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I had so much success on an earlier post today I thought I'd try my luck againl.  The first group mqy have saved me around $10,000 so, I says to myself, "why don't I present the new issue I've been dwelling over and see if I can solicit the same type of outstanding answers.

I feel sure that all of you, like me, are concerned about the cost of traveling and how much it's taking out of your bottom line when you need to do a show 1000 miles away.  We can't do much about the cost of fuel so I won't mess with that one;  The second largest expense for most of us would be motels and that's the one I'm trying to cut out of the loop

I travel by myself most of the time so I don't have to please anyone other than myself.  I bought a new trailer this summer which is much larger and nicer that the rent trailer I was using.  I've rigged it out to sleep in and, for just myself, it's as comfortable and I would ever need a hotel to be.  I have heat, a.c. and can carry a small tv if I want.

It's lacking in two respects and those are the two hurddles I'm trying to jump.  The lesser of the two is finding a place to park it for the night if the show does not allow parkiig of this sort near their facility;  Have any of you found the 'secret" to this issue.   And how do you go about locating these "parking" places?  Also, I believe some of them may charge as much as some motels

The big issue for me is the lack of a bathroom.  I don't think I could deal with the issue of not being able to take a shower at the end of each day,  And, the lack of a bathroom also has it's obvious problems.  Can any of you address these issues without getting too colorful especially on the latter Part of the problem.  I know these facilities are available at most campgrounds but I detest taking a shower and then having to walk a half mile across a 40 degree campground wrapped in a blanket or something.  I'm afraid to even ask your solutions to the other part of the proboleml  I can't imagine many of you using chamber pots  so I can't imagine what your answers might be.

Finally, if you're in the campground that does not have shower and restroom facilities, what then?

If I don't get some of these sorts of expenses off my bottom-line, especially in today's economy, I may find myslf working as the Greeter at Wal-Mart.  And, no, I don't think there is anything wrong with being a greeter - I just can't stand in one place that long!

Thanks to all.

Don

I apologize for getting into such a "personal" issue but we're talking about the second larget travel expense most of use havel  I figure any dollar saved is a dollar added back to the profit line and I could use thatl]

Thanks for any and all input.

Don

This really has nothing to do with art shows but where else would I find a group of people with more experience and knowledge of the art world in general.  In fact, it may have nothing to do with the art world either  but comes down to a general question involving the Internet, the sale of art, legalities and ethics in general.  So, if I'm in the wrong place for something like this I apologize.  But, if anyone has had any experience with this sort of thing I'd love to know how it played out.

I sell very little via the Internet.  I have a web-site but it is designed as an introductory sort of thing as opposed to a sales tool.  It has a lot of photos and offers a pretty fair sampling of what I do.

About 10 days ago I received an email from a man in a European country wanting to order 100 pieces (all the same) of one of my items that he'd seen a photo of.  He said he is with a Trading Company.  He is willing to give me a credit card number for the charges so, I have the safety of receiving the money before I send anything.  Sounds pretty good so far but I keep asking myself what he's going to do with 100 of the same piece.  Then about a week ago he writes and tells me that he has a freight forwarder who will handle the shipping for him and will pick it up from me when finished.  My involvement ends when it is picked up.  However, his freight forwarder does not accept credit cards and he's asking if I would run the freight charges through my credit card system, keep the money for the freight and turn around and pay his forwarder what is due him.  In other words I would be charging his credit card around $7000. for the items plus $3500 for the freight for a total of $10,500 that would go into my bank account.  Then I would turn around and pay his forwarder the $3500 for the shipping.

I really can't see a place in here where I could be hurt.  However, it is such a strange transaction that I can't help but feel a little nervous about it.  If there is anyone out there who has experience with any sort of similar transacction, Internet scams, or anything even close to the above I would greatly appreciate your thoughts.

Thank you.

P.S. I believe it may have been Nels who, awhile back, mentioned that the Bayou Festival in Houston has a lot of welding.  Anyone who was there this weekend can attest that they also have a lot of rain!  First time I've ever known of them to close early.

Robert Stolarik for The New York Times...

