M Jane Designs
2011 Show Schedule
MARCH
Saturday, March 26 Highlands Ranch Spring Bazaar
MAY
Sunday, May 1 Highlands Ranch Street Market
Sunday, May 8 Highlands Ranch Street Market
Sat & Sun, May 14 & 15 Highlands Ranch Music Festival
Sunday, May 29 Highlands Ranch Street Market
JUNE
Sunday, June 5 Highlands Ranch Street Market
Sunday, June 12 Sundays on the Streets of Southglenn
Sunday, June 26 Highlands Ranch Street Market
JULY
Sunday, July 3 Highlands Ranch Street Market
Sunday, July 10 Sundays on the Streets Southglenn
AUGUST
Sat & Sun, August 6 & 7 Highlands Ranch Arts Festival
Sunday, August 28 Highlands Ranch Street Market
SEPTEMBER
Sunday, September 4 Highlands Ranch Street Market
Sunday, September 11 Sundays on the Streets of Southglenn
Sunday, September 25 Highlands Ranch Street Market
OCTOBER
Saturday, October 1 Friends of Littleton Museum Craft Fair (pending)
Sat & Sun, October 8 & 9 Highlands Ranch Fall Craft Fair
Sunday, October 16 Highlands Ranch Street Market
This is my show schedule as it stands today. I'm sure they'll be some tweaks as the year goes on. Still waiting to hear from a few shows and, as you can see, November and December are still wide open. I'm always open to a home or trunk show, so let me know if you'd like to set something up. I give a nice jewelry discount to the sponsoring host!
I'm attempting more shows this year than I ever have before. The purchase of my big white canopy tent last fall has opened up a new world or possibilities...and headaches. Being a vendor at a craft fair is a business in itself. The beginning of the process is finding shows you'd like to be a part of. Surprisingly, there is no single source for this inf. There are several good websites that I subscribe to that will give you inf on shows. But no one site lists them all, and some shows don't show up at all on the big event websites. Some shows you'll only find out about through word of mouth. I actually get great tips from customers that come by my booth.
Once you identify shows you're interested in, you need to get deadlines, entry requirements, booth fees and so on. In addition, as I've found out the hard way, unless you have personal experience or trusted reviews, it's hard to know if a show is going to be worth all the hard work, time and money it takes to be a vendor.
Some really good shows are almost impossible to get your foot in the door to be a part of. There is one local market that I constantly have shoppers tell me "you'd be perfect for", "you'd do so well there". Alas, this particular show was booked solid 7 months in advance this year. Mostly with repeat artists. I'm on the wait list in case they have a last minute hole to fill.
The flip side and happy end note is that I almost always LOVE being a part of craft fairs. The positive feedback from shoppers and other vendors is amazing. It's a nice lift from the sometimes isolating work that goes on in my little basements studio/office. Lots more to share about the whole craft fair process. Maybe this will become a regular feature for a while? Meanwhile, come visit me at a show or on the web!
