Questions about TNRF vendors

[Dinobabe]

If some of you don't mind I have a few questions about being a vendor at TNRF.  This is more for long term ideas than anything else.  Thank you!

How much does a booth space cost?
What size is the space?
What does it include (i.e. electricity)?
What requirements/limits are there on the booth?  I know it is tent only.  Can you build a temp platform?
Is it fairly easy to get in or is there a waiting list?

[renfairephotog]

I'll give the short answers. my wife can expand on things I don't remember.

How much does a booth space cost?
The faire runs nine days plus a school day the Friday before opening day.

What size is the space?
10'x 10'
What does it include (i.e. electricity)?
electricity is extra, most if not all is for the food vendors.

What requirements/limits are there on the booth?  I know it is tent only.  Can you build a temp platform?
Tent only. County codes prohibit anything more.

Is it fairly easy to get in or is there a waiting list?
Everything is juried. It depends on what you make. There is a wait for jewelry.

[renfairephotog]

TN ren loves hand made items. What do you make?

TN ren is the largest faire in the immediate. So it is harder to get into. Its suggested that you start at smaller faires so you have smaller expenses. 

The Alabama ren faire is Oct 24-25.  A 10"x10" booth fee is $100 till Aug 1st, then it goes to $125.  The faire is in Florence in North West, Al.

Dragon Days renfaire is a  faire in Cookeville, TN. It is in late April 2009 fess were $40 for a 10X10.

[bmgjarvis]

Hi, I'm Mrs. Renfairephotog. How about I answer with last year's (2009) info and the understanding that the fees may go up next year?

How much does a booth space cost?  What size is the space?

a 10x10 space is $800 or $850 for a new vendor I think. That fee gets you 10 show days (School day, 4 Saturdays, 4 Sundays and Memorial Day Monday).  Attendance usually averages 4000 per day.

What does it include (i.e. electricity)?

1-a 10x10 piece of ground, probably sandwiched in between trees. This is a wooded lot for the most part and the shape of the spots depends on the trees around the exact area.  Cutting down trees/vegatiation is not allowed.
2-booth name in the printed program
3-booth name and link if available on the website if submitted in time (see http://www.tnrenfest.com/crafts.htm for last year's vendors)

electricity is extra $100. Requiring electricity limits your options for locations at this festival. There are certain zones that have electricity and many more that do not have electric available. If you want electricity for a cc machine, I would not bother. Cell signals at this site are spotty at best. Literally, standing still I leaned a half inch too far and lost my 1 bar of signal.

What requirements/limits are there on the booth?  I know it is tent only.  Can you build a temp platform? 

Period in looks is required. I have seen a Walmart EZ up last year that was disguised very well with "curtains" on the legs and a plain top. A lot of people installed temp flooring last year due to wet conditions. Yes you can put in a temp platform if you get an ok from the office. Their big thing is that the flooring must go when you do. The local county codes inspector now freaks at the notion of anything "permanent" and floors are "permanent" unless done a certain way. The office can help you with that.

Is it fairly easy to get in or is there a waiting list?

That depends on your product. If you are selling something unique to the festival, it's easy. If you want to sell clothing/jewelry/leather/soap, it's probably not going to happen.

Side bar soap box -- The definition of "unique" is not "no one else makes cloaks/shirts/skirts/bodices/fill in the blank with the product here like I do". Unique to the festival means no other vendor there has a SIMILAR product type. Everyone makes something "unique" in their type of product. The question is, does the festival already have people selling similar stuff? For example, you may make the most gorgeous one of a kind clay jewelry ever, but there were already 12+ jewelry booths on the site last year. Clay sculptures, on  the other hand, there was only 1 booth ... get the idea?  -- stepping off the soapbox now.

Every booth goes through a jury process. That means every product that you sell must be approved for sale by the festival. It keeps the festival from having suprizes  the first day.

My advice for you:

1-look at the vendors they list from last year. If there are more than 3 that sell similar products to yours, it will be tough to get in. You can try; you never know who may decide to drop out from one year to the next leaving a spot open for your type of product.
2-If no one appears to sell your type of product, ask on the forum if anyone has seen that type of product there. That will give you an very good idea of the competition.
3--don't ask if you can vend for part of the show. The number of new vendor spaces is limited; there are too many new vendors for that to happen any year soon. If you commit to this show, you are commiting to the month of May.
4--Stick with a single product catagory. If you make clay sculptures and pendants and pots, that's 3 catagories.

Renfairephotog says I have to get some sleep. If you like, you can renmail me if you have other questions.

Peace,  Brenda

[Dinobabe]

That was exactly what I wanted to know!  Thank you very much!

[bmgjarvis]

Glad my post helped. Anything else???

[Dinobabe]

Glad my post helped. Anything else???

A million dollars.

[bmgjarvis]

Glad my post helped. Anything else???

A million dollars.

Nope. Can't do it. I promised to give to RFP.  Sorry, spouse tops R/F any day. 

[renfairephotog]

Hear that people I'm getting a million dollars. I'm going to faire and getting new boots.

[Syrilla]

For a million, that better be solid gold boots!   Don't forget the Queen's tax on gold!

[BLAKDUKE]

For a million, that better be solid gold boots!   Don't forget the Queen's tax on gold!

Which she will no doubt use to support her withered and old psuedo renne-father.

Who loves ya babe.  uh  oh   Queen Babe.................

[Syrilla]

Dad always gets a piece of the tax pie...

[renfairephotog]

ahh taxes.

any at TN ren taxes are 9.25 or 9.75 so you'll either have to collect them on each sale or work it into the price of the product.

[Syrilla]

Most people put the tax into the price.  Esp. on high ticket items.  It just helps in the end.

[Dinobabe]

ahh taxes.

any at TN ren taxes are 9.25 or 9.75 so you'll either have to collect them on each sale or work it into the price of the product.

And people think I'm crazy for buying groceries when I'm in St. Louis on business!