Bayou City show not run by artists

I wanted to weigh in on Bayou City Spring show in Memorial Park. When it was 300 artists and 30K attending at a paid gate, sales were OK. Now there are 450 artists and less than 25K (many teens with no $$) BECAUSE THERE IS NO PARKING. The 1 lot for bigger spenders + the shuttle (people with money shun the shuttle) and the City won't let folks park on the park roads (why?) so a city of 2-4 million only turns out 25K attendees, pathetic! Either move the venue to downtown or bribe the city to allow parking.!
Hellooo! Houston, we have a problem.

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  • I was accepted this year. I haven't done this show in several years because of the above reasons. Should I do it this year? It's such a gamble with $500 booth fee plus lodging and the wear and tear on my old body! 

  • There have been money woes galore for the event. Keeping the event afloat and meeting the financial obligations that make it happen. If you'd like a little more background on Houston, the park situation, and running a show in such a huge urban area (the logistics are very complicated), listen to the podcast we did some years ago right here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/artfairs/2014/05/22/what-really-happen...

  • I did not apply this year to Memorial Park. Applied last year and I was wait listed after doing it for a number of years. I guess wait listing works in both directions. I hope they are able to get things back on track after the Harvey flooding.

  • Bayou City has returned to the approx. 300 booths and that is still too many. They now charge to ride the shuttle to the show.

  • I was under the impression they had the extra 150 booth spaces for a couple of years and then changed it back to a max of 300. Are you saying it is again back up to 450? Their website and Zapplication make no mention that I noticed regarding the number of booths.

  • What can I say? the folks who run it are not dumb and they want it to work. But a committee took it over from one woman  who ran it successfully for close to 10 years and it has never been the same since. The City makes it not work by not permitting parking in the Park. And adding 150 artists off the waitlist makes the pie much, much smaller and too much for attendees to take in. The committee needs the gate money and the 450 booth fees. Shuttles are a good idea but don't bring in 1,000,000 people. So ask yourself why does Ft. Worth get 400,000 people and Houston gets 25k?  Change the venue and take it downtown for good until the City gets the message.

  • $45 app fee...minimum $500 booth fee and the application deadline has been extended.

  • YES! I did this show only once, 2015 and drove from the DC area to do it! I grossed less than half of what my expenses were. The management screwed up every single aspect they could. The only thing right was the weather - it was beautiful - only because they had no control over it! I have not, and will not, go back -- ever.

    --Chris Fedderson

  • That is disappointing.

  • So sad...

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