Here's an excerpt from my book   Street Fairs for profit, fun and madness  on page 44 where I tell about a day and a half of rainwater flooding the booths with 2 feet of water at the Ostrich Festival in Chandler, AZ.  The book has just been published and sells for $14.95

We arrived on Thursday afternoon and set up.  The show opened up on Friday and during the evening, it started raining.  Throughout the night, we listened to the rain coming down on top of our motor home.  Periodically, the rain would slow down, but would come down hard shortly after.  Earlier on Friday, there were reports of possible rain.  As I walked around the vendor area, located in a gully, I realized that if we were to get a large amount of rain, the area is going to flood.  The ground was hard and it would take a long time for the water to seep through.  Fortunately, when we closed up Friday evening, we removed most of our things from the ground and elevated them onto tables and hung a lot of our things on the grids.

It started raining on Friday evening. Throughout the night, we listened to the rain coming down on top of our motor home and it was quite loud. Periodically, the rain would slow down, but would come down hard shortly after. Earlier on Friday, there were reports of possible rain. As I walked around the vendor area, located in a gully, I realized that if we were to get a large amount of rain, the area is going to flood. The ground was hard and it would take a long time for the water to seep through. Fortunately, when we closed up Friday evening, we removed most of our things from the ground.  Upon awakening Saturday morning, it was still raining and we pretty much knew that the day was going to be a 'washout'. All day long the rains kept coming and coming.

As we sat in the motor home in the parking lot we saw the ground turning to mud, as some vehicles passed by. We began to wonder if we would be able to get our vehicle out of the parking lot as we saw many vehicles actually get stuck in the mud; tow trucks couldn't even get them out. I gave thought to moving our motor home out of there, but didn’t really have anyplace else to park. We were to remain in that parking lot the remainder of the day.

CHAPTER 5    Tough Times at South Lake Tahoe

Wind, rain and snow in the Sierra’s in late May? You have got to be kidding me. Oh, lucky me.

It was Thursday, May 22, 2008 and we were on our way to South Lake Tahoe from the Bay Area for an Arts and Crafts show at Miller’s Y, located at the junction of Highways 50 and 89. 

Note:  Shows at Miller’s Y have been discontinued due to reconstruction in that area.  The property was sold and the new owners had the buildings demolished.

Highway 50 is the main highway stretching approximately 110 miles from Sacramento up to and through Lake Tahoe. This picturesque road climbs in elevation to around 8,000 feet at the summit.

As we were driving up Highway 50, we approached the community of Cameron Park and began to climb in altitude.  I was in the right hand lane of the highway and there was a large semi-truck in front of me struggling to make it up the hill.  Traffic was light and there were no vehicles on the left side of me, so I turned on my signal and began moving over.  But just as I began passing the slow moving truck,  a huge sheet of plywood suddenly appeared out of nowhere and came flying at us from the left side and smacked into the my van.  It caromed off the left front side and flew up and went completely over our van.  Unbelievable. We never saw where it came from.  I looked all around me and there were no other vehicles around, except for us and the truck.  Luckily it didn’t go through our windshield. It would be tough running around without a head.  My wife immediately looked up.  “What was that?” she asked me.  “I don’t know, it looked like a piece of plywood” I told her as I glanced over to the right side and looked into my side view mirror.  I could not see the board anyplace. Most certainly it didn’t come off the big rig since the container was fully enclosed. 

That was a very rough weekend in Lake Tahoe as we were vendors at an arts and crafts shiow there.  To read more about this and other adventures contained in my book Street Fairs for profit, fun and madness just click on the link.  You'll love it.

Part 1     Chapter 1      A Day to Remember

Tyson Wells Sell-a-Rama 2010

Standing in the heavy rain with 70 mph winds while watching some 60 canopies go flying in all directions, toppling over all at once was something to behold as I had never seen anything close to this in all of my 17 years selling at festivals, fairs and other events.  My two canopies crumbled and collapsed to the ground right in front of my very eyes as I stood helplessly watching in complete awe. All my merchandise was scattered on the ground beneath the canopies. This would be a day that I would remember for the rest of my life.

