|
Forward :
Ok, ok, I guess I
haven't really kept this site very current from
Boyd's Big
Bend Adventure from last Spring Break. But I have been soooo busy
with school and the art and craft show circuit for the Lone Star Mine Shaft !!!
Why work the art and craft shows you ask? Why,
I lost my
part-time job down at the docks.
I had a good
Spring school semester and my show sales with The Lone Star Mine Shaft also
improved with the better shows I worked. Although I only planned to take
two courses this Summer session, I wanted to really concentrate on attending
more shows throughout Texas and hopefully see sales improve. So, the
following is the good, the bad and the ugly of my experiences.
I decided to write
this piece for the benefit
to those who plan to travel to the different areas
and festivals that I attended and also for those crafters to give them a heads
up on the show that are worth doing and the shows that are not worth the
time for. Lastly, I had finally learned form many of the other crafters
that once you think you have all the good shows figured out for your craft, then
everything all turns a 180 degrees and its time to start your show planning all
over again. So, if your an artist/crafter or a Texas tourist looking for
something to do for the weekend, please enjoy the following.
Star Date :
05/12-13/2007 : Happy's Art Show in Lake Jackson, TX
As I hinted
earlier, I signed up with Happy Garren Productions for Happy's
art and craft shows she holds throughout the Houston areas which also includes
my hometown of Lake Jackson.
|
I am sure it
was due to
the Mother's Day weekend, but I had my best show on this
date. In Lake Jackson, Happy's
shows are held on the Randall's Grocery Store parking lot on the corner of
Hwy 332 and Plantation Dr.
Happy is an ole'-time painter herself who decided a number of years
ago to use her connections to develop her own art and craft show
circuit in the Houston areas. |
|
Although she does not have her own website, she can be contacted at
the number below for future show dates and or to participate in one of her shows
if you are a crafter.
Happy's
Phone Number : (281) 482-1876
Happy is good at
trying to limit the number of the same type of artists or crafters.
Although I do work with two other jeweler's, I'm the only lapidary artist and
wire art jeweler.
|
 |
The other artist/crafters who are regulars with her show
circuit include bead smiths, textiles, crafty products for the home and kitchen,
items for your garden, candle makers and of coarse she has
the food vendors to
make your tummy happy.
One last note here,
this site tends to be very windy. For any future crafters who may think
about doing this show, make sure your tent is weighted down well!!!
Star
Date : 05/19-20/2007 : Happy's Art Show in Rosenberg, TX
This again was another of
Happy's shows and I did as well with this show as I did the week before in Lake
Jackson. Happy's show in Rosenberg is held at the Kroger's Shopping Center
off of Business Hwy 90 that runs through town near
the old sugar processing plant. I really do not have too much more to add
except the the Rosenberg show was good for me, especially since the Mother's Day
weekend was over with. If you live in the area, please give Happy a call
for the next show date.
For fellow crafters
thinking about doing this show, bring your own lunch/dinner. There is a
Burger King next to where the tent setup lies and the smell of the fast food
will keep you hungry all day long! At least you have a place to
take care
of your other business.
Star Date :
05/25-27/2007 : The Texas Arts Festival in Kerrville
I remember being
dragged to the Texas Arts Festival by my mom and aunts as a little kid. So
that's how long its been going on. I 'm sure
me and my cousins found other
things to do, probably getting in trouble with due to our lack of
appreciation of the
arts at the time. I was re-introduced to this show by Evelyn back in
2002 during our Mason County
Road Trip of 2002.
No, I did not work
this show. I just wanted to visit it again to see if I have what it takes
to perhaps work it next year. This is one of the biggest in Texas and
quite worth visiting if you are a patron of the arts.
The festival is
held at the Riverside Arts and Event Park off of Riverside drive. For
better directions, see their website below :
Official Texas State Arts & Crafts Fair
A patron can find a little bit of everything here including jewelry, the wood
arts, tile works, paintings, metal work and the list goes on and on. I
highly recommend this show and hope to see you there the next time around.
This event is
held on the Memorial Day weekend. It always seems to rain on that weekend
up there or down there depending where you are reading this from.
Therefore, please be prepared!
One last thing, the
folks in town also have their Market Days on the Saturday of that weekend.
Give them a visit while you are there. Lastly, the city of Bandera, the
Cowboy Capital of Texas just 30 minutes south of Kerrville, also has their art
and craft show on this weekend. Pay those good folks a visit too.
On to the next
weekend......
Star Date :
06/2-3/2007 : Waxahachie Tour of Home Art and Craft Festival
I can't believe it
took an arts and craft show to finally get me back to my old home town again.
