August 25, 2009

So, how did I end up doing this show?  Awhile back I sent in my application for the Italian Festival in San Jose.  I decided to call them today to find out when they are going to send me my space number, etc.  I called the 'office' and was told to call another person in charge of the vendors.  I called her and she began looking for my paperwork.  At first, she mentioned that I was probably on their 'waiting list.'  I asked her 'what waiting list, there's no such thing as a 'waiting list.'  After being unable to locate my application, she told me to call the office again.  She told me that they would put me down on their mailing list for next year.  Yah, right.  I told her that I really have no desire to participate in this festival, since they obviously lost my paperwork.

The Review:  

Setup wasn't too bad on Friday, but when it came time to get in on Sunday to pack up, I found out how disorganized these people really were as the promoter kept changing her mind on the procedure.  This show totally sucked. Highly recommend staying away from this event.  45 vendors and very few made any profit.  Struggled to meet expenses and if you traveled and stayed in a motel, you got screwed. Crowds were small on Sat and a bit more on Sun afternoon.  People just not buying.  This show is off the beaten path and I am not sure if people in outlying communities are interested and this show might have just been a neighborhood block party.  A music festival, but the music wasn't too good.  The show was okay for attendees, but not for us.  Very bad and lots of vendors sitting in their booths most of the weekend with no customers.  Very nice selection of crafts, but they really don't care.  I do not recommend this for anybody, even food.  A hidden, sub-par tiny music festival away from everything and worth only $75 in TOTAL EXPENSES.

THE MISSING PAPERS.  I called the office (San Jose Italian festival) and was unable to speak to the lady who handles the papers there and was told that they would look for my application and THEY WOULD CALL me whether they found it or not.  That was many hours ago, so you know what happened.  I am assuming that they found my paperwork and do not want to admit it.  If it's not there, then where is it.  I checked with the Warsaw post office in Poland and they don't have it; I called French Lick, Indiana and they don't have it. I called the Tillamook P.O. and asked them to look around on the floor and they didn't see it.  I called the Post Office in San Jose and asked them to search their DBCS Machines and they couldn't find it.  Seriously, if somebody else received my application with my check, I am sure they would have attempted to cash it OR if it was a Boy Scout, then my check would be returned to me.

COCK AND BULL STORY seems to be what I was told.  My check was not cashed and I guess I'd better call up and put a stopper on it, unless these Italiano's would 'fess up and that way their noses would stop growing longer.

I LOOKED IN CRAFTMASTER for a show this coming week.  I kept in mind, our good friend, Nada who promotes shows at Meridian Square in San Jose and considered doing her one-day event on Saturday.  But this being a very nice weekend with no smoke in the skies, I needed a two-day show.  I found one in Grover Beach called the Stone Soup Street Faire, which is partially a musical event.  I pondered this for about a full minute.  We had done numerous events down there on the Central Coast and decided to go back there for this one, despite an estimated small crowd count of 8,000.  You never know.

BOOTH FEES WERE VERY REASONABLE, so I e-mailed them and got back a quick answer.  Before you knew it. I was faxing in my application and my payment.  Fees for a 12x12 space are only $150 PLUS $27.50 for a city permit.  So, after I figured everything out, my expenses were just a little higher than what I was spending for the San Jose event.

THE MOTEL.  I decided to use my 'CHECK-INN CARD' and searched their website for motels.  I found several in the area and one of them was Motel 6 in Pismo, believe it or not.   Yah, super.  I called them and they said they never heard of the 'CHECK-INN CARD.'  They then quoted me a rate of around $99.  Uhhhhh.  Motel 6... No thank you. No way. Maybe I called Motel Sex, instead.  I then called Vagabond Inn and they quoted me card rates of around $90  She then asked me if I was a AAA member and she then told me that she could give me rates of $71 and $73 (Fri-Sat).  I told her I would think about it.  I then went to my computer and made  reservations at Bed Bug Motel over in Atascadero, 31 miles away from GB (not Green Bay).  Whoops, I meant Motel 6 - where one of my friend's found bed bugs in his bed a couple weeks ago and there were some noisy pipes.  I booked the room for $68.95.  Later I decided to book a room at Vagabond Inn (SLO) for just about the same price and cancelled my date with the Bed Bugs.  Sounds like a singing group?  Now appearing in Atascadero.  Tickets only $68.95.

