I randomly signed up for this event even though I already had a lot going on but I hadn't done a craft fair in awhile so I was wanting to get to some other local events in cities I didn't normally get to. My sister in law lives in Monticello so it was a no brainer to go sell there.
I really want Derek to do events one day so I asked him to come with and he agreed! He is so talented I hope he finds what he wants to do. Being an adult is hard man. I still don't even know what I am meant to be doing with mine but I am just having fun for now at least. Yes. That.
I was offered a larger space but I couldn't take it since I just don't have a large enough vehicle. I do have a whole bunch of extra grid cubes I could probably have set up but my current setup is pretty condensed.
Before the Event & Setup
Dawn always posts things up in advance so we got our load-in information I think Thursday night? I forgot but I was assigned to 8:15am and door B. The second screenshot shows where we parked with the P. Very close either way.
Since Tekko was not that long before this (I got home Tuesday and this event was Saturday the same week), I deposited everything except 5 and 1 dollar bills. Craft fair people are such a mixed bag if they pay with cash or card so I was ready. Definitely loaded my vehicle the morning of instead of the night before - do not recommend lol. I was definitely feeling the pressure since I wanted to sleep in.
Got coffee and then Derek arrived and we were on our way! The event location was about 30-45 minutes from me depending on traffic. Stopped for gas since there was a gas station off the exit before the community center.
I was assigned to B, meaning I had to find the front of the building. We actually arrived before 8:15am - so closer to 8am really. I tried to kill some time but whatever. We unloaded quickly and then moved the vehicle. I had to run back out during setup since I forgot my card reader. Kinda important.
Derek helped a lot but since I was a disorganized mess I didn't have a ton for him to do. Normally I have boxes for my pins but since I went out of state, everything was in bags.
The community center was so cool. It had a pool and murals all over the place. I regret not taking more pictures of the art, but if you ever stop by you'll see it immediately. I only took a few pictures of the walking path that was above the room we were in. What a good use of space!
I fully planned on giving one of my Murphy plush for raffle. She holds a raffle every event to keep people hanging around in order to claim it. I think it's smart.
The Event Itself
So I have to admit that I have been absolutely spoiled rotten by conventions lately, so this event was really slow in comparison. It's not even remotely in the same vein and I know that. I wasn't attending this to make bank, I mostly wanted to see my SIL, give my niece the corgi plush they had preordered and chat. I always have a great time meeting local vendors and I wish that I had way more time to advertise this. I missed posting in most places I normally would have. I ended up only posting in discord and my FB group.
It was easy to get to where the event was held regardless of which entrance you came in from which was nice. This was the view from the door.
While it was slow, I spent a lot of time chatting with people. Derek chatted with the ladies behind us who did crochet since that's one of the things he also does. He was crocheting during the event actually but the big thing is he can make these really high quality tools for crochet. I do think he should do both if he can but I am still learning what markets work and don't work as well. We sell much different products and his experience will be a lot different than mine either way.
I know the vendor next to me did really well. I think it was Fawn's Bakery? I forget but they are somewhere in Blaine so it was fun to meet a local baker because normally I love sweets so much. I did buy some cookies from them.
The bathroom was a bit of a walk from where we were at but they were clean and had a lot of stalls. Given my (medical issue) experience at Tekko, I appreciate smaller events where I can actually use the bathroom without waiting forever.
The vendor variety felt pretty good although whoever was selling the Rainbow cleaning systems was really pushy. Not a fan of people coming to my booth to try and peddle their wares. I have really nice air filters at home but that wasn't enough and frankly, it's rude. Don't come to my booth to say you like my stuff then try and sell me something I stated I didn't need or want and then come back with more stuff I didn't want. Drives me crazy.
One of the raffle winners was a kid at the event and she came up to my booth and thanked me since she ended up getting the Murphy plush from it! It melted my heart.
The ladies behind us were great too and the great grandmother ended up buying one of my Buster plush. 
All in all, I didn't lose money so I'm pretty happy. Table fee felt good and I loved the location. I basically only sold stickers. I think this was my first ever event I didn't sell a single enamel pin which kinda shocked me. Normally pins are my big sellers. Stickers and plush were my winners here.
Load out was easier than load in since we could pull up to location D on the map, grab the stuff and walk it to the car. It's not handicap friendly on that side, but if you don't need the ramp, it's much faster. Since it was super hot out, it was nice to be able to get in and out without much of an issue.
What Worked & What Did Not
This place was handicap accessible which also meant you can roll your wagon in and out easily. Now that I've gotten comfortable with events I really look to see if locations have a lot of things that help when someone may have a disability.
Location was near the interstate & easy to find. I consider this very important for anyone driving to it since it's not hard to get to.
Vendor parking was convenient. Normally I gripe about this but we parked at Cargill and they had so much space plus you could quickly and easily get back to the building. Vendors with disabilities could park in those spots, so they were also accommodated.
Conclusion
This was my second Gigi-ology event. While the traffic may have been slow, overall I had a good time. I know we're there to make money but really sometimes you also just need to introduce yourself into a location.
This was not a money maker for me but I made a lot of connections and got to see my niece and nephew. I was told there were other events happening, including Trump being in town down the road, that probably kept some of the traffic that may have come through away.
The Details (TLDR)
Event: Gigi-ology Beat the Heat Craft & Vendor Show
Dates: July 27th, 2024
Location: Monticello Community Center, 505 Walnut St, Monticello, MN 55362
Hours: 10am-3pm CST
Total Vendors: 42
Attendance: ~50-100
Travelworthy: Worth a 15-20 minute drive. Not good for further or out of state.
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Booth Cost: $68
Total Sales: $91 (this is before all costs are taken out)
Transaction Fees: $1.89
Taxes: $6.24
Total Profit: $14.87