Tag: FallFestivals

The Latest Twist

Fall and Fa-la-la Festivals

Arts and Crafts Festivals swing into high gear during the Fall and Winter Holidays. We will be going to a festival almost every weekend from October through December. My excitement every Saturday when a festival opens for visitors rivals Christmas morning for a six-year-old. Talking to readers is my jam. After all, my motto is You keep reading; I’ll keep writing!

GEORGIA PEANUT FESTIVAL

Event Photos - GA Peanut Festival Oct 2024
GA Peanut Festival Oct 2024

The morning was windy and cold, but we had our river rocks to keep the book pages from blowing. It warmed up by afternoon, of course! We experimented with our corner booth and added a few books on the side table. 

ELEVATE ARTISANS MARKET

Books at Elevate Artisans 2024
Elevate Artisans Market 2024

The person who had reserved the space next to us was a no-show, so since we learned about the advantage of having a “corner” booth, we moved a large table into the space. We loaded down the side table with duplicates of the series we stacked on our front table and added the new books from this year that we didn’t have space for on the front table.

We sold almost as many books to readers who stood at the “side” table (see the table with the black tablecloth?) to browse the books as we did to readers who looked at the books on the front table.

Lesson learned: people are comfortable taking their time to look at books if they don’t feel crowded.

What we’ll do: Double booths, so we can have two “side” tables in addition to our front table. We have a second canopy tent, and I had already ordered a duplicate banner after the Georgia Peanut Festival that we planned to use when we had a corner booth. 

Sometimes a plan comes together, even though it was never a plan to start with.

Our next event, Calico Holiday Festival in Moultrie GA, is November 9 and 10 and is inside, so we won’t need our tent(s). However, when I submitted our vendor form in June, I requested two booths next to each other as an experiment. We carefully planned our set up, and I have a sketch of it taped on the side of my bookcase that is next to my desk, but the sketch will be changing to two side tables and two front tables similar to our Elevate Artisans set up.  

Another Experiment

I’ve added a Gift Shop to Barrett Book Shop with reader-related merchandise that was inspired by different Judith A. Barrett books. Check it out. Barrett Book Shop Gift Shop

Our event after Calico is the Seafood Festival in St. Marys GA. As another experiment, I asked the St. Marys festival organizers if we could sell our reader-related totes in addition to all our books, and they approved them! 

Here’s a sample:

Our Weekend is Booked canvas Tote with a dragon
Our Weekend is Booked Canvas Tote 

Maggie Sloan Thriller Series readers will recognize Tonya and Kiki, her fierce, tiny (imaginary?) dragon that sat on her shoulder.

Browse, shop, and enjoy the NEW Gift shop! 

GIFT SHOP   

You keep reading; I’ll keep writing!

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The Latest Twist

It’s (Almost) Fall, Y’all

Fall is absolutely the best season of the year, with spring being a close second for arts and crafts festivals! My September goals are all about preparing for the Fall events.

One of the 8.5″x 11″ flyers I had on my table reminded readers I would sign their book(s). 

Flyers - Meet the Author 

Not bad, except no one noticed it, no matter where I put it on a table or on the book stand in front of my booth. My favorite critic said it was a great idea except it was too busy with too many font styles; it couldn’t be read from two feet away, and the clutter of books hid my face. No argument from me or FarmerMan who had noticed how surprised people were when they realized I was the author, not a random hawker of unputdownable books.

At the last event we attended in the spring, the vendor across the street from us had a chalkboard-style sandwich board sign in front of her tent. I was in awe. It was eye-catching, and FarmerMan and I watched while passersby slowed then stopped to pick up and smell the soap, then buy a bar or two. Boom!

 FarmerMan said I needed a sandwich board sign. I spent the entire summer researching styles of frames for signs. I couldn’t use the typical sidewalk-sized sign like you see in front of cafes because I’m limited by the amount of space allotted for each vendor at events. I couldn’t find a sandwich board that wasn’t too big, wouldn’t fall over with the slightest breeze, and not be so clunky that it detracted from my booth and the books.  

Sometimes my logic escapes even me. Since I couldn’t find a sandwich board I liked and found a great sale on printing 11″x17″ posters, I created and printed two posters.  

  Author Book Signing Judith A Barrett Books     Meet the Author Judith A. Barrett Books     

Talk about build it, and they will come! Two days before the posters arrived, I found a sandwich board that was 13″x 36″ with a 12″x 24″surface for the signs. I’ve ordered it, and we’ll have it next week. 

Our first arts and crafts event for fall is September 28 in Fitzgerald, Georgia, the town that’s famous for its wild chickens. If wild chickens and a Fall Festival sound interesting to you, come see me. I’ll be the one with a sandwich board in front of a tent with some random author hawking her own books.

If you can’t make it to Fitzgerald and would like a signed book, visit Barrett Book Shop and pick out a book or two. I’ll sign it, add a few goodies, and mail your book(s) to you.   https://barrettbookshop.com/collections/paperbacks.

Use this code, good for paperback orders only until September 30, for 15% off each paperback you order: SEP15.  

You keep reading; I’ll keep writing!

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