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Oldlady asked me to put this out here for those of you that may be interested. It's a holiday festival in Washington that she was contacted about. I pasted the info from the email she forwared to me and I also went to their website and got the link for the event. Even if you don't want to do it you have got to see the booth fees! I thought Ann Arbor was bad all those years ago but this is... yikes!

 

http://diversemarkets.net/events.asp?evid=33

 

Friday, November 28 -

Tuesday, December 23

Noon- 8 pm

 

Downtown Washington, DC

8th & F Street, NW

 

DC’s Unique Seasonal Shopping Experience in the Heart of Downtown

 

 

 

Announcing the 2014 Downtown Holiday Market

 

 

Dear Exhibitor,

 

We are pleased to announce the 2014 Downtown Holiday Market exhibitor application process is now open. Celebrating its tenth year, this event boasts one of the most spectacular outdoor shopping environments in the region. This year the Downtown Holiday Market (DHM) will operate for 26 consecutive days and will have 4 weekend dates. Opening on Friday, November 28, it will run continuously through Tuesday, December 23. Hours will be from Noon to 8 p.m. each day.

 

The market is held in the vibrant Penn Quarter neighborhood in DowntownDC with the Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture as its backdrop. The festival will again be located on the wide sidewalk on the north side of F Street, stretching from 7th to 9th Streets NW. Both ends of the market are within view of entrances to the Gallery Place Metro. Adjacent to the market are the Hotel Monaco, the Spy Museum, the Verizon Center and the bustling 7th Street Gallery Place corridor with many upscale restaurants.

 

 

DHM has experienced tremendous growth in stature, sales numbers and customer attendance. This success can be attributed to the hard work of the event producers, the variety of on-site features and the caliber of participating artists and businesses. Additionally, DHM is well promoted by media partners and a considerable PR campaign.

 

The event continues to be a juried, high-quality crafts and gift market featuring a diverse display from exhibitors of many types of merchandise, as well as prepared food and beverage vendors. The Market will accommodate 55 exhibitors each day. As it has done previously, the market will continue to rotate exhibitors through the event in segmented schedules, thus allowing for a rich variety of products and businesses to participate. The market will accommodate a select number of professional retail-oriented exhibitors to be set up for the entirety of the event, for an added fee. Creation of an exceptional booth design to enhance appeal as a “storefront†business will be required. Price increases also apply for participation on the second and third weeks of the event and the final weekend, traditionally the most requested set of dates, and there is an added fee for special space requests. As always, exhibitors benefit from excellent amenities: all spaces are 10x10' and sheltered under high peak tent structures with raised ground covering, walls and closable front. Electricity is provided to accommodate additional display lighting. A loading area will be available at the curbside of the Market. For added convenience, nearby off-site parking is included in the fee.

All exhibitors wishing to participate must complete an application and pay a $40 application fee. A jury will review applications, images of products, and booth display. Upon notification of acceptance, the space fee will be due.

 

The jury will grant awards to 7 qualifying hand made artists for 25% discount on their booth fee.

 

The jury will review digital images on the following criteria:

Uniqueness of Product(s)

Craftsmanship of Product(s)

Professionalism of Business

Market Appeal- The contribution to a vibrant environment of varied high-quality gifts

Display Presentation- Inviting, professional and thoughtfully arranged booth

Only pre-approved products will be allowed to be displayed. DMM reserves the right to restrict or reject any exhibitor with products deemed unsuitable. All decisions are final.

 

RATES

Booth rates are $200 per day during WEEK 1, $250 per day WEEK 2, $300 per day WEEK 3 and $350 per day for the FINAL 5 DAYS. Additional fees apply for premium placement requests and to participate for the entire show. Double booths are available. Half booth requests must be accompanied by a partner half booth applicant for same dates so as to complete a full booth assignment. Preference for acceptance is given for exhibitors requesting complete segments or weekends over those choosing selected and non-consecutive dates.

