deerfield Fall Craft Show. The weather was perfect (no wind) and sunshine. Our booth was near the food tent and music so we got people coming and going for food. And it was so nice to see some friends from the library (Eva & Janice), some neighbors, and Jeanie who I have known for over 30 years and haven't seen in ages. We got caught up a little in between customers.
Traffic was great on Saturday. Some of the guys who park cars at Yankee Candle and Channing Bete were at my house for a party on Sunday night (more on that in another post) and informed me that one of the lots was full and they had to close it. Sunday traffic was lighter with fewer buyers. The atmosphere was very fall-like with lots of Halloween decorations. And the ubiquitous scare crow statuary was a nice touch.
Having Bethany work the shows with me allows me to walk around, shop, and talk to other vendors. I love to get opinions from different crafters on how well they like the show. Generally, this year sales were down. Though "Guy Gifts" who sold fire starters probably cleaned up. Some vendors felt it was just an off year, others feel the market is saturated with their type of work. A few said they won't apply next year as it's too expensive and they're not making enough.
So listen up Old Deerfield! My feeling is that this show is overpriced. Too many vendors who travel long distances are unable to cover their costs. The summer show was a clear indication that vendors are staying away and so are customers. Old Deerfield could lower their prices for next year and do away with the admission charge. The lower fee might encourage more vendors/new vendors and bring in more traffic. While eliminating the entrance fee might bring in more browsers, I've seen lots of people purchase impulsively if you can just get them into your booth.
Or maybe they just need to go back to fewer shows. Four shows a year may be diluting the market.
So far this season the Mattoon Street Festival is my favorite show. The fact that it didn't rain may have a lot to do with that. We've done so many shows in the rain. And this was a banner year for the festival with 95 artisans.
The weather couldn't have been better and the people couldn't have been nicer. On Saturday they came nicely dressed, many with dogs on a leash, and ready to buy. Some people remembered us from last year and were happy to see us back.
We were entertained both days by a rotation of musicians, singers, and clowns.
We tried out our new sheers and I love the way they look. Makes the tent feel a little warmer. As usual we made some new friends. Photographer Margaret Burgess was across the street from us. I bought some of her cards with pictures she took in Italy of colorful homes. And I met Kathleen Dequence Anderson from Amherst who does incredible work with polymer clay. More about her in my next posting.
And we reconnected with some old friends. Elaine, the creator of the flower brooches made of zippers whom we met in Templeton, stopped by and chatted with us. She drove out from Worcester County just to check out the show. It was nice to see Rory and Patti of Hotrocks again. They were our neighbors at least year's show.
Sunday was cloudy and a bit cooler. The crowds came a little later and many were just browsing. The Mattoon Street Association awards first, second and third prizes in each category. Congratulations to Katie Richardson of Katie Ray Arts on winning first prize in the glass category. She's a fellow member of the Artisans of Western Mass. who was exhibiting for the first time. I think she'll be returning to Mattoon Street next year.
With the Old Deerfield Show only 5 days away and stock very low, we'll be creating as much as we can this week. This is why I usually try to space the shows farther apart. But I couldn't pass up the opportunity to do both Mattoon Street and Old Deerfield--2 great fall shows.
With temperatures in the 70s, blue skies and lots of sunshine, our day in Lee, MA, was our first show without rain. Handmade in the Park is a small craft event sponsored by the Berkshire Made group and takes place on a small green plot of land in the center of town and in front of the First Congregational Church. Built in 1857, the church is an historical landmark and was offering tours that day. Bethany took advantage of the tour with a guide that takes you behind the huge organ, to where the clock is manually wound, and then up the rickety, narrow stairs to the tower. The last leg of this climb is on wooden beams. The space is too narrow for stairs.
View from the steeple. That's our tent next to the parking lot.
Once again we were situated across from a wonderful artist. Janet McKinstry's bags are made of salvaged tapestry and upholstery materials and are wonderfully designed. She has also authored a children's book, ROSIE & FRIENDS, that she and her father illustrated.
My friends at Umass Library should check out Lynette Cornwell's website, Novel Idea. She makes purses out of book covers! She tries to select books on a variety of subjects. For the person who loves classic literature there's a Jane Eyre novel purse. If you need a gift for someone who teaches German, she has that too.
Our booth was located next to the water fountain. I found the sound of the running water to be soothing. Only later did I find out that this fountain was carved by Daniel Chester French, the same person who created the Lincoln Memorial.
Thanks to April, Mary, and all the folks at Berkshire Made for a well organized event and the great weather they provided.
We spent the weekend at a great little craft show in Lenox, MA. In its 23rd year, the Church on the Hill Fine Arts and Crafts Fair is a higher end show with some of the same vendors you would see at the Old Deerfield shows. There were only 75 booths on a large lawn beside the church but it is right in the center of a town full of tourists. It was our first time there but many of the vendors nearby had been doing this show for several years.
As usual we had great neighbors. Gail Markiewicz had the booth across from us and we had the pleasure of viewing her ceramic masterpieces all day. She was visited by several repeat customers who collect her work. I ended up buying one of her teapots. I just had to have one.
Cheryl Kumiski Glass Studio was in the row behind us. She was very informative about how this year's show compared to past years. We survived the oppressive humidity and hour long torrential downpour of Saturday together chatting about other shows, critiquing other vendors, and discussing the handmade arts movement and the economy.
Our customers were visiting from Lebanon (the country, not the one in NH), Texas, and Alaska. And folks who live in Lenox and attend this show yearly told us that this year's show had an even better selection of artists than previous years.
Nice to know as I made the cut.
AWM members should go to my craft show review page for more detailed information on this show.
One of the pieces of information an artisan needs when deciding to which arts and crafts shows he/she will apply is traffic. The estimated number of people who attended in the past tells us if the show is established, well advertised, and popular. Unfortunately that information is not always available. Occasionally I find a website for a show that actually has pictures of people in the aisles and shopping (and not just their volunteers manning the donations table). When I can't get numbers, these pictures sometimes prompt me to give the show a try. 
