Here’s an Extensive Guide to the Top Art Fairs across the U.S

No one can deny that the art season is in full swing. We cannot be happier with the joy these things bring to the artists. There are so many options for art shows to choose from that you are sure to get overwhelmed. With hundreds of fine art fairs and art festivals popping up across the country, most of them are incredibly outstanding in terms of attendance and atmosphere.

The detailed list of art shows and festivals that we've rounded up can make you choose the best one. After all, the better the show, the better chance you will have to connect with your audience and exhibit your art.

1.    Park Forest Fine Art Fair

Tall Grass Arts Association in Illinois operates this regional art gallery located in Park Forest. Juried artists are invited to the art fair held here every September. This platform allows the artists to display their work in the gallery at least once a year.

2.    Plaza Art Fair

This is one of the most ranked art festivals in North America, with three live music stages and over 20 featured restaurant booths. This platform is undeniably the best one for people celebrating art and each other.

3.    Gold Coast Art Fair

It is the third-oldest and undeniably one of the most attended art festivals in Chicago. This place invites hundreds and thousands of art enthusiasts from across the U.S. The dates for this festival are June 16-June 17. The deadline to apply for this is May 27.

4.    Port Clinton Art Festival

This high-calibre festival welcomes more than 10,000 loyal attendees and buyers every year. It is one of the most acclaimed art festivals in the country. This art show is located in Houston and is welcome to all art enthusiasts.

5.    Kimball Arts Festival

This one is Utah's longest-running visual arts festival, one of the most highly regarded art events in the West. This art festival proudly features more than 220 of North America's finest artists across 13 disciplines. This platform provides visitors with an opportunity to meet and purchase art from a wide variety of talented artists.

This list is sure to come in handy if you are in search of art shows in 2021. We hope that you apply for them to exhibit your art. Art shows can allow you to showcase your art in front of a large audience.

Should I Attend Juried Art Shows Or Non-Juried Art Shows?

Many newbies have this question in mind — Should I attend juried art shows or non-juried art shows? Well, both are good in their own ways. To make a sensible decision, you need to understand the basic structure and potential of both.

Juried Art Shows  

Juried art shows are the shows that require exhibitors or vendors to submit an application and display the product samples or present their work to participate in the show. Your application will be juried by an organizer’s jury, and only selected vendors are allowed to participate in the show. This type of show is ideal for vendors who have some experience in selling at art and craft shows.

Juried art shows have high participant fees that can range up to $1000. The major advantage of juried art shows is that it offers you plenty of selling opportunities as these shows are quite popular and well-advertised.

Non-Juried Art Shows                       

Non-juried art shows are the ‘first come first serve’ type shows. There is no need to display your work in front of the jury in advance. You just have to contact the manufacturer to apply for the show as a vendor. This type of show is great for newbies.

Non-juried art shows have low participant fees. You can attend a non-juried art show typically for $100 or less. If you have a good art catalog, you can easily make profits in these shows. However, this type of show is usually a local show that may or may not be well promoted.    

The Takeaway

If you are new to attending art festivals in North America, non-juried art shows are a good bet. On the other hand, for experienced players, juried art shows hold great selling opportunities.

Craft Resources for Newbies-Secret to a Successful Craft Show!

Are you all set to sell your product at a craft show for the first time? Well, there is a lot of information out there for vendors. However, it can become overwhelming for artists to find out what will work and won’t work when putting their foot in this field.  

Have you ever had a stall at a craft show, tried your best but cannot sell as expected? Although craft fairs offer a brilliant opportunity to meet your customers and sell face-to-face, they need a lot of work and patience. First, you need to invest time and money in choosing the right one, then prepare your stock, design your display, and set up your stall with all the stamina and zeal. 

In this blog, we will share several resources as a new craft vendor you must consider.

Legal and Tax Issues 

Are you thinking of how to legally sell goods at fairs, garage sales, flea markets, and craft shows? 

If so, this blog can be your savior. There are major legal and tax implications of getting started as a craft fair vendor. If you don’t want to run into a legal or tax problem, keep the legal manual close to your side. 

Choose The Right Venue and Create a Successful Booth

Make sure the craft fair you want to take part in is famous amongst your target audience. Some steps that will help you:

Examine The Craft Fair’s Website

Up to date website shows craft fair has a well-established brand presence. Many local fairs have great foot traffic, but if their website is very out of date or filled with typos, it will show the organizers are unprofessional.  

Look at The Craft Fair's Social Media Accounts

Ensure the venue has a presence on the major social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Also, check out local review sites to know about the popularity of the craft fair. Don’t look at the ratings; read through a sample and negative reviews, and then form your opinion.

Make Sure You Fit at a Venue

It’s not only important to find out a popular craft fair, but make sure it’s compatible with your brand. 

These points will help you out:

• Make sure the price points are not higher or lower than other successful artisans at the event.

• Start with smaller venues where you can work out with your booth set up in a less frantic environment.

• Before you find the popular craft show in the USA, where you want to set your booth, consider the total cost of participating in the fair as a vendor.

By now, you might have got the inspiration to enter the craft fair business. Walk-through these pointers, and you will be all set to achieve that sales target.

Serving Food at a Food Festival? Here are a Few Tips you need to Read

Food truck events are among the most incredible opportunities for vendors to connect with customers and make sales. Even though some restaurant owners groan at the thought of serving their food at events and festivals, it is generally hard to pass up a chance to put yourself in the middle of a large crowd of residents. Not only does participating in food truck events and festivals put your brand in front of your target audience, but it also allows you to showcase your products. 