 

WEEK 1

Includes early load-in on 11/27

7 days

Fri 11/28- Thu 12/4 $1400

WEEK 2 7 days Fri 12/05- Thu 12/11

$1750

WEEK 3

7 days Fri 12/12- Thu 12/18 $2100

FINAL 4th WEEKEND 5 days Fri 12/19- Tue 12/23 $1750

WEEKENDS

First 3 weekends

2 days Sat 11/29 - Sun 11/30

Sat 12/6 - Sun 12/7

Sat 12/13 - Sun 12/14

$400

$500

$600

ENTIRE SHOW PREMIUM

25 days Fri 11/28- Tue 12/23

$800

PREMIUM PLACEMENT FEE

 

$250

 

REQUIREMENTS

Applicants must complete the online application form, include 3 images representative of the products to be sold and a booth display image, and pay $40 application fee. Information and application is available at diversemarkets.net

 

Upon notification of acceptance, the space fee will be due. There are no refunds after November 1 or for non-attendance. A $50 fee will be applied for dishonored checks.

 

TIMELINE

Application Deadline

July14

Notifications Emailed

August 4 - 17

Acceptance & Payment Deadline

September8

Artist Guidelines

October 1

 

 

We look forward to your submission and a very profitable holiday season!

 

Diverse Markets Management Team

Mike Berman, Executive Director

 

 

The Downtown Holiday Market is produced by Diverse Markets Management and the Downtown DC Business Improvement District.

 

To Register Online:

Diverse Markets.net

 

For More Information:

Info@diversemarkets.net

202.543.3370

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sorry,  I would never try to get into this show because I am not here during December.  but I had no idea it was one of those "anyone with the entry fee is welcome" type.

 

I have a friend who took over the craft section of the local fair because she could no longer stand the booth with the Australian cowboy hats, molded pots with splashes of odd glaze colors or the ones with Barbie doll clothes.  first thing she did was change it from kindergarten sounding Arts and Crafts to Handmade Crafts. 

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... she could no longer stand the booth with the Australian cowboy hats, molded pots with splashes of odd glaze colors or the ones with Barbie doll clothes."

If I were going to run an art/craft fair (and I've considered it, since I live in a neighborhood with a business district that is revitalizing itself toward an "art district"), I'd take a cue from the Eugene Saturday Market (an art market with a mission of promoting art):

  • The maker is the seller (family counts), which eliminates imports.
  • Contribution of the maker must outweigh contribution of purchased components.
  • A handful of craft-specific rules (such as decoration applied to clothing must be of the maker's design).

Clearly, the review committee has its hands full... there's a lot of "art" that's not clear-cut, and their exact rules are often revised.  But they take the overall quality and reputation of the Market seriously.

 

Someday I'll vacation in Oregon so I can visit the Saturday Market. :)

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... she could no longer stand the booth with the Australian cowboy hats, molded pots with splashes of odd glaze colors or the ones with Barbie doll clothes."

If I were going to run an art/craft fair (and I've considered it, since I live in a neighborhood with a business district that is revitalizing itself toward an "art district"), I'd take a cue from the Eugene Saturday Market (an art market with a mission of promoting art):

  • The maker is the seller (family counts), which eliminates imports.
  • Contribution of the maker must outweigh contribution of purchased components.
  • A handful of craft-specific rules (such as decoration applied to clothing must be of the maker's design).

Clearly, the review committee has its hands full... there's a lot of "art" that's not clear-cut, and their exact rules are often revised.  But they take the overall quality and reputation of the Market seriously.

 

Someday I'll vacation in Oregon so I can visit the Saturday Market. :)

 

The trouble is even with a great mission statement-that is far from enough.

People do not tell the truth or send in real photos of the work

They twist the story so an import item sounds and looks like they made it-its very hard from images and applications only to find this out.

Its now about policing the show for these trolls-they are geting more mainstream and succesful sneaking into shows.

I know this from working both sides of show-being on the board on a show and doing shows past 40 years.

Mark

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You are so right Mark! I was a member of a jury to select handmade crafts and the job made us all C R A Z Y.

 

Not just the out and out blatant liars who claimed to be handmade but could fill an order for a thousand in a week. Or those who imported, changed one thing ... like the packaging ... and called it theirs. Bought raw silk and painted on a couple marks and called the whole thing American made. The uproar from photographers as to what was an original print and what was not. Painters fighting over other artists postcards of their own work ... but printed overseas.

 

That assignment was a true case of no good deed going unpunished!

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