I admit I am a tad bit late with this post (considering this event happened about three weeks ago), but as they say--better late than never! So as you probably gathered, a couple of weeks ago I had the exciting opportunity to sell at my first craft show! It was actually completely out of blue--I had no idea that I would be selling until the day before. The opportunity came from a recent friendship I had struck up with a local fellow crafter. And when I say recent, I mean we literally met the day before the event at a crafter's party. She invited me to be a featured popup shop at her stand and the rest was history! You can find her etsy shop here. Attending this craft fair really gave me the opportunity to not only get my business out there, but to also melt in with the culture of my town and fellow crafters, which is what its all about right?
I found everything from postcards from the 60s to entire dining room furniture sets at this craft show. Luckily for me, the theme for the event was "vintage" and apparently there aren't any vintage soap makers in the area--so I swept the market to say in the least. I took some time to walk about and chat with other vendors and just get some creative juices flowing. I met couples that sold hand designed t-shirts from the back of a van, families who have been refinishing old furniture and selling them as original pieces, and even a college student whose closet just needed a little more space. Everyone had their own energy about their stands that was motivating to know that other people had achieved what I was striving for.
Of course, no proper outdoor event would be completely without quirky food. The two featured at this event were an American food truck called "artisan street food" and a offbeat ice cream card called "Little Baby's Ice Cream". Since I believe some of the most creative endeavors are expressed through foods, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to try some unique eats. I ordered the truffle fries (french fries, truffle oil, goat cheese, chives) from the food truck and literally was never able to look at french fries the same way again. They seriously need to consider bringing up food trucks to State College--they would make a killing. I wasn't able to try the ice cream, though I was intrigued by their distinguishing flavors such as "Earl Grey Sriracha" and "Coconut Chai". Flavors like that give me a kick to go back to the drawing board and plan out new scent combos.
All in all, this was a great experience and I can't wait to do it again. I'm planning on having my own booth at other events locally, and maybe some out of state, by the first or second week in July. But for now, I am still learning as I go! Stay tuned..
