Story timeee:
I got in to the Fayetteville Dogwood festival. I prepped for sooooo many hours!! Drove 2 hours to get here, paid $200 for a booth, $50 in gas, $350 for a hotel and the event practically looks like this all day for 3 days. Upon arrival to the festival, none of the volunteers knew what was happening or where to direct us. Vendor spaces weren’t measured properly. The entire festival was moved behind a library this year instead of located in the cute downtown area. No one knew where we were. This festival boasts 80-100k attendees each year! Maybe we saw 15-20k people? This was also the first year that vendors were to be opened on Friday as well as Saturday and Sunday. When I say there were maybe 200-400 ppl who came through all Friday…. Most vendors I talked to weren’t even able to cover their hotel for that extra night. Some didn’t even make a single sale! Huge waste of time, effort, and money for vendors on Friday. At the end of the festival, many vendors, after 3 DAYS, were only able to MAYBE cover their expenses. I ended up losing some money in the end. I did pack up a day early bc of really bad weather. I heard the load out was absolutely horribly from other vendors. In conclusion, what a disappointment. 10\ 10 would not recommend and I will never participate again.
Participating in festivals like the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival can be a huge commitment, both financially and emotionally. From my experience, preparation is key — I spent over 16 hours getting everything ready alongside my partner, which shows the dedication required even before you step foot on festival grounds. One crucial aspect I learned is to always verify the event’s setup details beforehand. This year, the festival moved behind a library instead of the usual downtown location, which drastically affected foot traffic and visibility. It’s important to confirm the vendor layout and site maps as early as possible. Also, communication with organizers was surprisingly poor; many volunteers seemed uninformed, which could be a red flag about event management. Financially, vendors should be careful with budgeting for fees and expenses like booth rental, travel, and lodging, especially when sales are not guaranteed. I paid $200 for my booth, plus $50 in gas and $350 for a hotel stay, but the turnout was much lower than expected, and many vendors only broke even or lost money. This is a valuable lesson: diversify your sales channels or consider alternate marketing strategies to mitigate risk. Lastly, weather can play a critical role. Bad weather forced me to pack up a day early, which disrupted the expected schedule and likely contributed to lower sales. Always have a contingency plan if outdoor events are part of your selling strategy. In summary, festivals offer great opportunities to reach customers, but they demand thorough research, clear communication with organizers, and realistic financial expectations. Learning from challenging experiences ensures better preparation and decision-making for future events.
