Weekend Recap

Mount Union 50th Annual Artfest – Saturday, September 27th

Our alarm clock went off far too early on Saturday morning to imagine getting out of our snuggly warm bed, but the day began at 5am with last minute packing of the van, and the drive to Alliance Ohio for the 50th Annual Mount Union Artfest.

-gas in the car  – check

– cell phones charged fully – check

– tent, tables, and gear – check

– soap, soap, and more soap – check

– coffee (yes i think we each needed at least a quart) – check

On the road we went… and the drive was scenic (as much as pre sunrise fog can be), and then the first light of dawn…. it was a breathtaking sunrise.  (or was that just the caffiene kicking in???)

We arrived at Mount Union and found our spot, set up quickly, and worked to get everything in place. So picturesque, and such lovely people.  It was also parents weekend, as well as the first home football game of the season, so the crowds were building all day.

One of the big hits at this show was our Jewelweed Soap, which is the remedy for poison ivy.  We sold more than half of our stock of jewelweed as we kept hearing “i have been looking everywhere for this.  Wow, you have it!”

There was a funny character that was wantering the art fair and we were not sure about him. He looked like Johnny Depp meets Cheech and Chung… Not sure if he was just burned out from drug abuse, or if there was some sort of mental illness, but he was quite something… and he must have told us about 8 times that we are in the company of a math genius and artist extraordinate (meaning himself).  We all breathed a sigh of relief when he wandered on to the next booth.

We also met the nicest fellow soap maker, and she struck up a long conversation with Steve.  We always love meeting other soap vendors because soap is something everyone does a little differently.  She visited our booth, and remarked that we have things she does not make… and when Steve visited he discovered the same of her soap line.  So we were sending customers to each other… That is what its all about!

We looked at the clock and realized other vendors were packing up, so we began packing up also… when a family arrived in our booth, and that last minute sale was great.  The people made the day such a delight.  We finally arrived home by 9pm, realizing we were spent.

Cleveland’s first ever NeoCycle Event – Edgewater Park, Sunday September 28th

It was another “get up at the crack of dawn” to be at Edgewater to set up at 7am morning… We were moving a bit slow, but when we got there we quickly realized the Cleveland Sports commission dreamed huge, and executed this with great precision.  Ordered, well organized and just about everything thought out… we found our spot and set up.  We were in the market section of the event, not far from the main stage.  There were food trucks, bicycle vendors, bike demonstrations, and several races under way… As we arrived the Forest City Fundo was taking off… a 32 mile ride through the streets of Cleveland, to include those big hills up from the flats to Tremont.  We saw more spandex and helmets than i have ever seen in my life…. with at least a couple thousand riders for the morning ride.  The market was a lot smaller than we thought – 12 artists i counted.  Apparently those who set up on saturday either did great or they did not, and those who did not do well packed up and went home. (that is always bad form, but i am sure they are new to the art market world).

We had some surprise visits from old friends, and struck up a few new friendships with vendors we have not done events with before.  And we are so excited to have made a wholesale arrangement with another vendor who wants to sell soap, but does not want to make it.  We agreed to supply him specific recipes of soap, made exclusively for his company.  I love wholesale deals!!!

So, the event ended, and we packed it up again, and hit the road for home, stopping only for a quick bite to eat.  As i write this I must tell you the van awaits our unpacking later today… We were both in bed by 9pm and so very tired by the events of the weekend.  But it was a good weekend.