This is the beginning of Chapter 1 in my book 'Street Fairs for profit, fun and madness.  If you want to read more or place an order, please click on the link.

Street Fairs for profit, fun and madness

I have written a book about our experiences selling at festivals, A&C Shows, Street Fairs, County Fairs, etc.

Read about what we have gone through in our many years selling at street fairs, A&C Shows, festivals and county fairs. Get a firsthand account of what we have had to endure as I describe many of our adventures, experiences and nightmares. I am not sugar-coating it for you and I am telling you how it is, no holds barred.

Learn what it’s really like to be out there in the streets, week after week having to survive awesome weather extremes, ranging from freezing temperatures to sweltering heat. Many times we encountered strong and highly destructive winds which toppled canopies. We have had to endure torrential downpours of rain and overcome continuous obstacles

For more information, check my website:
http://www.streetfairsbook.com/index.html

Manteca Crossroads Street Faire - April 2-3, 2011

Please read my review from 2009. 2010

Manteca Crossroads Street Faire. April 2-3, 2011. Manteca, CA

IMPORTANT: I have written a book about our experiences selling at Street Fairs, festivals, A&C Shows, fairs, flea markets. I know that you will really find reading it quite enjoyable and you'll be able to relate to a lot of things that I describe. Having to endure 71 mph winds, heavy rains, floods, lying and cheating promoters. You'll love it. Only $14.95. Street Fairs for profit, fun and madness
April 2-3 in downtown Manteca. Shop at over 400 vendor booths, enjoy the top notch entertainment and of course come for the food. Free admission and free parking Price: Free Age Suitability: All Ages Event Website vendor application

We (DandL CREATIONS) shall be doing the event in Space 174. Look for us. Have done it in the past. Quite a number of vendors here and the crowds come out. Been there when it was rainy and windy a few years ago and it was rough. Expecting cloudy weather with temps in the mid-60s. No rain.

Check out Starving Vendors for reviews on many shows we have done. Sign up to get on the mailing list to order my book about Street Fairs. Almost done. You'll love it.

30th Castroville Artichoke Festival

Sat/Sun May 16-17. This event is held in Castroville which is located approx 20 miles north of Monterey on Highway 156. We will be there selling shell necklaces, shell creations, wrap-around skirts & sarongs and a whole lot more. DandL CREATIONS

On May 16 and 17, 2009, they will be celebrating the 50th annual Artichoke Festival in the community of Castroville, in Monterey County, California. This two-day festival draws large crowds of people who enjoy arts & crafts, tasty food, musical entertainment, cooking demonstrations, a car show and a parade. Last year’s festival was their best yet! Click here for vendor application.

AGRO ART Competition: AGRO art is 3-dimensional fruit and vegetable artwork. This quirky competition fosters imagination, creativity and fun for both participants and the viewing public.

PARADE: Our sanctioned parade is one of the largest and most colorful of its kind.
MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT: Two days of live music! Everything from Swing to Mariachi, Country to 50's Rock & Roll.
CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES: Games, face paints, clowns, stilt walkers, puppets and more!FOOD: Artichokes fried, sautéed, grilled, marinated, pickled, fresh, and creamed in soup. Plus foods from the many ethnic groups that give this area its character.
FOOD: Artichokes fried, sautéed, grilled, marinated, pickled, fresh, and creamed in soup. Plus foods from the many ethnic groups that give this area its character.
COOKING DEMOS: The area's finest showcase the versatility and unique techniques for preparing and using artichokes.
WINE TASTING: Sample the best from the area's award winning producers.
ARTS & CRAFTS: Unique gifts and apparel crafted by artisans from throughout the country. Plus artichoke souvenirs galore!
FARMERS MARKET: Artichokes and more, fresh from the heart of the salad bowl.
FIELD TOURS: Hop a bus to the artichoke patch for grower talks and photo ops.
Please No Pets. (I second that motion!)

