This past October 5th, 2024, I had the exciting opportunity to participate in my first-ever craft fair for Love To Scribble, just six months after launching my online stationery store. The event was the Arts in the Park Festival, organized by the Chesapeake Arts Center, running from 10 AM to 3 PM. The vendor fee was $70, and I also donated $10 to support the local community programs offered by the center.
Preparing for the Craft Fair
In the week leading up to the festival, I was busy preparing new products to showcase. I created additional stickers, mirror decals, and designed more of my popular handmade greeting cards to offer something fresh and exciting to festival-goers. Since this was my first time as a vendor, I also purchased a canopy tent on Amazon, and to make sure I was ready, I practiced setting it up ahead of time. The night before, I packed everything – from my products to display materials – in organized bins and loaded up my car, so I wouldn’t have to worry about forgetting anything in the morning.
Facing Physical Challenges: A Personal Milestone
This festival also tested me in more ways than just running a booth. About a year ago, I had surgery for a herniated disc in my lower back, and the physical demands of setting up and tearing down my booth had me feeling nervous. The entire time, I was concerned that I might aggravate my back injury. While I felt some slight pain during the process, thankfully, it went away after I got plenty of rest the next day. This experience was a real milestone for me—it reminded me how far I’ve come in my recovery while also pushing me to continue taking care of myself.
Craft Fair Day: Setting Up and Getting Ready
On Saturday morning, I woke up at 6:45 AM, made my coffee, and took my dog for a walk before hitting the road. I left Rockville, MD, at 7:25 AM and arrived in Brooklyn Park, just south of Baltimore, at 8:20 AM – right on time for my setup window. After checking in with the festival organizers, I was directed to Vendor Slot 29, where I began unpacking my car and setting up my booth. Setting up my tent and arranging my display table took about 30 minutes. After that, I moved my car to the parking lot about a block away from the festival.
By 10 AM, all the vendors were set up, and the festival began to attract its first visitors. The atmosphere was filled with creativity and excitement as vendors shared their handmade products with the community. I was lucky to have some wonderful booth neighbors. To my right was Patrice, the owner of Patreats Boutique, who handcrafts beautiful bath soaps and also teaches soap-making workshops. Her Instagram is @patreatsboutique_. On my left were artists Emily and Dave, who create stunning artwork out of glass and porcelain. You can find them on Instagram at @emilyreneelamb and @dave4billion. It was a joy to meet and support other small business owners like myself.
Selling at the Festival: What Worked
As the day progressed, I noticed that my pens, stickers, and greeting cards were the most popular items at my booth. I had also brought a few of my custom notebooks, which were priced under $20, and they attracted attention from festival attendees looking for unique, affordable gifts and stationery items. The festival started to get really busy around noon, with a steady stream of visitors checking out my booth and making purchases. Things slowed down a bit around 2:30 PM, but I continued making small sales up until the festival’s end at 3:00 PM.
Wrapping Up the Day
Once the festival concluded, the organizers gave vendors the green light to retrieve their cars and start packing up. It took me about 45 minutes to load all my bins and tent back into the car. Before heading home, I made sure to say goodbye to my wonderful vendor neighbors, hoping to see them again at future festivals. I couldn’t help but reflect on what a great day it had been – from meeting new customers to networking with fellow artisans, the entire experience was a win.
Lessons Learned and Looking Ahead
Participating in the Arts in the Park Festival was a huge learning experience for me and for Love To Scribble. I learned the importance of preparation, building connections with other vendors, and how to attract attention to my booth with the right product mix. Most importantly, I loved the opportunity to engage with customers face-to-face and share my passion for unique stationery and handmade greeting cards.
I’m already looking forward to returning to the festival next year, better prepared and excited to bring even more creative stationery products to the community. In the meantime, if you’re interested in checking out some of the items I featured at the fair, visit my online stationery store at www.lovetoscribble.com, where you’ll find a variety of stickers, greeting cards, notebooks, and more!
Thanks for reading!
Author: Luba Hansen, Owner of Love To Scribble