THE TRIP DOWN.  Already plan on detouring over to Morro Bay to stop off at Giovanni's Fish and Chips down on the wharf.  Can smell that halibut and chips right now.  Best darn fish and chips I have ever had.  After that, continue on down to SLO and check in at the Vagabond Inn, which is just around the corner from The Madonna Inn (where each room has an individual theme).  Stayed there many years ago at The Elegance Room, but nowadays, I would never splurge like that.  I go cheapo all the way. I don't think that I'll have a wireless connection, so you probably won't get to read about the show until I return home Sunday evening.  After we check in, I am  heading down to the festival around 5:30pm on Friday and putting up the canopy, grids, etc., and throw our stuff inside and cover up before returning Saturday morning to finish setting up. 

Friday, August 28.  Left Hayward around 11:25 and headed down 101 to Atascadero.  We had increased cloudiness as we drover farther south.  After we drove past Salinas, it seemed like the clouds could have been smoke from recent fires.  When we reached Highway 41, we drove across to Morro Bay and arrived at Giovanni's (below) around 2:50.  The weather was really nice with just a few clouds in the sky and temps around 70.  One of the nicest days I've seen there.  There were times when it was well over 100 degrees out in Paso Robles and foggy with temps in the 50's in Morro Bay.  Here's a shot of a small line at Giovanni's.



THE FOOD.  I ordered Halibut and Chips and my wife got the Combo plate.  After a wait of some 10 minutes, I received our orders and took them to the van and drove away.  We have been getting fish and chips from here for at least 20 years.  I'd say it's the best I have ever eaten and I highly recommend this place to anyone.  There's almost always a line there and if you go there at the 'right time' (wrong time, actually) you can come across a line of 15-20 people.  Once when we were doing a Street Faire in Morro Bay, I drove over there during an afternoon and there were around 18 people in line and I had to wait 45 minutes.  Every trip to the Central Coast events in Cambria, Morro Bay, Los Osos, Arroyo Grande and now, Grover Beach provides us with a stopover at Giovanni's for F&C.

We drove over to an area north east of The Rock and parked in a lot on the ocean side of the rock.  My halibut was delicious, of course but it seemed like the portion was smaller than normal.  I had plenty of fries.  My wife had a lot of fish in her combo and not as much fries.  Oh well.  We sat there eating while watching people doing a number of activities along the beach.  We left there around 3:30  and headed south to our motel in San Luis Obispo, Vagabond Inn.

HEADING TO GROVER BEACH.  We then left the motel and headed down 101 toward Pismo Beach, where we exited onto Highway One, the Pacific Coast Highway.  Hadn't been to Pismo, since we did the Strawberry Festival in Arroyo Grande several years ago.  I'd been this area many times before and enjoyed the drive to to Grand Avenue in Grover Beach.  There's loads of RV Parks in the southern part of Pismo and it seemed like they were pretty well filled up.  Several years ago, we took our motor home down there and stayed at one of the RV Parks situated close to the ocean.  We reached Grand Avenue and took a left.  If you go right, then you head onto the beach.  That's right you can drive right on the beach.  We haven't done that lately but it's a lot of fun driving through there, which is what we did around 15 years ago in our four-wheel drive Toyota Forerunner.  That was a lot of fun.