Please visit Starving Vendors where I have placed many of my reviews of events that we have done. Check out our new forum, where you can comment on shows, promoters, etc. Brand new.

Holtville Carrot Festival

WHAT'S UP, DOC? The 62nd Holtville Carrot Festival Saturday & Sunday, February 7th & 8th, 2009 is what's up.Vendor application website- Holtville Chamber of Commerce Holtville Business License is required - $12.00 Arts and Crafts $50 one day, $75 for two days; Commercial crafts $75/$100.

The week-long Holtville Carrot Festival is held every year in February. The festival includes a golf tournament, carrot cooking contest, arts & crafts fair, carnival rides and the Carrot Festival Parade. Click here to download schedule of events for the upcoming 2009

Whiskey Flat Days - Kernville, CA

54th Annual Whiskey Flat Days, Kernville, CA. Feb 13-16, 2009. website and vendor application info. One of the most popular Festivals in all of Southern California. A short 3 hour drive from Los Angeles to the Lake Isabella recreation area and the quaint town of Kernville (50 miles east of Bakersfield on Hwy 178). Whiskey Flat is a leap back to the good ol' wild west days when the area was settled by gold miners, cattle ranchers and trappers. Join us when Kernville reverts to its old name "Whiskey Flat" for four nostalgic days of fun for the entire family. I quoted this from their website.
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This event is not listed in Craftmaster's yet. I guess that they get around 50,000 visitors for the event. They have a really nice parade and other festivities. Great show if you can survive the drive through the Kern River Valley and if you can find an inexpensive motel room. Lots of curves. It snowed here 4 years ago and they often do get some rain, but not much. Kind of cold in he morning.

Please check my review of this past year's Whiskey Flat Days. Quite a large number of vendors do this event. They come from L.A., Bay Area, Modesto area, Sacramento and other places. Good crowds.

Cloud's Jamboree

CLOUD'S 8th ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL ROCK, GEM & JEWELRY SHOW, JANUARY 2009.

This event runs from Jan 1-31 and is held at the Avi Casino, near Laughlin, NV. Free! Open to the Public. Outdoor show 9am to dusk Jan. 1 -31 Indoor show 10am - 6pm Jan 9 - 18

Cloud's Jamboree Website
vendor info: http://www.cloudsjamboree.com/res-form_outdoor.htm

I guess that this event is gaining in popularity since settling down here 7-8 years ago after leaving Quartzsite. I have not found very much info on this event, but do know that spaces are $400, but I do not know how large they are, etc. They have rooms over at the Avi Casino for $30 per night, but that's a lot to shell out for a month there. I guess that RV'v park in the Camping Area next door or you might be able to get selling spaces where you can bring your RV. I drove past this event a couple years ago and spaces looked kind of large and spread out.

I've visited Laughlin many times visiting several of the 7-8 casinos there. The Avi Casino is located several miles from there. Buffets are nothing to speak of, as the ones in Las Vegas have the ones in Laughlin beat (Bellagio, Paris, Mandalay Bay, Mirage, etc.) Every time I have visited the Laughlin area, I have experienced very strong, sustaining winds and I am not talking about itty-bitty breezes either. They get pretty strong and blow stuff all over the place.

Makers of Small Toys - Arts & Crafts - HR4040

HR4040 DOOMSDAY FOR A&C MAKERS OF TOYS, CHILDREN'S CLOTHING, etc.

PLEASE HELP THESE PEOPLE AND VOTE AGAINST IT and if possible, contact your Congressman/woman. You may no longer be able to buy lovely hand-made toys and children's clothing at your favorite A&C Festivals and Events. PLEASE HELP THIS PEOPLE. Just take a few minutes.

Toy makers may win lead-testing exemptionRules on lead threatened to hurt those who create handcrafted items Dec. 24, 2008, 8:14PM SAN FRANCISCO — The makers of handcrafted toys received some holiday hope Wednesday with support from a federal agency for proposed exemptions from strict lead-testing regulations they feared could put them out of business.

