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

International Lao New Year Festival 2009

2009 INTERNATIONAL LAO NEW YEARS FESTIVAL
Civic Center Plaza, San Francisco, CA

Saturday, April 11, 200 910 AM - 5 PM all day - free event
Civic Center Plaza (link to googlemaps)between Asian Art Museum and City Hall San Francisco, California.

vendors: • Main Entrance Booths $1,500• Food Booths $1,200 2nd booth $600 (does not include health and food permits from City of San Francisco) • Businesses $900 • Arts/crafts/textiles $700
• Non-profits/public service $350

Buddha Image Procession and Parade
Suukhwan/Baci New Year Welcoming Ceremony
“Buffalo Roaming” - Story Writing on Life Size Herd of Water Buffalos
Kato Lao Championship Demonstration
Tam Maak Huung/Green Papaya Salad Contest

Kite Making and Kite Flying

New Year Water Splashing Activities
Khene Music with Master Bounseung Synanonh
Lam Folk songs with Mr. Khamta Mounisay
Jonny Olsen
Traditional Music and Dance Performances

click here to see program listing

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.