Every first weekend in June, Waxahachie holds it's annual tour of their
Victorian homes. I arrived on Friday afternoon to setup my tent and tables
and then touched base again with some of my old friends again.
 |
I saw Bennie, one of the bead smiths I worked with at the Happy Garren
shows and a few artists I met at the Kerrville show. Bernie told
me that he always has a good show here. Well I hoped so, I
generally do not have the best successes during regular festivals due
to the "Festival Mentality" of the
patrons. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the
"Festival Mentality" minded patrons at all. But they're there
for the festival activities and there's only so much money that they
can blow. The money is usually allocated for the rides for the
kids, food, and other entertainment. |
| Additionally,
I also find myself along with the rest of the crafters competing
against the "Re-Sellers" who pawn off cheap junk! The art and
craft show really isn't on their radar screen. However,
everyone here did their own work and the show was held at
Getzendaner Park well away from the town
square and route for the home tours. |
 |
The show did not go so well for me or the other crafters.
First was the rain on both Saturday and Sunday. But once the skies
cleared, the patrons did come out. However, they were holding on to their
money that weekend. I did do ok, but expected much better. The rain
can kill a good show!! Bernie said it was his worst show ever.
At least being in a nice park,
the facilities were good. I may go back and perhaps I'll have better luck the next time around.
Lastly, I want to
thank all those who paid me a visit. It was good to see you all again.
For more information on this event, see the website below :
Waxahachie Tour of Victorian Homes and Craft Show
Star Date :
06/9-10/2007 :
Boerne Market Days
I have been wanting to start to hit the art and craft shows or the "Market Day"
shows of the little cities in the Texas Hill Country for quite a while and try
my luck with the tourist. Of all the "Market Day" shows out there, this is
the one to do!!! So this was my first and thank God for cousin Melvin in
Bulverde for free lodging!! Thanks Melvin!!!
Boerne Market Days
is held every second weekend of the month during their operating season and it's
site is at their courthouse grounds. I arrived very early that Saturday
morning and set up my tent and wares. By 10:00 am, the patrons finally arrived
and by mid-afternoon, my sales were not near as high as I expected.
What's
wrong here? I began to wonder around a bit and ask my fellow crafters how
they were doing. Finally, we all figured it out. This was the
weekend of the big Folk Festival in San Antonio and the Lavender festival in
Blanco just another 45 minutes away.
The other crafters
who were regulars here told me not to put this show down too much and that it is
usually one of the best out here. After the follow day of sales, I did
manage to do ok and thanks to Melvin's free lodging, I manage to come home with
quite a few Benji's in my pocket. Note to self, on this weekend next year,
do the Lavender Festival in Blanco! Please see their website below for
more information :
Boerne Market Days
Star Date :
06/16/2007 : Blanco
Market Days
The Blanco Market Days is
held every third weekend of the month during their operating season and its site
is at their historic courthouse grounds.
| I had
planned this show in late Spring and would have never participated in
it since the Lavender Festival was held here the week before.
Well, I didn't know all of that at the time and made me wonder?
Would the patrons come back? The woes continued as I drove into
town with a light rain. Would the skies clear up also? All
the venders met in the courthouse to receive our booth assignments and
many of them left to go home not wanting to risk the rain. Only
about eleven of us decided to stick it out. |
 |
 |
By the time
I put up my tent and finished setting up, the rain finally did subside and only a few of the patrons turned out.
Thanks to Hwy 281 running through the
town square, many of my sales were by the tourists driving through.
Thank God for the tourists! Of coarse there were very few of us out
there and thus very little competition.
Due to the rain, I can't
complain and came home with a number of Benji's. |
I'll be back and I hope to see you
out there!!! For more information on the Blanco Market Days, please see
their website below :
Blanco
Market Days
Star Date :
06/23/2007 : Kerr County Market Days
The Kerr County Market
Days is held every fourth weekend of every month during their operating season
and it too is also held on the ground of the court house in Kerrville, TX.
 |
It rained on me again on the way up and worried about poor sales due
to the weather. I arrived at the court house grounds and was
meet by an army of volunteers who would go out of their way to help
you out. I unpacked, setup and noticed that the art and craft
Gods must have answered our prayers due to the skies opening back up
again. |
|
Sales were horrible that day. In fact, after speaking with other
venders, they all experience sales less than normal. I have to
attribute it to the fact that once I left the area after the show,
rain was everywhere. It was the rain, that kept the tourist
crowd away. Damn the rain.
We had
a meeting and some of the other venders and
artists/crafters told me they had an excellent show during the weekend
of the Texas Arts and Craft Festival. I'm not going to knock
this show down, it was just the rain again. It seems to be
raining a lot out here lately. |
 |
For more
information on the Kerr County Market Day show, please see their website below :
Kerr County Market Days
Star Date :
07/01/2007 : Bellville Market Days
I didn't work the
weekend before due to my plans to work the Fourth of July show in Georgetown.
But the Georgetown show was canceled due to the previous rains and subsequent
floods that flooded out the San Gabriel Park area where the festivities were to
be held. What's up with all this rain? Therefore, I decided to try
out the Bellville Market Day which is held every first weekend of the month just
south of the courthouse grounds on Hwy 36.
My luck with the
shows has been going downhill since Blanco and it did not stop here. At
this time of the Summer, it was just hot, probably too hot for most folks to
come out. As usual, most of my sales were the tourist and passer throughers from Hwy 36. By this time, I am
also learning that Summer sales are also far lower than those from the Spring
season.