Last year's discovery of lead paint in mass-market toys prompted the government to pass new safety rules requiring testing and labeling that mom-and-pop workshops and retailers said they could not afford.As a February deadline for complying with the law loomed, toy makers who use materials such as unfinished wood, organic cotton and beeswax sought exemptions from the rules.In a memo released Wednesday, Consumer Product Safety Commission staffers recommended that the agency exempt some natural materials from the lead testing requirements continue this story but please come back and read the rest of this important blog entry.

Here is more info on HR4040.For more information on this please check

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-4040 This is about the HR4040 bill that was passed in December.Here is what somebody wrote on their blog.

The following are from a couple fellow 'crafters' and is quite interesting to read.http://pinaforesandknickerbockers.blogspot.com/2008/12/disturbing-law.html

http://babyswagspr.wordpress.com/2008/12/23/supporting-small-businesses-cpsia-law-issues/

Help Save Handmade Toys in the USA from the CPSIA - Hand-made Toy Alliance. http://sites.google.com/site/handmadetoyalliance/ You can vote here or get info on contacting Congress about this matter.

Save Handmade Toys From the CPSIA http://www.change.org/ideas/view/save_handmade_toys_from_the_cpsia

I can see a lot of people will be taking an interest in the toy issue as it involves the crafters. There are a number of people out there who make children's clothing for a living and sell at various events. Also affected could be the makers of children's toys or the vendors that import toys from China or anyplace else. Sounds like big problems for some vendors and if I were in their shoes, I would be mighty worried right now. As if the vendors don't have expenses already, they could possibly have to pay around $85 per test. I'll bet that the company that produces testing products is going to make a lot of money out of this and it would not surprise me if they put money in our Congressman's/woman's pockets.

The Maker Faire - San Mateo, CA

MAKER FAIRE. May 30-31, 2009. San Mateo County Expo Center, San Mateo, CA photos
more photos-flickr

'The Maker Faire is all about making things, like a better mousetrap, or at least a life size version of the legendary Mousetrap board game, complete with bathtub and crazy stairs. The only difference with our game is that we have taken the trap that comes down and lands on the mouse and replaced [it] with a two-ton bank safe that we crush things with. We crush things like cars and motorcycles,' said Mark Perez, mousetrap maker."



Build, CRAFT, hack, play, MAKE.
Arts • Crafts • Engineering • Food • Green • Music • Science • Technology
LEARN TO MAKE, CRAFT, DESIGN OR DEVELOP:• Robots • Rockets • Bicycles • Alternative Energy Devices • Electronics • Crafts• Circuit Boards • Sustainable Food • Musical Instruments • Wood Working• Knitting • Eco Modding Cars • Kites • Special Effects • Sewing • and more...

Maker Faire is a two-day, family-friendly event that celebrates the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) mindset. It's for creative, resourceful people of all ages and backgrounds who like to tinker and love to make things. So much to see, you will need 2 days to see it all!

Movie Festivals and Events Worldwide

LARGE LISTING OF MOVIE FESTIVALS AND EVENTS WORLDWIDE.

I just found quite a number of listings for Movie/Film Festivals that I think some people would enjoy browsing through. Here's the ones for January, 2009:

January 8-19 Palm Springs International Film Festival (Palm Springs, California, USA)
January 9-11 Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival (Nevada City, California, USA)
January 10 Taos Shortz Film Fest (Taos, New Mexico, USA)
January 14-19 The New York Jewish Film Festival (New York, New York, USA)
January 14-25 Atlanta Jewish Film Festival (Atlanta, Georgia, USA)
January 15-25 Sundance Film Festival (Park City, Utah, USA)
January 16-18 Bourne to Die Horror Film Festival (Christchurch, Dorset, UK)
January 16-18 San Joaquin Children's Film Festival (Stockton, California, USA)
January 16-18 Trail Dance Film Festival (Duncan, Oklahoma, USA)
January 17-18 Honolulu Film Festival (Honolulu, Hawaii, USA)
January 21-23 Zombieshortfest International Zombie Short Film Festival (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
January 23-24 Bellows Falls Film Fest (Bellows Falls, Vermont, USA)
January 24-25 Canada International Film Festival (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)
January 30-February 7 Clermont-Ferrand Short-Film Festival (Clermont-Ferrand, France)
January 30-February 8 Victoria Film Festival (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada)

Tucson Gem, Mineral Shows, etc,. 2009

LISTING OF THIS YEAR'S SHOWS IN TUCSON.

