I decided to try this little community festival since it was so close to Rockford. They had a nice line-up of music events and it seemed like a great way to spend a weekend. The only downside was that it was four days long and the evening hours lasted until 11 pm. Luckily, crafters could pick the days they wanted to come.
So, I decided to drive over on Friday afternoon and setup for the 6 - 11pm hours. When I arrived, the only people to be found were the Pretzel vendors in the food area. A short while later, one of the organizers drove up and he helped me find my spot. The weather was threatening to rain, but, we never got more than a misty sprinkle. By about 7 pm the sun was out and the bugs too!
I ended up doing alright for a Friday night, making all my expenses and a little profit. I was looking forward to Saturday--but I had been warned it would be quiet until the evening hours.
On Saturday, more of the crafters showed up. There were about 24 crafter/business booths spaced out and by the weekend they had all been filled. However, there were probably only about 12 true craft booths. A little disappointing to both those of us looking for a craft show and customers too.
The best thing about the festival as a whole was the music. Friday night's lineup was incredible. I had to ask one customer if that was the band playing or canned music between sets. They were great!!! Saturday during the day the music was geared to a younger crowd, so, not my favorite thing. By Saturday night the good music was playing again along with a FANTASTIC fireworks display.
Now fireworks I know--living right behind Universal Studios I get to see three sets of fireworks nightly during the summer and Holidays. But, it's been sometime since I saw the ground level displays. Both the high stuff and the ground stuff at Hampshire were AWESOME. I am not using those capital letters lightly, folks!
On Sunday there was a parade through downtown followed by FREE sweet corn prepared by a local farm using their old steam tractor as the source for the heat. Lots of locals came out for both, and some even walked through the craft area. I think this festival has a bit more growing to do before it will support a true craft show. But, the organizers have their hearts in the right place--I enjoyed being a part of it!
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