I find a lot of events to sell at through Facebook groups. I am in several local groups based on the cities surrounding me, and in the city I do reside in. There was a local elementary school that was hosting a one day winter event that was looking for a few more vendors. I wasn't accepted into any events in December, so I messaged them for information.
This was posted in early November and they quickly emailed me with the information which included setup, internet information, a warning that hey other vendors may be selling similar items to you and the cost of the event. There was also a note that this event was restricted to the families of the children that attended this elementary school.
It seems like they do Winterfest every year, but this was the first time they were adding vendors. Generally speaking, craft fairs don't always provide tables. The information wasn't included for that so I asked. We didn't need to submit an ST-19 and a 6 ft table as well as two chairs were provided.
Since the booth was only $25, I went ahead and decided it was worth the risk. I just needed to sell one plush to cover my booth really.
Before the Event & Setup
I loaded in the morning of the event instead of on Friday, Dec 13 from 5pm to 6:30pm CST, which we would need to let them know if we were coming to be let in. Saturday load-in was short, from 8am to 8:45am but my setup is quick and we were done before people started showing up at 9am.
They had noted cell service might be terrible so they told a lot of people to bring cash. I had some cash on me but not a lot. Oops. You'd think by this point I'd remember this sort of thing.
We parked in front of the school, wagoned everything in and set up fairly quickly. I still have my lazy spinner, so we used that for all my pins and magnets. It's annoying to haul places when I need the space in the vehicle. I didn't bring a substantial amount of product for this event, so it worked out nicely for a quick setup situation.
We were located inside the gym of the school and we had a lot of space between each vendor. There were not a lot of vendors at the event and it felt like the variety was pretty good despite the email warning saying there may be a lot of overlap.
The Event Itself
I didn't really expect much from this given that it was both limited in who was allowed to attend, close to the holidays and also in a school gym. I haven't had the best luck at events hosted at school gyms, and that is okay. I just knew to keep my expectations lower in general because of it.
I will say it was a very busy event despite my expectations. The lady behind me ran an embroidery company as a side job. It was really fun talking to her about her business. I had actually reached out to her about potentially making some hats but I still don't know nearly enough about hat types to be able to place orders anywhere yet. She's also still learning the ropes and showed off a few products she was experimenting on for learning. We're all pretty much in the same boat as small businesses it seems.
The morning started off pretty slow, but I made 5 times my table cost before the close of the event. If people hadn't already done so much shopping in advance, I probably could have made more. Children whose parents bought them plush were running around with their scores and it really warmed my heart.
They had a choir singing closer to the end of the event, so traffic was basically dead at that point. It was mostly other vendors walking around or some of the school staff checking in on us to see how things were going.
Once the event ended, it was quick and easy to pack up and get everything to the car in one load. My corgis were a hit even if the parents didn't love the price and I sold a few of the Panic Puffs. I know I did get a little down about sales, but my husband reminded me I didn't lose money and really he's right. Children were so happy, I met people and it wasn't some super long event I dreaded being at. Craft fairs are fun but they are definitely not money makers for me and I know this.
What Worked & What Did Not
Communication was really good. I loved that everything was explained well in advance including that the cell service was really bad. While I didn't have issues, it's nice to be able to prepare for that situation.
Table being provided was also nice. It's basically my least favorite item to try and drag along for events.
Timing of the event relevant to Christmas was probably the only bad thing. Since this was their first time having a craft fair at their Winterfest event, a lot of people probably didn't know what to expect. I do think next year I will do better than this year if I return, but many people said they had already done all their shopping for the holidays by this point.
Conclusion
I would definitely do this every year if they invite me back. While I didn't make a lot, my product is heavily directed at children and their smiles were a reminder that they absolutely love my designs.
The Details (TLDR)
Event: Winterfest [RAFT]
Dates: December 14, 2024
Location: Rum River Elementary School, 16950 Verdin St NW, Andover, MN 55304
Hours: 9am-12pm CST
Total Vendors: 24 vendors
Attendance: ~500
Travelworthy: No. This is a very restricted entrance, local only event. If you don't live near the elementary school, it is not worth vending at.
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Booth Cost: $25
Total Sales: $131 (this is before all costs are taken out)
Transaction Fees: $1.01
Taxes: $9.61
Total Profit: $95.38