Blog

Been busy doing shows, trying to catch up on my blogs.
Here goes, Key West end of Feb.
Who wouldn't want to do a show in Key West?
Heck, if you break even, you can call it a working vacation with no stress and lots of shots of tequila.
Most artists who do this show average between $1500-$2000 in sales. It is an expensive show to do because of its location and all the tourists are there.
I have done it for more than 20 years. I know plenty of others that have too. Some people do a lot better than average. They are the real lucky ones. All I know is that most artists go around with a big smile and a robust suntan.
Here is the meat of the show.
It is run by the local artists there and can be found on Zapp. It is a reasonable fee, and the show is extremely well run.
The only negative of the show is that it is an early 5:30 am setup for most, ones in the Truman annex have to wait til 7 am to setup.
It is a small show with about 100 booths because it is in a small area; at the intersection of Caroline and Whitehead streets. Hemingway's house is just a few blocks away, as is the Green Parrot Bar, and Kelly's bar and restaurant is right in the middle of the show. So you can swig rum and tequila to your little heart's delight.
Booths on the west side of Whitehead are back against a brick wall so storage behind is tricky. The other side has room for storage. There are limited corner booths.
On Caroline the booths are within the Truman annex, all booths are on one side with ample rear storage. Most newbies get put in the Truman.
Be prepared to ship your work. Most buyers are from out of town. KW is a magnet that draws people from all over the world looking for their own "little lost shakers of salt."
I shipped to five different destinations. Most buyers are well off and won't try to get you down on the price. Most people go around looking very buzzed, very happy. You can end up having very wild, funny conversations, people love vibing with the artists. Down deep they envy us, thinking that we have already found paradise. If they only knew what we go through.
Ok enough of the meat.
Here are some insights to make your trip, and show, mo better.
Getting there.
When you come off either the turnpike or I-95 you funnel down to a narrow highway in Homestead. This is just before you leave the mainland and take your first bridge on highway Route 1.
You can go straight ahead on Route1, on a single lane road with head on traffic, and maybe average about 40 mph.
Better that you take the other way. Card Sound Road. This gets you out to the northern most part of the keys. You go over a $1.00 toll bridge, at Card Sound,and you are surrounded by beautiful scenery and little traffic. It is a very mellow way to enter the keys.
Plus, you get to stop at the legendary Alabama Jacks Bar, located in downtown Card Sound.
There is no downtown--but there is Alabama Jacks.
Hit it for lunch on your way down.
They got fresh fish sandwiches, piquant shrimp and crackling oysters. The place is always lively with longtime loyal customers. If they only had the choice of one place to eat or drink--it would be Alabana Jacks. It is a roofed, but open air setting. You can see tarpon roiling in the water. Egrets fishing and occasionally a manatee may meander by. They got it all. Oh, did I mention, they have lots of tequilas.
After surviving AJs,, head south on the road and you will reconnect on Route 1.
Gas will inch up in price for every mile south, so take ample advantage of prices.
If you have time stop in Islamorada. Hit Worldwide Sportsman. Up stairs they have a whole collection of Jack London original editions along with his fishing gear plus photos of him with world record fish catches. On the way back home hit the Lorilie Bar in Isla for an equistite experience like no other. The Seminole Indians name for a mermaid was "Lorilie", which is why they have this giant mermaid sign on the front of the bar.
Back to heading south to the show.
It is a slow journey so just chill out and enjoy the sights. Hit Robbie's Tarpon Bar in Isla and, yes, feed the tarpon while chilling on a draft.
In Marathon there are multiple seafood restaurants off the highway. Investigate, get rewarded with sweet seafood delights.l
Housing in Key West is not cheap and the food is costly too.
This year I shared a rented two bedroom house with two couples. I slept on a foldout couch. My share cost me $145.00 a nite.
Rentals are the only downside to the show.
If you come in a RV or can sleep in your van, the show has made arrangements where artists can camp right on the waterfront beside an old Coast Guard cutter, for free. That is the best deal about this show.
This year we had crowds buying early in the morn which is the norm. We had very seasonable weather--we actually had to wear sweaters and vests which is highly unusual for this show. We could take solace in the fact that we were in the warmest spot in the country. It was miserably freezing anywhere else.
""Bartender, another shot of tequila, please."
I did my usual on Saturday, about a grand and then went off to find a new restaurant to eat.
I found a great one on Duval, one block from where I was staying. It was called "Martins."
They served killer tapas items well under $15, they had a phenom martini bar and the whole place had a great vibe. I had a veal schnitzel tapas. It was killer dish. It was my meal with a beet salad and a nice glass of red. Go there, you will love it.
In the morn you can walk down Caroline Street a few blocks and eat breakfast at Pepes. This is the oldest restaurant in Key West, it is also one of the best for a moderately priced meal. They have a killer corn beef hash and they always have a freshly baked bread for the day. You eat in a garden setting beneath flowering vines growing over old wooden beams. It is the complete Key West experience.
Sunday was good for most of us. I will always come back to Key West.