One of the most critical steps of entering into an event is locating one you would like to attend. Make sure it is not brand new. Starting your event operations with a current event is the way to go. New events and festivals in North America pop up all the time. However, you need to determine whether it will be profitable without any event history.

To make the food events lucrative for you, here are a few tips and tricks.

• Visit Events Beforehand

Before you delve into showcasing your food products, you need to find the one that fits with what you want to accomplish. And checking it out for yourself is the best way to make the determination. Every festival has its own vibe to maintain. While some events are set up to allow vendors to operate before a big sporting event, others cater to music goers' needs.

• Learn The Rules

You need to check with organizers beforehand to see what types of menu items, tables, and selling methods they have adopted before you get started. Learn the rules are as critical as selling your products at the event. You would not want to make any mistake when it comes to exhibiting.

•            Keep Detailed Checklists

Being organized and keeping detailed checklists is the need of the hour for a food vendor. You must make a checklist that includes everything you need to bring to these events. This will include everything from the actual products to the things you need to set up a truck and display your food.

• Do Not Forget The Essentials

Things like water and snacks for yourself and your companions are some of the things you must never forget to carry to the event. The last thing you would want while working is to be hungry and comfortable.

•        Make Eye-Catching Signage

If you wish to attract the eye of food truck attendees, you must use additional signage outside your truck. You need to let them know precisely what they can expect from your menu items.

•  Being Friendly and Talkative Would Help you Go a Long Way

The best thing you can do at food truck festivals is greet them in a friendly way and make sure they know you are available to answer all their queries.

5 Smart Ways To Create Captivating Booths at Craft Shows

Driving foot traffic to your booth at a trade show is an art. You have to nail many things to drive the traffic; otherwise, getting lost in the crowd of vendors is not an uncommon thing.

Creating a captivating booth is one key aspect that plays a crucial role in driving foot traffic to your booth. It can help you stand out from the crowd of vendors who are preparing for the next trade show and searching for ‘vendor fair near me’ online, right in your city, to find the fairs to attend. To put up a good fight with these vendors, you need to craft captivating booths.

In this post, we will look at the five smart ways to create captivating booths at craft shows. Let’s start 

1. Create a Stand Out Display Table 

Your display table is the center of attraction of your booth at a trade fair. Make full use of your display table. Print your display tablecloth with your company logo and brand name. Carefully choose the color scheme of your display table.  

2. Use a Presentation Board

Presentation board is something you can add to your booth to grab the attention of the people walking by your booth. It stands apart from the other accessories at the booth and can be easily customized. You can erect a stand-alone presentation board to communicate the special offering you have to your audience.

3. Large Size Displays

When it comes to the displays, the size matters. Here you can apply the approach of bigger is better. You have only 5-10 seconds to grab the attention of the people walking by your booth. Use large eye-catching displays that help slow down the crowd and draw foot traffic to your booth.

But, you have to keep in mind that large size displays cost more. You need to carefully plan the right combination of the displays and location to place the large size display.

For example, you can hang a large impact piece of your art in the center of your back wall that catches the attention of the users and supports the sales of your smaller pieces. 

4. Add Ground Cover

Well, many vendors who regularly attend fairs and festivals in North America consider it as an extra cost, but it works. Add a ground cover to your booth. It is not mandatory that you have to use the glossy, expensive red carpet. You can simply cover your tent ground with any solid color carpet that looks good. It will easily make your booth welcoming.     

5. Mind The Tent

Your tent is your best advertising tool at a trade fair if you brand it right. Pay attention to the visuals of your tent, and make sure your tent color scheme should be attractive enough to draw the attention of the attendees. Avoid sagging tents with dull colors. This will repel the customers.

Use these simple five smart ways to create captivating booths at craft shows.

Latest Trends for Art and Craft Shows in 2020

If you are an artist looking for art and craft shows to promote your brand, this blog is for you. Art festivals provide an opportunity for artists and businesses to promote their brand. There are many indoor and outdoor shows and season shows where firms can interact with their audience. But, is it that easy to promote your brand is an art and craft show? Trust us; it takes a lot of time and effort to get your brand in focus. The key to promoting your business is to gain insight into the upcoming art and craft shows your target audience visits. You have to choose the right event to increase your product's visibility and make new connections with potential clients.

 

After choosing the event where you want to showcase your products, the next step is to prepare your stall, get your product pricing right, and encash the opportunity to meet new customers.

 

Here are some art and craft trends you should watch out for in 2020, to get your business booming.

 

• Vintage designs: Customers love anything vintage, especially items with flowery designs and lace. Vintage things carry a classy and timeless look that people love. If you are thinking of adding new products to your stall, vintage items are what you should be looking out for.

• Patterns: Patterned fabrics and paper designs are in trend in 2020. They are simple, eye-catching without being overwhelming. Many classic patterns are eye-catching without being overwhelming. You can also add more edgy and modern patterns with geometric designs at art and craft shows.

• Calligraphy: Old school calligraphy items are not the thing of the past. They are making a come-back are here to stay. Typographic is in trend at upcoming juried art events. Whether it’s a t-shirt with a handwritten message or a beautiful wallpaper, calligraphy comes in different shapes and forms and is loved by people of all ages.