Humanity Fest - Recap

Today was the Race Against Racism & The Humanity Fest at Musser Park in downtown Lancaster, PA.

I have set up my handcrafted green jewelry there every year since they began the festival.  It's one of my favorites to be a vendor at!  The organizers are organized, helpful and just plain wonderful people.  The other vendors are great!  The food - fabulous.  

It's really almost a perfect event.  [It started at 7:00 am, which meant a very early Saturday morning for me...but well worth it!]

The most exciting part of the festival, of course, is the race itself.  There is so much excitement as the racers line up.  There are so many people who participate. 

Frankly, I'm not even close to athletic.  I don't like sports.  I don't enjoy participating in them nor watching them.  But there is something about this particular race I find exciting to watch!

I can't tell you who actually won, but it was thrilling when they came across the finish line (very quickly, I might add!)  

Here's how my stand was set up for the day:

This photo shows my new pendant/cord display.  My dad created it for me and I love it.  This season is the first time I'm offering pendants and cords separately at art and craft shows.  

You pick your pendant(s) and then pick your cord(s) from several colors and sizes.

If you missed it this year, make sure you get yourself there next year!

Where Will B.B. Bellezza Be This Weekend?

Saturday, April 29th, 2011

7 am - 1 pm

Humanity Fest [During the Race Against Racism]

Musser Park - Corner of Lime and Chestnut Streets

Lancaster, PA 17602

Come see the runners and check out all the different participating vendors.  If you have never been there, you really should see the start of the race.  There are so many people, it is just amazing.

Also, stop by my booth at BUiLDiNG CHARACTER!  I have all of my beaded charm bracelets marked down (most by 50%!!!!)  They make great Mother's Day presents!  (BC has gift boxes for purchase - super cheap - at the checkout counter.)   There's also a bargin bin with lots of deals.  Not to mention, a good supply of my scrabble pendants and cords, rings, hardware jewelry, dolls and a couple coaster sets.

It's Craft Show Season! (Do you know where to find shows to vend at?)

This is my stand from Saturday. Uh, I don't know what is up with the tablecloths except that it was 6 am and my first show of the year. I didn't notice them at the time.

Craft Show Season!

Craft show season has officially begun for me! If you remember, last year I did a show every weekend of the summer (sometimes I did more than 1 show per weekend), with only a couple of weekends off. This year, I am not doing that. Originally, my plan was to not do any shows because of my booth at Building Character. But then I started getting invitations again and remembering how much fun it was and decided to go ahead with a few.

You may have noticed my zine in my Etsy Shop "Craft Show Tips." It is packed with tons of information (27 pages worth!) and lots of tips for only $5.

(A tip I should add is to make sure your tablecloths are even.)

Today I am going to share a tiny portion of it: How to Find Craft Shows.

My Main 2 Ways:

1. There are two (2) major ways I have found each craft show and market I have done up to this point. The first one was that I got on the email list for the Creative House of Lancaster (www.thechl.org). You may have a similar “art club” in your town. I am not really a member of this group, but I am on their mailing list. Whenever they have an event they send out a mass email informing everyone. Other people having events email this group and they in turn send out other events as well. I was busy for several weeks based only upon these emails. (Once you are on a mailing list, you will receive more notifications for events than you could ever do.)

Think about your target audience and where they will be. If you sell children’s wares, perhaps you want to get involved with a children’s group and find out different children’s events that need vendors. Really take some time to consider who you think will buy your products and find a way to put your items in their path.

2. Each year I buy Art and Craft Show Directory. The one I buy is put out by the Market House Craft Center P.O. Box 204, East Petersburg, PA 17520, and is for Lancaster (where I live) and the surrounding area. I buy it at A.C. Moore at the beginning of the year. Check out local craft supply stores for something similar.

The book lists each show, the person in charge of the event along with their contact information and usually the date the application is due and the fee. Additionally, it lists attendance of each show and how much people pay to get in, as well as other information. Contact the people far enough in advance to meet the deadline. Usually I go through the book at the beginning of the year and make preliminary calls and emails to get more information on each potential show.

Other Ways to Find Shows

1. There are online services that list art and craft shows. You have to pay for some, but you can still figure out enough information without paying for the service. I don’t think I would pay, but it may be worth it for you, especially if you don’t know of any groups to get involved with or there isn’t a book for you to purchase. Some areas do not have as many shows as others, so you will want to make sure you don’t miss the big one! Just do a search and you will find many websites that offer this service.

Here are a few:

http://www.eventlisted.com/

http://www.craftlister.com/

http://festivalnet.com/

http://www.indiecraftshows.com/

http://www.indiecraftfairguide.com/

http://www.sunshineartist.com/

http://www.artandcraftshows.net/

http://www.craftmasternews.com/

http://www.festivaldirectory.com/

http://www.artfaircalendar.com/

http://craigslist.org/

2. It is really easy to find more shows when you begin vending at shows. Just ask your neighbors at the show and they will give you suggestions. Be careful to keep your own target audience in mind when deciding on shows, even when getting tips from others. For example, I was telling a craft show acquaintance about a great experience I had at a show and basically trying to convince her that it would be a great place for her to try. However she knew her audience and nicely explained to me why it might not be quite as great a place for herself.

3. People who are organizing events, or people who are looking to start handmade, crafty or artist ventures attend these events. For example, I got space at a gallery this way, a consignment gig, and I have found out about other art and craft shows and the weekly market I vend.

These are a few of the ways I find shows. If you are near Lancaster, PA, there is the option of Second Saturday at Eastern Market and Crafty by Nature on First Sunday at Shupp's Grove.

Where will B.B. Bellezza be this weekend?

Tomorrow is the Humanity Fest that runs in conjuntion with the Race Against Racism

It is in Musser Park, which is right behind the Art Museum in between Lime and Chestnut Streets.

There will be over 40 vendors and information tables and live entertainment. Plus there food stands. It is going to be a gorgeous day!!

The festival is 7 am - 1 pm and the race (I think) starts at 9 am.

For more race info, click on the graphic above.

Hope to see you there!

Humanity Fest/Race Against Racism

and Humanity Fest!

The time is quickly approaching (yay!!) for craft festivals again! Originally, I was considering not actually doing any craft shows this year because I am set up all at artMarket, but the bug bit me and I decided it was time to sign up again.

I especially like when craft shows are for a great cause, like the Humanity Fest.

The Humanity Fest runs in conjunction with the Race Against Racism held in Lancaster, PA. The festival is in Musser Park (Lime and Chestnut Streets) in Lancaster City. Hours are from 7 am - 1 pm.

Last year was the first year for the Humanity Fest (although the race has been around for a while.) It was really windy, but turned out to be a nice day.

So look for the B.B. Bellezza tent at the Humanity Fest. The race is quite amazing to see as well. You can sign up for the race by clicking the logo above. Hope to see you there!