"On Saturday night, the Occupy Wall Street movement managed to gain a temporary foothold on Wall Street, courtesy of an art show partly inspired by the group’s protests." ... follow the story at this link: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/09/artists-occupy-wall-street-for-a-24-hour-show/

40 minute Secure, Weather-proof EZ-UP Tent Booth Set-up Process by Karole S. Bowlds

1. Remove tent from bag
2. Center in spot
3. Walking around all sides, extend all sides outward
4. Duck in under/inside- place Frisbee (or other similar item) on top of peak pole

     (I use an old chip/dip dish- the center fits perfect over the top of my pole)

5. Using 30x30 sheet clear plastic sheet, center between canvas top and Frisbee, extend to

       Scissor framework on all sides, clamp in place if necessary. This is your water shield.

       NO tent is completely waterproof, and I prefer prevention, rather than damage control.

6. Pushing upward on center framework, fully extend tent.
7.  Lock all ring pins at each top of each leg. DO NOT EXTEND LEGS at this time.
8. Attach sidewalls, awning (optional) and any outside banner. DO NOT ZIP SIDEWALLS YET.
9. Using 10x10 white tarp, attach to scissors framework with ball bungies, forming a ceiling. This prevents wind blowing into peak of tent, which causes tip over. This will also act as insulation, keeping your tent cooler in hot weather, warmer in cool weather.
10. Attach top hooks of 6 long bungies, one at each corner of the two sides and back walls. Leave bottom hooks loose for now. These should be inside the sidewalls.
11. Attach top hooks of 3 ratcheting tie downs, one at each center of scissor framework on sides and back walls. Leave bottom hook loose for now. These should be inside the sidewalls. (If you use any curtains for décor, attach to frame at this time also) Doing this BEFORE extending legs, prevents you having to stand on step ladders or chair later.
12. EXTEND ALL LEGS to desired height, one leg/notch at a time. Make sure tent is relatively level.
13. Attach stay bars to sides and back walls. (Run bars through cinder blocks first, if using weights. 1 per leg, two per bar, on two side and back walls. These should sit on ground, close to legs, inside sidewalls)
14. Check zippers at each corner, to assure they operate freely, without splitting, making sure walls are taught, but not in danger of tearing. Unzip til final step.
15. Using bottom hooks of bungies from step 10, attach each to the opposite leg at the bottom,

       Forming an X on each side and back wall.

      This prevents wind from blowing the sidewalls in, which will damage your displays and product.

16. Using large screw stakes (if allowed) screw into ground at center of two side and back walls.

       If not allowed, skip this step.

17. Attach bottom hook of ratcheting tie down to screw stakes if allowed, or alternately, to the stay bar.

When attached to the stakes, this prevents tent from rocking and moving, eliminating the need for weights. Ratchet til taught.

 If attached to the stay bars, it will prevent rocking, but you will need to use weights on staybars. I use cinder construction blocks on the rare occasions when I need to use weights, I just put one or two near each leg, and run my stay bar through the holes in blocks, before attaching staybar.

IF using Armstrong panels or gridwall panels, Install now.

18. Zip up all walls, and Door. You now have a dry, relatively wind proof, temporary storefront!
19. Set-up your displays and decor- this will depend on your product and preferences.
20. To secure at night for multi-day shows- Pack up all electronics, your purse, cash box and receipts, your personal/valuables for removal. Lock in vehicle. Install stay bar to FRONT of tent. REMOVE AWNING. If no security is present, PACK YOUR PRODUCT. If security will be present, secure product from weather damage. Lower tent legs to lowest possible settings (this will depend on your displays), re-tighten ratcheting tie downs. I zip all zippers, and secure with zip ties, in the closed position to staybars. Use padlocks if you feel the necessity. Have flashlight handy- unplug surge suppressor from main electrical supply. Secure Door.
21. To re-open: unlock, or cut all zip ties, remove FRONT stay bar. Install Awning. Loosen all ratcheting tie downs.

Extend legs to desired height, ratchet tie downs taught, plug surge suppressor into main electrical supply, and set up cash box, electronics, personal care stuff (lunch, wipes, tissues, etc) Set up any product you packed/stored. OPEN front wall/door- you are once again ready for business.

When packing up after show, take your time and store all items appropriately, with care. This keeps your equipment and goods in good condition, making it easier for unloading, and all will be ready for next show, saving you time later.

I am 46 y/0, 5 feet tall and weigh about 100 lbs, and do this set-up ALONE, every show. My product is jewelry.

Please note: I MOVE when doing my setups, I tend to be very energetic!

