DubuqueFest 2005

DubuqueFest in Dubuque, Iowa May 21-22, 2005.

This was my first two-day show. Setup was pretty easy as we were able to park the van and trailer fairly close to our spot for unloading.

The show didn't officially start until 10:00am. However, people were roaming the area hours before that so we were scrambling to get set up as soon as possible. It was a bit hectic, but the display went up and looked pretty good even though I had way too much for the amount of room available. We made it work.

Saturday was going pretty well. The crowd was a good size and a lot of people were looking. We sold a few pieces and then the clouds came. Not to worry. We sold a few more and the rain came. That was pretty much it for the day.

I had forgotten the weights for the tent, but luckily some good friends (thanks a million Huffmans) were in town and they were agreeable to run errands for me. Some tarps, sand bags, bungee cords, a plastic tub and an umbrella saved the day. And I thought I was so organized.

After a good night's sleep and the lack of the promised thunderstorm overnight, Sunday broke sunny and warm. Things looked bright and the day held much promise. Then the wind came. Luckily with my newly acquired sandbags (thanks again Huffmans) the 40 mph gusts did not cause any problems.

Sales were slow and not up to expectations. I heard the same from everyone else at the show too. They just weren't in a buying mood. Disappointing, though sales picked up unexpectedly after we started disassembling our display at 4:00pm. I guess people were out for a bargain, or just couldn't commit until the artwork was heading for the trailer. I even managed to sell the T-Rex.

It was a good experience and we learned a lot. We'll do better at Grant Wood June 12!