AKS Gem Shows - Howard JohnsonWhat: Jewelry, silver, minerals, gemstones, lapidary, metaphysical objects/art, beads Jan. 31-Feb. 14, 2009 Howard Johnson — I-10 & Starr Pass Blvd.; 1010 S. Freeway Ave.; (520) 622-5871.

American Gem Trade Association (AGTA)What: Primarily high-end loose colored gemstones and pearls, with some finished jewelry; designer jewelry section; colored diamond and estate jewelry pavilions; MJSA jewelry Feb. 4-Feb. 9, 2009 Tucson Convention Center — Main entrance on S. Granada Ave.; 260 S. Church St.; (520) 791-4266.

Gem & Lapidary Dealers Association (GLDA) What: Gemstones, diamonds, Feb. 3-Feb. 8, 2009 Starr Pass Marriott Resort & Spa — Four Miles West of I-10 & Starr Pass Blvd. (22nd St.); 3800 W. Starr Pass Blvd.; (520) 792-3500.

Gem & Lapidary Wholesalers
Manufactured jewelry, Jan. 31-Feb. 13, 2009 (Gem Mall & Rodeway); Feb. 5-Feb. 13, 2009 (Holidome) Gem Mall — I-10 at Palo Verde Rd.; 4475 S. Country Club Rd. Holiday Inn/Holidome — I-10 Quality Inn (Grant Rd.) — I-10 at W. Grant Rd.; 1365 W. Grant Rd.; (520) 622-7791.

GJX Gem & Jewelry Show
Gems, gem carvings, designer and fashion jewelry Feb. 4-9, 2009 Gem & Jewelry Exchange — Main entrance on S. Granada Ave.; 198 S. Granada Ave.

To see more listings, please click here

THE GREAT SAN FRANCISCO CRYSTAL FAIR

Held on February 28 and March 1 at Fort Mason Center, 99 Marina Blvd, @ Bushannan Street in San Francisco, CA

Saturday 10am - 6pm, Sunday 10am - 4pm
Admission: $6.00 (children under 12 free accompanied by adult)

If you like minerals, crystals, geodes, semi-precious jewelry, etc., then you might find a trip to this event enjoyable. We were vendors at this event many times but people came there mostly for the 'rocks' and I would tend to believe much of our merchandise wasn't suitable for this type of event. Many of the dealers do quite well there. You can see some really beautiful amethyst cathedrals there. At one time, we were selling them also, but we were not equipped to be lugging them around in our van and they were quite heavy. You have to be very careful when handling them.Here's a link to the website: http://home.earthlink.net/~sfxtl/

You can find out about future events or if you wish to be a vendor there, you can take care of that.It was enjoyable doing the show and the other vendors were very nice. There was a Safeway across the street where we picked up food occasionally. Nothing to eat over at Fort Mason. We did this event before in November and February and it always seemed to rain on at least one of the days. Our biggest problem was the traffic head down Van Ness over to the Bay Bridge. That was a mess. In some areas, you would have to wait for 3 light changes before you could snake your way through the intersection. Probably be quicker to head over to the Golden Gate bridge, go to San Rafael and take the Richmond bridge and 580 over to 880.Off topic: If you ever attend this event, drop over to Mike, who is set up there to give massages and and he does a good job. Whenever we did this event, both my wife and I always stopped by his space for one. Prices are reasonable.