My Tent is an EZ-up Encore II, purchased on line in 2008. I have been using this set-up for three years,

My outdoor season is April to October, here on the coast of Maine. I do shows in: heat, cold, wind, rain, sleet, hail, thunderstorms, lightening storms, on the beach, in parking lots, on farms, street fairs, parks, Festivals and Agricultural Fairs. I do one day, to week-long events.  My tent has never blown over, walked, jigged or danced. It has leaked in severe rain, for the first time this year, (2011). During winter, I pack it away after cleaning, and waterproofing. I rarely use weights, UNLESS the show requires them.  I carry a gym duffle to store the sidewalls, banner, stakes, ratcheting tie downs, bungies, clamps, etcetera, and plastic sheet.

I do not use Armstrong panels or grid wall- if I did I would install them between steps 17/18.

 I do not use flooring- that is my purchase for this coming winter.

Every spring, I practice my tent set-up procedure til I can do it in 30 o 40 minutes or less.

Every time I add a new display element- I practice and rehearse in my yard.

All my purchases have been sales items and purchase during winter, when prices are lower.

I use checklists for packing- display totes, sales totes, and vehicle packing list.

My sales desk is a 3 drawer wheeled cart. This holds all my boxes, bags, office necessities, electrical, lighting, and small clamp fan. I never unpack this, just inventory and restock it. It can be stored under my worktable, or used separately.

 I plan my space layouts in advance on graph paper. However, weather and ground terrains require flexibility.

 I have an EMERGENCY milk crate, with hammer, screw drivers, wrenches, spare plastic sheeting, duct tape, wooden blocks (for shimming table legs), S hooks, etc.

 I ALWAYS load my car the day before a show. My electronics, and lunch/personal bag goes with me the morning of the show. If allowed to set up the night or day before, I do. This makes for a less hectic show, and allows me to dress more professionally, without having to change!

 With planning, and preparation, common sense and care your booth can be safe, inviting, and secure environment, without stress, major financial investment and hassle for you.

A few of the art fairs I attend entertained record temperatures this year, the Ann Arbor Art Fairs and Arts, Beats and Eats in Royal Oak, MI, much to everyone's disappointment as it impacted attendance and subsequently possibly the sales, but what do you make of this? I'm sure you know of the historic drought in Texas, so severe that cattle were killed because they could not be fed and watered. What happened in Houston this weekend just in time for the Bayou City Arts Festival? It rained.

What next folks?

I predict the Tigers will win the World Series and the Detroit Lions will win the Super Bowl! And while they're at it the U-Michigan Wolverines may as well be at the Rose Bowl!

The 16th Annual Great Lakes Lighthouse Festival is now a sweet, and tiring, memory. It was held in Alpena, Michigan from October 6-9. The main event was held at the APlex in Alpena and there were artistisans, authors, a homemade sausage vendor, entertainers such as Carl Bearinger who sang about the Great Lakes and the wonderful lighthouses, there were satellite events at all the Lighthouses found in Northern Michigan from Mackinac to Tawas to Presque Isle. The weather was absolutely beautiful with temperatures varying from 70 to 89! There were also dinners and auctions.

Aside from being a vendor/exhibitor, I was also the photographer for the festival and did lots and lots of running around taking photos of the events, people and the exhibitors/vendors. It was quite the show. Over the 4-days, I sold lots of my photographs and almost all of my first published book! I didn't do too badly considering that I was not at my booth the entire time, so I can well imagine how well I might have done had I been there manning my station.

If you ever get a chance to come to Alpena, Michigan, please, do stop to see the Lighthouse Festival and/or become a vendor/exhibitor. Considering the state of the economy, we did draw quite the crowd and, for the most part, people were buying!

Now all I have to do is get ready for next year and, hopefully, I'll even have my second book published by that time. Just had to share a wonderful 4-days that I thought were well spent, although exhausting.

I've checked through the blogs, and I've found a couple of companies mentioned that I plan to contact, but I welcome any other suggestions on this topic.  I'm interested in comparing a yearly insurance policy for art fairs against buying insurance for a single event.

Originally I contacted the agent who has our homeowner's policy and discovered that what State Farm offered was not only too expensive to be practical, but it also had a whopping deductible that pretty much made the policy pointless.

