I think today’s craft fair was pretty successful. I saw a lot of new people who didn’t know DMS existed and heard a few mention that they planned on joining.
What are the collective’s thoughts on having a Spring fair as well?
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Member count went up about 3 today from about 11Pm.
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I think it is a great idea. If we start planning for it now and advertising we can get even more people in the door.
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There has been a suggestion that we do a fair a week or two before Mother’s Day. I won’t be able to run that one, as I’ll be at Scarborough for all the May weekends.
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Ditto (I’m tied up with scarborough)
Re week or two before mothers day
I’d recommend three weeks ahead. Close enough folks are thinking about it but far enough ahead they haven’t bought their main gift.
Fwiw, this is based on buying trends I have seen in my jewelry shop at the renfair the past 30 years. Further ahead is bigger gifts. Week or two it’s panic-buying or adding in a little something, smaller cost
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If we did April 25th would that be early enough that all of our Scarbourough folks would be able to participate? That’s three weeks before Mother’s Day.
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Well, Scarborough itself starts pretty early in April nowadays. I miss the first weekend or two because I’m still finishing up Tax Season. I’m not sure who beside Capt and I are actually connected to Scarborough who displayed at the Holiday Fair.
Next year 2020 renfest starts April 4 and ends may 25. Basically it is 8 weekends and always ends memorialday, so back that up… (Plus I checked the website to be sure)
Honestly for me, a spring show count me out because even before renfair starts, I’m a little crazed (ok a lot) and don’t do anything extra I don’t absolutely have to starting in march. The most I usually manage is to show up to some of the fiberfrolics and still have to bring jewelry to work on 
So thanks for trying to accommodate but I’m a no-go in the spring regardless. I’d say your date is more important, which is why I mentioned things
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I think it’s mainly you guys and me that have renfair shops there. We have a few other members that do a lot of spring shows (Sue and cairenn, plus I think a couple more) but it’s be impossible to dodge that.
I think April 25 is likely a good day
ok before we get ahead of ourselves - lets talk about how we did.
I’ve setup THIS thread to discuss the 2019 fair. If you were a vendor - please give some feedback. cheers!
Looks like you beat me to the punch. I was already chatting with some others about this the other day and considering pre-Scarby or post-Scarby. Look forward to reading everyone’s feedback to see if worthwhile.
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Honestly DURING Scarborough is the prime spring craft fair season. Before is a bit early. Summertime generally sucks for shows.
If you check out the recurring craft shows around here, the best ones fall during April and May for a reason
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Most of the ones I go to fall in May. Granted that’s part of the issue, I am not sure if we should try to compete with those shows. Etsy Dallas (know plenty of vendors there) tends to get a huge turnout for both of their shows. Stepping on those would be unwise of us. Really before anything is decided I think we’re all collectively going to have to brainstorm on other craft events and their dates so we know what we can run at the same time or try to plan a date outside of those events. Summer in general in TX I know many teachers and friends with kids in school who take their vacations. We have a very short window between May and June if it was post Scarby.
I’ll stop rambling for now but overall the community brainstorming needs to start taking place this month and plan now rather than later so we can also engage PR.
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I am interested in a spring show, and so is Cairenn. The last weekend in April is out for us, because we do Denton Art and Jazz that weekend. Plus there are 2 other big shows in the area that same weekend (Southlake and Dallas Arboretum). So my vote would be not that weekend. Other April dates work for me, as well as the first weekend in May. Second weekend in May, besides being Mothers Day, I think is Richardson’s Cottonwood or Huffhines show (not sure of the dates) which might draw customers away from us?
One suggestion had been that we have the sale in order for folks to buy Mother’s Day gifts, so it wouldn’t be a good plan to hold the Spring Fair actually on Mother’s Day.
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