Wolf Branch Brewing Holiday Market
I recently had the chance to participate in my first vendor market! Wolf Branch Brewing, a local brewery, has an annual holiday market for artists and other local vendors. I had never done anything like this before, but my husband is friends with the owners and so I signed up for this year’s event.
(Shout out to my husband, who talked me down from a cliff. I was sure that I wasn’t ready, that my work wasn’t good enough, that the entire idea would backfire. He helped me figure everything out, ordered me business cards, helped me set up, and sat with me through the entire thing!)
I didn’t really have any idea what I was getting into so all my preparations were last minute and on the fly. This was Wolf Branch’s 4th year of this event. While they were experienced, I was not. I didn’t know what kind of crowd to expect. I was worried about the different forms of payment that I could accept and whether or not my ceramic Christmas ornaments would break before customers had a chance to get them home. What kind of packaging would I need to wrap up my art? Did I need to have a newsletter sign-up page? My list of worries was long!
A few days before the event, I finally accepted the fact that things were not going to be perfect. I could spend my time worrying about it or I could let it go. So I let it go.
The Day Of
We had initially planned to just have my art. At the last minute we decided to add some of my husbands photography. There were several pieces that had already been printed on gallery-wrapped canvas and so we brought those too.
My husband always get places early and I was anxious, so we were the first ones to arrive. He helped me unload the truck and set up, and then we still had almost an hour before the event started. I did know one other vendor that was there and I was lucky to have her set up right next to me!
Overall, there were only a handful of vendors so it definitely was not the big market I had been worrying myself about. There was a wood carver, a local jam/jelly maker, a ceramicist/jewelry maker, my friend, and me.
The market took place in a common space behind the brewery, so people having a beer could walk out the back door and see it. Passers-by could stop and shop too. My in-laws stopped by for a while too. It was wonderful to have their company and support!
There wasn’t a ton of traffic, but I made myself be social and talk with the other sellers and with the customers. Nobody sold much of anything (except to each other!), but I made some good connections and got some good feedback on my art.
The Takeaway
Even if I didn’t sell anything, the Wolf Branch Brewing Holiday Market was a pretty good first experience. I figured out what I needed to bring, logistics, setup, and some customer service processes. Most importantly, it bolstered my confidence. I will probably be looking into a few other local markets coming up!
Have you done an art market or show before? I want to hear all about it. Tell me your best advice!