However, yesterday I was happily sitting behind my tent on a glorious autumn day when much to my horror, the tent behind me lifted up and started to roll backward in my direction.  It was a tiny gust of wind that took it.  My immediate reaction was to fling my arms out to protect the artwork in the back of my booth (naturally the expensive stuff!), with no thought to the fact that one of those pointy legs could just as easily have impaled me as knocked things over.  Thankfully the stupid tent was stopped from blowing any further when it ran into a small sign and bush between our tents.  I decided to revisit the insurance question seriously this time. 

This was a lesson to the show coordinator who'd already had word with the artist about her sorry lack of weights.  It won't happen ever again at this show.  But other things can happen, and weights aren't the sole prevention of all issues.  This is the second show I've been to in the past few months that has seen blowing tents. 

So as long as there are idiots in the world, the rest of us need insurance, I guess.  I welcome input and suggestions as to what companies to contact.  I have looked into Specialty Insurance Agency and ACT Insurance Program.  Any others? 

Thanks in advance.

Christine

Welcome to the Cooper studio, Jefferson, Iowa.

We've been through a bad phase lately.  Please allow me to share; and honestly, it's not THAT bad.

The scene:  Husband and I in the car, driving somewhere, and one of us would look at the other of us and ask "did you check the coffee pot?"  As in:  did it get turned off, or left on?

Somehow we have adopted the assumption that an empty coffee pot left turned on when nobody is home to watch it--well, it's probably going to burn the house down, right?

Yes, I know OSHA makes everybody put safety controls on everything nowadays, BUT aren't all coffee pots made in China now?  And I don't think OSHA gets to mess with them all that much, so net result:  we always turn around and go back to check. 

But, we're doing better recently.  I started unplugging the coffee pot.  Somehow that's easier to remember than turning off a switch.  Dios mio.

Similiarly, If my husband was a painter and we worked side by side on the same canvas, we'd probably be headed to an exhibit and one of us would have to question the other of us "did you check the values?"

Seasoned artists are pretty much a group of squinty eyed value-checkers (thanks Painter's Keys) all the way through the progression of a painting.  And yet that finish line appears and you think "two more brush strokes, and SIGN IT".  Blame it on the rush, the exultation of the finish.  But, that's when somebody needs to holler "did you check the values?"  What?  Again??  Yup.  And now I'm speaking for/to those of us who paint in color.  Technicolor.  Uber color.  Because we've all been told, and don't we know it:  color can be tricky that way.

Rise above that trickiness.  Grab your camera.  Photo that big old color coated canvas.  Load it into your happy computer and use your photo program to turn it to black and white. 

Could be the squinty eye trick worked great this time and all's well.  But every now and then, you get a little "hunh" happening, as in "whoa, didn't see that one coming".  So much easier to fix it before you get the varnish on--or heaven help us--before it's hanging some place important and the omission suddenly hits you and you are mortified by it.  :)

Check the coffee pot, save the house.  Check the values, save the painting.  Analogies flow rich at the Cooper studio this morning, eh?  Thanks for stopping by

Later, Cooper

    I have been told at shows that  sales are always down during an election year. Has any body else found this to be true? If so, how much less do you expect at shows?  

Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple died yesterday at the age of  56 from pancreatic cancer. The lesson of his life for all is finding what you love. "You have to trust in something-- your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has made all the difference in my life," he said at the 2005 Stanford commencement. He started Apple, was fired by its board of directors, still loved what he was doing and life took him back to Apple. He didn't lose faith. From that same speech:

     ...the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do
     great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet keep looking. Don't settle. As with all
     matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship it just gets better
     and better as the years roll on.

Here is the rest of that speech:

I was first introduced to Apple when as a Reading Specialist for the Detroit Public Schools I was part of the team that introduced the very first computers to the schools. We trained specially to open those new boxes full of equipment and installed one in each school and then trained the teacher on how to use them.  Fast forward to today, I now refer to my Macs as my "significant others."

Many thanks, Steve, for everything, but especially your vision that is an inspiration.

And as I heard on NPR today, there are three apples that have changed the world: Eve's, Newton's and Steve Jobs.

In eighteen days, my second son gets married to a wonderful girl. I'm all ready. I'll even post pictures of the event on AFI for fun. So, as Mother-of-the-Groom, I planned the rehersal dinner, helped the kids pay a few extra bills, and made all the wedding jewelry........no sweat!

I've needed a break. LOL

Yesterday I received a Zapp notification for Des Moines.

NO WAY....thought I......deadlines sneak up .......Oh, OH!

OCTOBER 31!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jimmeny Cricketts!!!

