So I tried a new show this spring as I wanted to see if I might have a market there….St. Augustine was the locale and is an easy 3 ½ hour drive for me.…. It was the Old Town Art & Craft Show by Holiday Art Shows on 3/23-3/24. The setting was an events field about two blocks from Old Town St. Augustine, adjacent to a large public parking garage and across from Barnacle Bills which has yummy, well priced food.
Set-up is on Friday or Saturday a.m. and break down could not be easier… Drive up to your spot and get it done. Extremely well laid-out with everyone open on at least 2 sides. Advertising was extensive and signage was plentiful. A few people started coming around 9 to beat the rain, the show opened at 10 and the rain started at 11…. Torrential rain on the hard packed earth…a deluge for about 20-30 minutes and then off and on for the next 2 hours and then the lightning started…close enough that you could see the smoke from whatever it hit…close enough that I felt the hair stand up on my neck… by then we had been told to close down for the day and so we retired to Barnacle Bills for a late lunch to wait out the next round of rain and then mosey back to the hotel…
Rain, some hail and lots of blowing overnight…arrived at the site on Sunday amidst tornado watch and a line of t-storms on the way… Lynn chose to cancel rather than have us break down in the wind and rain and I feel it was a good call based on the forecast. I heard later that it rained for several hours and then high winds the rest of the day. You take your chances with spring in the south and luck was not on our side for this show.
So for the 4 hours that we were open, a thin trickle of people came armed with their umbrellas and hung out. A mix of locals and tourists. I sold a piece to a local couple that paid for my gas for the trip. I got a call yesterday from another local couple wanting a piece that they saw which paid for my hotel. I saw 3D packages walking out and small jewelry bags but not much 2D walking by. I do wonder what the attendance and sales would have been like without the inclement weather so I’ll try this show again.
Here’s a link to a time lapse video that shows our show layout although the article is about another activity. http://staugustine.com/news/local-news/2013-03-23/rain-soaks-saturdays-chalk-walk
Comments
I just wanted to give an update to this. We got an email from the promoter and for those who did this show, she is waiving the jury fee and knocking $50 off of the booth fee for one of the next two St. Augustine shows if we choose to do one of them. I wasn't expecting this but I certainly do appreciate it!
Amazing video. Glad you came out safe and managed to sell enough to cover some of your expenses.
It was a good call to close it. I wouldn't want to be in a tent with lightning that close. Scary! Safety is most important. We never know from one show to another what unexpected weather will pop up. Glad you're all safe.
Oh dear, NOT nice weather! Did you see that bird get out of there in a hurry after the lightning strike!! Glad you sold a couple of pieces to cover some of your costs.
Wow, quite a video. The last show I did was bad weather also, but all wind. Shut down early both days but I believe six tents went down due to blasting gusts of wind.
Kathy, sorry about your show, but that was the coolest video ever.