First Sundays Arts Festivals
Participated in the July First Sundays Arts Fesitvals and it has gotten worse if that is possible. From the view of a patron, it can be a fun experience, but from a vendor stand point, it's a terrible risk!!
That is most likely the reason that the majority of the booths are full of merchandise that is not truly handcrafted by the artist (barely handmade at all in some cases). People who spend that much time devoted to their craft, don't want to waste it on a show where they get treated the way First Sundays treats their artists.
Poorly run show! If you are an artist that is considering this show DON'T SIGN UP FOR THIS FESTIVAL! You have no say where they put you, they deceptively tell you if you pay more money, you can be on the main street BUT THAT IS NOT TRUE! They clearly have little regard for the vendors! You could be wasting your money! The contract you sign says you agree that your money is non-refundable and they are now ignoring my attempts to contact them and ask for my money back for the next show or compensation for what they did to a bunch of the vendors at the last show!
As a vendor who paid good money to be on the main street, I was pretty upset when I found out the morning of the show that I was in an alleyway off the street. There were a bunch of other artists that thought they were on the street they paid to be on as well and we got very few people back our way. In addition, they set up a performance troupe and band directly in the middle of the entrance to the alleyway. It was in the middle of the street blocking a bunch of vendors on West street as well - also making it very difficult to communicate with the customers that did step in front of the amps blasted right into the unfortunate booths across from them.
We were sent the map below. I was assigned booth 3 on the main street. I, along with 10 other vendors, were actually placed INSIDE the yellow square (yellow for music performances) alley titled Stan & Joes where it is shown that NO vendors are placed right next to the music - which can be very detrimental to your sales. The music was instead place in the MIDDLE on the street, blocking the alley and all the booths surrounding.
When these issues were brought by multiple vendors to the attention of the people in charge (multiple times), we got half-hearted responses to resolve it which amounted to nothing and we were told it will be the same next time! They have no plans to change what was wrong with the show, even though all the vendors were unhappy.
One man in charge of the music even told a few of us "tough luck, deal with it!" Even though we paid the same amount of money as vendors on the main street!
There are plenty of other shows that are worth your time and money - this is NOT one of them. The people that are in the show aren't even all artists - there were vendors selling mass-produced items piecemealed together for dirt cheap prices, making it impossible for real artists to compete with!
I want to ask my artist friends: PLEASE spread the word - this show is not for artists! The worst show I have participated in! It is now on the top of my "NEVER AGAIN" show list.
#First Sundays Arts Festivals
That is most likely the reason that the majority of the booths are full of merchandise that is not truly handcrafted by the artist (barely handmade at all in some cases). People who spend that much time devoted to their craft, don't want to waste it on a show where they get treated the way First Sundays treats their artists.
Poorly run show! If you are an artist that is considering this show DON'T SIGN UP FOR THIS FESTIVAL! You have no say where they put you, they deceptively tell you if you pay more money, you can be on the main street BUT THAT IS NOT TRUE! They clearly have little regard for the vendors! You could be wasting your money! The contract you sign says you agree that your money is non-refundable and they are now ignoring my attempts to contact them and ask for my money back for the next show or compensation for what they did to a bunch of the vendors at the last show!
As a vendor who paid good money to be on the main street, I was pretty upset when I found out the morning of the show that I was in an alleyway off the street. There were a bunch of other artists that thought they were on the street they paid to be on as well and we got very few people back our way. In addition, they set up a performance troupe and band directly in the middle of the entrance to the alleyway. It was in the middle of the street blocking a bunch of vendors on West street as well - also making it very difficult to communicate with the customers that did step in front of the amps blasted right into the unfortunate booths across from them.
We were sent the map below. I was assigned booth 3 on the main street. I, along with 10 other vendors, were actually placed INSIDE the yellow square (yellow for music performances) alley titled Stan & Joes where it is shown that NO vendors are placed right next to the music - which can be very detrimental to your sales. The music was instead place in the MIDDLE on the street, blocking the alley and all the booths surrounding.
When these issues were brought by multiple vendors to the attention of the people in charge (multiple times), we got half-hearted responses to resolve it which amounted to nothing and we were told it will be the same next time! They have no plans to change what was wrong with the show, even though all the vendors were unhappy.
One man in charge of the music even told a few of us "tough luck, deal with it!" Even though we paid the same amount of money as vendors on the main street!
There are plenty of other shows that are worth your time and money - this is NOT one of them. The people that are in the show aren't even all artists - there were vendors selling mass-produced items piecemealed together for dirt cheap prices, making it impossible for real artists to compete with!
I want to ask my artist friends: PLEASE spread the word - this show is not for artists! The worst show I have participated in! It is now on the top of my "NEVER AGAIN" show list.
#First Sundays Arts Festivals
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