I looked up Lakefront Festival of the Arts in Milwaukewe, my hometown. Yikees!

The speedometer on my life went from 25 to 65 in minutes.

So, how prepared are you for the 2012 season?

1) Have all your professional photos taken and ready to upload to zapp, amdur or the moon?

2) Have that booth shot with all three walls showing?

3) Do you even have eight creations you think will "WOW" those jurors in six seconds?

4) Have you found your "market" and know which shows they flock to attend?

5) Do you have the money to pay "X" amount of jury fees?

What are you doing in 2012 that's new, innovative, researched or intuitive about the Art Fair World?

We're all Insiders, so, do share, will you?

I just did St.  James Court for my first time.  What a huge show, with great publicity and ratings.  Some artists did really well.  I spoke with so many artists, however, who were struggling with the sales totals even though they had "veteran" spots and local mailing lists and had been selling there for umpteen years.  So, while killing time in my booth and watching the crowds roll by, I began to wonder:

Has the "art fair" become today's "ice cream social" neighborhood event?  An afternoon of free or cheap entertainment, a carnival or country fair atmosphere, a chance to show the kids "real artists", have a gyro and some ice cream and go home.  ?  The founding organization makes some money, the hotels and restaurants and gas stations profit, the community gets some promotion and a weekend of entertainment...  While artists get to hope for a piece of the shrinking pie of disposable income...?  I'm wondering if art fairs are really a workable part of an artist's marketing plan anymore.  Would gallery commissions, home studio sales and online marketing be a better way to go, saving the travel expenses and high booth fees of the "better" shows?  Isn't paying $75 for a booth at the local hometown art show and making $1000 a better plan than paying $500, traveling one or two days away, paying for a hotel for four or five days and making $4000?  At least it sounds like a lot less hassle.  A well-regarded potter always says to lower your prices so the average joe can afford your work, and never attend any shows that are more than two hours away from your home base.  I'm beginning to see the light.

Pedestal Express is focused on the Art Community. Artists appreciate our services from the unique product offering to the on time deliveries. The business was established in 1993 with the sole purpose of providing modular pedestals. Our idea from the beginning was to keep it simple.  The average pedestal weighs 7 pounds, yet will hold up to 500 pounds. Every Pedestal is a full 12" diameter as a knock down easily transportable, quick set up exhibit display. Today this "green" waterproof system is still hard at work going from Art Fair to Art Fair.

One of the tools of your trade is presentation, getting that right is what brings you paying customers not tire kickers. Pedestal Express understands this and has patented a low profile design that sets your Art on stage and not the pedestals. E.g., when handed an apple you see the apple, not the hand. Every art object needs to stand alone at a dream height to easily sell. These modular Pedestals snap together in a every 6 inch increment, giving you that exact height.

Check out the video on the website. The pedestals are very adaptable, you can paint them and they break down into small sizes that make it really easy to pack them up and move them to the next show yet look great at the show.

Learn more:  www.PedestalExpress.com. Tell Patrick Mitchell, the designer of these pedestals ArtFairInsiders.com sent you!