Oregon Seafood and Wine Festival

January 23-24, 2009 The Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE Martin Luther King Blvd. Portland, Oregon vendor application events Northwest Inc.

This winter event held January 23 & 24, 2009 is a celebration of all things Oregon, but most specifically our wonderful Oregon seafood and wines.Scheduled in the quiet of winter, and smack dab in the middle of the Dungeness Crab season, it promises to be a popular event in Portland, the gateway to the Oregon coast and the Oregon wine country.

The event will be a very upscale yet festive event at the Oregon Convention Center, promising a climate-controlled facility with lots of on-site and surrounding parking. Over 98,000 square feet of exhibit space will allow for lots of room to wander the event while stopping to sit and enjoy the good food, drink and live music throughout the event.The first 500 people each day through the gates receive a commemorative wine glass to use at the festival and then take home with you.

Portions of the $12 admission charge go to the Oregon Chapter of the National MS Society. There will be a $2 discount price on tickets purchased Friday from 2 PM - 4 PM and on Saturday from Noon - 2 PM (first 2 hours each day).Food item prices range from $1 and up. Wine sampling starts at .50 and prices for menu items varies from $2 to $15.00.

Festivals of Texas

I just found a nicely designed website that lists events in Texas. It's called Festivals of Texas and breaks down into five areas of the state....North, East, Central, South and West. Describes event and provides contact numbers.

Good site if you are either a vendor or are looking for festivals in your area.Some of the shows included are: 12th ANNUAL SPRINGFEST WINE, ART & FOOD FESTIVAL, ROCKPORT’S CLAY EXPO, 63rd ANNUAL ST. PATRICK’S DAY CELEBRATION (in Shamrock), LUBBOCK ARTS FESTIVAL, OILMAN’S CHILI COOK-OFF, 37th ANNUAL REDBUD FESTIVAL and a lot more.The have a page entitled 'searching for vendors' which comes in handy.

There are parts of the website under construction and I am sure that those sections will be every bit as impressive as the other area. Very nicely done.

For shows in California, please stop by my website www.starvingvendors.com for reviews, listings and loads of info on events we have done.

Parkes Elvis Festival

Welcome to the CountryLink Parkes Elvis Festival -Australia's Premier Elvis Event

On the second week in January every year, the town of Parkes in Central New South Wales comes alive to the sounds of hip-swiveliling Elvis Impersonators. http://www.parkeselvisfestival.com.au/

The 5 day Festival Program features a dazzling array of more than 120 individual events. Highlights of the 2009 Program will include the Mark Andrew Feature Concerts, the ever popular Elvis Gospel Church Service, the iconic Elvis Street Parade, the Crowning of Miss Priscilla, the Elvis Golf Day & Dinner, the Back to the Altar Wedding Ceremony and the inaugural Elvis Poets Breakfast.

Cooke Park comes alive on Saturday and Sunday with markets and non-stop entertainment on the main stage including Elvis tribute artists and competitions that the whole family can enjoy. Visit Elvis Central Store to buy your official festival merchandise along with some unique memorabilia items. With CountryLink providing fun all the way from Sydney to Parkes on the ‘CountryLink Elvis Express’ and Rex Airlines flying in the ‘Priscilla Plane’ the non-stop Elvis fun and entertainment will begin even before you arrive in town!

Become an Elvis Festival Fanatic (for FREE) and receive festival e-newsletters with exciting festival announcements and news. REGISTER NOW!

NEW!! ELVIS - BACK ON THE BIGSCREEN AT PARKES
Mojo Events & Promotions & BE Productions are pleased to announce, in conjunction with the Parkes Elvis Festival, the inaugural Flix in the Stix Outdoor Elvis Movie Screenings as part of the 2009 CountryLink Parkes Elvis Festival.

The giant 10m x 6.5m airscreen will be screening Elvis favourites such as Blue Hawaii, Viva Las Vegas and Elvis-That's the Way It Is. A special family screening of Kung Fu Panda will take place for families on Wednesday 7th January.

Bring a picnic and settle in under the stars.

