What's Behind Being A Festival Vendor

Dennis and I booked 18 Irish Festivals this Summer.  We have 4 more to go. have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes to bring you a beauful complete PopUp Irish Shop?   It takes time and hard work, work of love and passion.

We arrive at a venue with our sleeping quarters securely in tow. We have a 2006 Airstream Bambi, a mere 19' long.  We unhitch and leave it and go on to our assigned space, usually 10x20'. We access, and then start phase one of three- the unpack. We open the hatch of the car and stand back as the over packed contents spill out. We line up our bags, crates and containers. Next we put the tent up, and begin to ziptie the grid to the tent frame. The bones of the dispkay is ready.

Phase two we hang our woollen Capes, kids kilts and kilted onesies on the grid. Dennis then starts his hat job, hanging 500 Hanna Hats on a wood round sock display, initially made by the Amish to dry socks.  Each hat gets its own clothes  pin. I,  in the meantime, tip over the 12 wooden crates to create shelving for our baby clothes, we set up just ike a real shop.  Next come the  lights to brighten everything up and little displays of baby clothes hanging on a clothes line. 

We sell for three days and then on Sunday night we reverse the setup, and pack the car again, to leave on Monday  and travel to our next destination. As Dennis drives, I am on the phone arranging drop locations for our replacement stock so we are ready for the next weekend.

The job is hot, sweaty, long, buggy, wet and more.  But....we love it, we love the challenge, the family and friendship of fellow vendors, and our traveling life.