Just got conscious from the drive back from Boulder City, NV and the Art In The Park show. This was a first time show for me, thought I'd look into something different in a new location in the same time slot as the Annual Rio Grande Arts & Crafts Festival which I did last year and despite Sunshine Artists giving it a high rating was a bust for me and I didn't see many other artists selling there either. Makes me wonder how Sunshine rates shows but that's a thought for another time...Boulder City grew up in the shadow of the Hoover Dam project in 1931-1935 (used to be called Boulder Dam but they changed it, there was a song about the change and how disappointed they were). Anyway, Boulder City is a quaint little town with a funky historic district which has a Palm Springs/Scottsdale feel to it. Lots of old buildings, motels, antique shops and restaurants but I digress. Art in the Park is the major fund raiser for the Boulder City Hospital and takes place in three grassy park areas and on the street which divides them. Two of the parks contain crafts, which, as reported by visitors to my tent were mostly "buy/sell and other junk". The street in-between had a lot of food vendors and the larger of the three parks, Wilbur, had the fine arts which to me seemed a mixed bag of stuff. When I arrived I found that my booth was directly behind a park bench which basically said, "don't enter". The two artists who were already there informed me that Wendy Adams, the Community Events Manager knew about the issue and that I should see her. I found her and she and her assistant were very accommodating about moving me to another spot of my choosing (there were a lot of empty available spots on their map) on the other side of the park. According to several artists this show is not in its old glory, apparently there were many more booth spots in previous years that were not filled this year. Sorta like "you should've been here last year!" Load in was easy from the streets surrounding the park all day Friday prior to the show and with near 100 degree temperatures we needed it! I thought late September early October would be a little cooler! After setting up the tent we had to take a break as it was getting too hot, after lunch, a swim in the hotel pool and a little nap (it was a long drive there) we came back later and set up the art. Artists were still loading in late in the afternoon/evening. Saturday morning arrived with a 9:00 open time and the people started to arrive locally and brought in by the bus load from Las Vegas and nearby Henderson. With some recent shows I've noticed the crowds thin considerably near the end of the day but there were still decent numbers of folks walking around at the 5 pm close time. After frying our brains in the high 90's weather all day I wasn't waiting around for the stragglers to close my booth. Besides which the buying crowd was not buying. It wasn't until Sunday that people seemed to be more serious about purchasing but even then they were few and far between. Some large pieces walked out but I saw a lot of artists with a lot of spare time. I sell traditional B&W photography with hand-colored images and my sales came in the afternoon on Sunday but were not enough to make this a "must do" show. Load-out was about as easy as load-in with plenty of space to drive up to the park after I had everything packed and stacked. So, licking my wounds I left Boulder City behind with a question mark as to whether I would go so far in order to make so little.

Matthews is a suburb of Charlotte and a charming little town.  It's the area in which I chose to settle 9 years ago when my company moved us from Denver.  There are surprisingly few fine art/fine craft shows in the Charlotte area considering its size; and very few of quality. 

The show is located in the square in front of the Town Hall/Library.  Sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce which is located in a rail car next to the Library.  Very picturesque.  very easy show to do.  Load in/load out can't get any easier.  Pull up to your spot and take care of business.  A couple of the artists have done the show for all 26 years.  It's pretty well juried.  No crap.  Historically, it's always taken place the same weekend as Festival in the Park but they moved it to the following weekend this year.  At this show, I can always count on my favorite silversmith to have some new designs and I always pick up something new from my favorite potter.  It's primarily populated by local artists.  A solid mix of mediums.  It's relatively well advertised. 

Setup started after 5 on Friday and the show started at 10 on Saturday and ran until 5.  noon to 5 on Sunday.  Dipped down into the 40's on Friday night so Saturday was a bit brisk and gusty but the sun was shining which was a plus.  Things started out a bit rocky for me.  I normally keep the sides of my canopy up to catch the sun on my glass.  It turns out I was in a bit of a wind tunnel and it sent 3 of my pieces crashing...Down came the sides in a hurry!  Luckily, they weren't favorite pieces.  and my friend who was helping me is a mosaic artist so she scored big time!  nothing goes to waste!  Same thing happened to the blown glass artist on Sunday.

This is a show that you can walk, spend time with each artist and get out in little over an hour.  I've walked it in 20-30 minutes and seen everything so it's a short stop for folks to drop in and then go on about their day or grab a bite in the adjacent restaurants.  This is not a show that has massive crowds at any given time but it was steady enough throughout both days that I didn't have time to sit even if I wanted to do so.  Sales were steady for small and big ticket items.  It was my first time debuting this particular body of work in Charlotte and it was well received by the crowd.  Other artists I talked to said that the last 3-4 years have been flat but this year turned around for them.  Sunday was a stronger day than Saturday for many that I talked to.   I got home and had 2 emails asking about commissions.  Since I had won $100 in a raffle at the Artists Reception, this show was almost pure profit for me since the booth fee was a very reasonable $150. 

This is a well run, organized show.  Volunteers were plentiful and efficient.  Lunch provided by Subway.  Indoor restroom for the artists. Kids art projects.  Awards were underwritten by Chamber members.  Musical artists rotated through every couple of hours and were pretty good for the most part. No food booths onsite except for an Italian ice cart since it's mere steps from 2 sports bars, a Thai restaurant, Subway, mexican place and a coffee shop.

It's a quality show and has local patrons who appreciate the show in their back yard and the artists.  There was room for another 8-10 artists.  It would have benefited the show to have those spots filled but several shows going on in the Carolinas during the same weekend competed for the artist pool.  I'll be back if they'll have me and as long as it makes financial sense to do so... Can't beat the 5 minute commute!