Book early to avoid disappointment!

Download more information here. For a booking form click here.

2009 Houston International Boat, Sport and Travel Show

The 2009 Houston International Boat, Sport & Travel Show, Reliant Center at Reliant Park, Houston, TX January 2 - 11, 2009 Website

One of the largest in the country with more than 1,000 luxury yachts, sailboats and powerboats and 450 exhibits, will open its doors, January 2-11 at Reliant Center.

The ten-day show, which annually attracts more than 150,000 visitors, also will present the latest in campers, RV accessories and services, travel trailers, and camping equipment. Many dealers at the show will offer pre-season savings and discounts.

Besides more than five football fields of boats and exhibits, those new to boating can visit the show's "Discover Boating Center" allows those new to boating to pick up valuable information on boater safety; tips on how to buy a boat, and more. Seminars on how to secure a captain's license; the how to's of wakeboarding and water sports; and the latest in fishing for Redfish and Bass also will be presented. Also at this year's show is the ever-popular Fish-O-Rama, which allows kids of all ages to try their hand at reeling in a prize catch. It's a great opportunity for all ages to experience the fun of fishing. Choose to catch and release, or keep the fish to take home!

Show Hours
Reliant Center at Reliant Park January 2 - 11, 2009 Friday January 2th 5:00 PM-9:00 PM
Saturday January 3th 10:00 AM-9:00 PM
Sunday January 4th 12:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Monday - Friday January 5th - 9th, 1:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Saturday, January 10th 10:00AM - 9:00 PM
Sunday January 11th, 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Vendors: listed in Craftmaster News. Need to call 713 526-6361 for info, fees, application, etc. 150,000 500 booths

Starving Vendors Website

We are constantly updating and improving The Starving Vendors website. Great source of information, especially for vendors. People think that selling products, Arts & Crafts as an easy occupation. Uh uh. No. Sometimes things go really great but a lot of times, some shows turn into nightmares....unwelcome trips to the twighlight zone. I have loads of reviews of shows that we have done over the past several years.

Do you ever go to a festival, etc., and see lots of people walking around enjoying themselves? But you really don't know what the vendors have to go through from the time they search out a show and send in an application until the time they close that door on the van, truck or whatever and drive away.

I have all kinds of information there....even pages about my favorite food, The Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich and much, much more. You have to see it to believe it. Awesome.

Glendale Chocolate Affair

Glendale Chocolate Affair. Vendor Applications I was just looking through a number of event listings on a website and I noticed that vendors are forced to pay $60 for a 'background check fee.' They are charging $450.00 for an Arts and Crafts booth...at least they supply the booth, but that, my friends is pretty darn high, especially in this life and times.

Let's dwell on that $60 fee for a background check for a few seconds. I am certain that vendors will have to provide their SSN, Drivers License Number and probably some other material for them to run a trace on. Now, here ya go. We have somebody paying $475 for a 10x10 spot to sell their artwork, Do you think that somebody selling their lovely artwork at this show should be subjected to having a police check on them looking for warrants, etc. Do you really think these people are criminals. Only reason these people are not objecting is that they need to make money and moreso, enjoy displaying their artwork for people to see.

These individuals are being treated like criminals. A year ago, I (and several other vendors) had to shell out $25 for a 'police permit' which is the same thing and I felt that my rights were violated. Seriously, do they consider vendors to be criminals? That would piss me off if I was extorted like that for $60 in order to run a background check on me.

I know for darn sure this does not cost $60 and I find this to be a slap in the face of vendors. What are they doing.....feeding the person a nice steak dinner while that person sits at his computer and enters the person's name into some software. They do not have the right to force vendors to fork over the $60. Seems to me that the promoters of this event are the real criminals. I have nothing to do with this event, but I read about it and I am perturbed and I really frown over things like this. Vendors should voice their disapproval over this and demand their $60 money back. Sorry. Not right by any standards. Heck, these people could get away with charging vendors a $50 bathroom /porta pottie fee and get away with it.