Mattie Kelly Festival of the Arts

I was very happy to have been juried into this show again this year.  This marks my third time there and my numbers were up from last year, despite unusual weather on Saturday.

Produced by the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation in Destin, Florida, this show is well established and highly organized.  The venue is perfect with ample parking.  The layout can be a bit confusing but it works and booths have plenty of space without being crowded.

I love that this show allows you to choose your set-up time on Friday.  I always opt for the first available time slot which is at 7:30 a.m.  Thanks to some very dear friends who own a condo nearby, we go over on Thursday to avoid having to leave our home in the wee hours on Friday morn.

Set up at this show is very relaxed and knowing I have all day long gives me the luxury of taking my time and getting things just right.  Zipping up the tent mid afternoon means lots of time to relax or this time around,  fret over the weather forecast.

Rain was predicted for Saturday but it ended up being very hot and humid.  Traffic was light and sales were slow.  I was not dressed for the weather and suffered for it as I felt overheated for much of the day.

Until...

Around 4:00, the predicted rain came in the form of spitting sprinkles and the temperature dropped drastically.  We went from furnace to freezer in a matter of minutes!  

Sunday was bright, sunny cool and comfortable and I was looking forward to the day.  We had a slow morning, but the afternoon brought hordes of shoppers who opened their wallets and walked away with treasures.  

I had an awesome show and I hope I make the cut next year.