Key West Old Island Days Festival - Worth Going?

I've been accepted to the Old Island Days Art Festival in Key West on February 24-25. Any opinions out there about the wisdom of doing this show? Of all the venues for art fairs around Florida, Key West (and the Keys in general) seemed to be the hardest hit by hurricanes. I just wonder if vacationers and visitors are even going down there yet. I've got Images in New Smyrna, then Fort Myers, then Jupiter before Key West comers up

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  • Key West came through the hurricane fairly well.  The cruise ships are still stopping there and the usual restaurants are all open as well as most of the hotels.  The islands right above Key West got hit pretty hard.  The islands above Marathon are also pretty much back to normal.  If you can sell to the tourists, you should be in great shape.  Hotels will definitely be expensive since a lot of people that used vrbo and airbnb don't have as much to choose from as before.  

  • Oh my ... I do know that. A big slip in my thinking. Geez ... well I've been to both places and they are both wonderful destinations. One much more expensive than the other. But I can't answer to the sales. It is a great excuse to go to Key West and write it off. I know you've done some shooting down there too, Nels. Right? Filling in the days when you are on the road with a show here and there usually paid off because we just wanted to make the trip. Now I will backtrack on taking the van down the Seven Mile Bridge to make money. But I do endorse making the trip, a beautiful drive with a very cool destination.

  • Connie. Cedar Key and Key West are a million miles apart from each other.
    Cedar Key is high up on the Gulf, due west from Gainesville. It is also nowheresville for sales at its annual art show in April. Low attendance.
    Key West is a big destination at the end of the Florida Keys.
    Just thought I would give you a geography lesson.
    John. Treat the show as a vacation.
    The locals do not buy much art.
    So you are dependent on selling to tourists, which means you will be shipping most sales.
    Frankly, the show is not worth doing. I gave it up two years ago.
    Lodging is expensive, it is a hurriedly, hard early morn setup.
    Frankly, I would just go to Key West and drink margaritas and forget about trying to sell art.
    But, you are a big boy and can find out for yourself if it is worth it.
    Just saying.
  • Really? A busman's holiday ... why not, Robert? We used to do that, but usually in our van and tacked on a show somewhere to pay the expenses of the trip. If it was in Florida we'd try to fit in a Howard Alan show. Then during the week go shooting. We've been all of Florida's nooks and crannies, estuaries, Everglades, beaches, cracker towns, old neighborhoods ... 

  • Connie, my wife and I are considering just going and not dealing with an art fair. The difference between driving there in a Toyota Corolla vs an E350 van is considerable in terms of gas money. It would probably be wiser to go when the fair takes place and see what gets in and seems to sell.

  • Hi Robert -- always worth a try. I'd give them a call and see if they might take another application if you're really interested. I spent 5 days in Cedar Key a year or two ago and it is so quiet and charming, a really nice place for a vacation, and making some money too .. ?

  • I had planned to apply for that one and make a 1-2 week vacation around it, but spaced the deadline by a couple of days :-(
    I think Nels does this one.

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