Although I meet a
bunch of great folks here, I probably won't be back and don't recommend this
site for any new crafters. I say, leave to the locals. However, if
you are passing through on the first weekend of the month, stop by and pay those
folks a visit. For more information, please see their website below :
Bellville
Market Days
Star Date :
07/13-15/2007 : The Lampasas Spring Ho Festival
Evelyn too has been
hitting the show tours with her tie dyes and beaded jewelry. So I was not
surprised when she had contacted me about this show a few months earlier to see
if we could do it together and watch each other's back when we need to take a
break or grab a bite to eat and of coarse mingle around a little with the other
artists/crafters and of coarse the crowd.
|
I was a little leery at first due to this being their annual festival
and the "Festival Mentality Factor". The festival is held every
year at this time and it's site is at their Hancock Springs Park along
the Sulfur Creek. One couldn't ask for a nicer site to work in
and the good news is that electricity is free and you will need it for
lights since the show goes on past dark. |
 |
 |
Oh God, when it rains it pours, especially for this show. But
although the skies did look menacing, it never did rain on us.
It was due to the "Festival Mentality" Factor. Several major
highways pass through Lampasas such as Hwy 190,
Hwy 83 and of coarse my favorite,
Hwy 281. Unfortunately, there were
very few tourist driving through. I think we were just too far
out in the Hill Country and at least we now know the limits of the
tourist traffic. I don't blame the locals for the Festival
Mentality Factor. Lampasas is not an area with a lot of money,
its mainly an agricultural community and of coarse
the soldiers from
nearby Fort Hood do not have a lot of money to burn. |
We enjoyed
our stay there, but we won't ever be back to work the show again. At least
from talking to the other artists and crafters out there, they won't be back
either.
At least
the food was good. But, if a visitor driving by during that weekend, then please stop
by and pay those good folks a visit! For more information on Lampasas'
Spring Ho Festival, please see their website below :
Lampasas's Spring Ho Festival
Star Date :
08/4-5/2007 : The Harvest Baptist Art Festival in Waxahachie
I'm not going to
elaborate too much on this show since all the crafters did so poorly. It
was one of those in which I at least broke even with. I guess the promoter
of this show picked up my business card at the Waxahachie Tour of Homes Craft
Show and gave me and invite. I thought this group was part of the Harvest
Baptist Church down the road where I used to live which had a rather large
congregation, and thus perhaps a good show for me. No such luck, they are
a small splinter group from the above and the show was not promoted well at all.
Never the less, I
went and will leave it at that. No rain, but my luck with sales continues
to go for a down turn. I'm taking the next weekend off as you will soon
see why.
Star Date :
08/4-5/2007 : The Salado Art Fair
This was another
show that I went to as another scouting adventure. I mainly wanted to see
if I had what it took to try to make it out for the next year's show.
|
 |
I was
very highly impressed with the show and it reminded me of a smaller
version of the Texas Art and Craft Fair in Kerrville. I
met some fellow craft venders out their and met Mr. Bob Wolf, another
wire art jewelry from the Houston area. I'll be out here next
year for sure and I highly recommend it to you patrons out there.
|
As a side note, if
you are into antiques, then Salado is the city for you and there are
plenty of B&B's
to stay at.
For more information
about the show and the area, please see their website below :
Salado, the Crown Jewel of
Texas
One last note, if it
gets too hot, you can always
cool your feet in the creek around back.
Star Date :
08/4-5/2007 : Finally, the Georgetown Market Day
Back when Boyd and
I were on our Big Bend adventure, we met some ladies at La Kiva who were from
Georgetown. Through our conversations, I told them about the "Lone Star
Mine Shaft and the Spring shows that I was doing and looking for new venues to
try out. They both said come to Georgetown and you can't go wrong!
So I did and they were right!
The Georgetown
Market Days is held every second weekend of their operating season around the
their courthouse square. Finally, my luck change for the better and I did
rather well. For more information on the Georgetown Market Days, please
see their website below :
Georgetown Market Days
If your a crafter,
give this show a try. If a visiting tourist or patron, I do hope to see
you here again!
Star Date :
08/4-5/2007 : Blanco Market Days
See, I told you I
would come back.
But so did the rain. What luck! However, just
like last time, the rain subsided and many of the venders left before it began
leaving little competition. Yes, I be back!
The Aftermath :
It's the end of the
Summer and onto the Fall semester of school and a new Fall schedule for the
shows. Fellow crafters, I did my best to give you my most honest opinion
of the shows I participated in. What works for me, may not work for you.
Unfortunately, I think the rain and the heat really did it in for many of us.
But I won't give up unless you do. And if your a patron out their, give
these shows a look over and help support your fellow artist.
For the Fall, I plan to hit
Georgetown, the Pecan Art Festival in Austin and of coarse the Happy Garren
shows in the Houston area. Please see me and if not, then please visit :
The Lone Star
Mine Shaft
Other than that,
have a nice day!
So
until next time, take care and I'll see
You,
on the road!!!
Francis
Brought to
you by :
and..
Copyright © 1999 by [The
Texas Road Runners
- Francis Kiefel]. All rights reserved.
 |