THE SHOW.  We drove about a mile down the road and reached 11th Street, where we turned left and looked for the street faire which was held at Ramona Garden Park. We found them marking off the spaces and they said that set-up begins at 6:00, in one more hour.  So we decided to continue down Grand Avenue in the direction of Arroyo Grande, which brought back many of our memories of the many year's we did the Strawberry Festival, which had a lot of people and was a pretty good show.

GAS PRICES IN AREA were around $3.05 to $3.09.

WE RETURNED TO THE STREET FAIRE AND began setting up our things.  Managed to get up the canopy, grids and covers.  The weather was still great.  Somewhat warm and no wind. just perfect for getting the canopy up.  There were around 5-6 others setting up also.  We pretty much threw everything inside and left at 7:00.




Saturday, August 29.  Arrived around 7:30, unraveled the covers and continued setting up.  Took a couple hours and by 9:45 we were done, with already a few sales from earlybirds trying to catch the worm.  The day started off quite warm and continued well into the afternoon, but sales sure as hell didn't.  That cooled off and went stoned cold for much of the morning.  Occasional sales and breezes throughout the afternoon. 

THE VENDORS.  I counted a total of 46 merchandise vendors. There were two perpendicular blocks of booths with maybe 18 vendors along with food booths on one street and the remaining vendors on the other, setup in quads down the middle of the street; don't know how we're going to all get out of here.   The promoter was saying that they had 25 new vendors this year and believe even more than that.  I spoke to 8 vendors and only one had said they were there last year.  While the lady next to me was setting up yesterday, I asked her if she was here last year.  She said 'no.'  I said 'uh, oh.'  I asked the Chinese couple in back of us and the man said "no."  I looked at him and told him "uh oh."  We both laughed.  Not a good sign.  I asked one of my other other friend's if he was here last year and he told me he wasn't.  I told him 'Oh shit.'  So, that about sums up how this show has been.  I was told that several years ago this show was pretty good and then went downhill for a period of time.

And of course, the music brought standing-room only crowds.

   

  


I WAS STANDING ON THE SIDEWALK and couldn't help but notice this father in back of me scolding his 10 year old boy for walking away from him.  He then walked away with him and met his other friend.  There was a group of 4 other people, 2 guys, 1 younger lady and an older lady and one of them called over to the 'dad' who turned around and greeted them.  He stuck out his hand and shook hands with a couple people there and introduced himself.  I stepped over and held out my hand, my name is Dave, I'm glad to meet you, George."  We then shook hands and I looked over at his friend.  "And you are?"  He then said his name was Bob.  I then held out my hand, 'glad to meet you Bob, and we shook hands.  I stepped back and let them talk away.  Friends for life.

A FEW MINUTES LATER, I was standing up on the sidewalk and a couple little kids (4 and 6 years old) walk in my direction and the little guy trips on the curb and falls to the street.  I then spread out my hands and yelled out 'safe' while he was laying there.  He looked up at me and smiled before standing up and walking away.  He saw his mother coming toward him about 15 feet away.  When he gets about three feet away. he begins crying.  WTH?  His mother reaches over and picks up the kid.  Wow.  The little boy turned into a young man in front of me and then when he ran over to mommy (way after the incident) he became a sissy.  I guess that a little motherly love will never hurt anybody.
 
OVERHEARD MY NEIGHBOR asking another lady about the Los Osos Octoberfest.  I heard her respond that the show wasn't very good.  "I'll second that," I yelled out to her.  Did it several times and it's no good.  People just go there to socialize and walk their dogs.  We laughed and the lady agreed with me.  

GRUB.  Picked up Sweet Rice with Mango for my wife, which was okay.  I had a Philly Cheesesteak (same food vendor from Zucchini Festival) and it was fair.  Not really great, but edible.

THIS IS ANOTHER SHOW that the promoter's did a decent job of putting on an event.  They did little wrong, but the crowds just weren't there.  Maybe just the wrong idea.  I understand that they did radio and tv spots along with other assorted ads.  I really didn't see anything along Highway One and I would think that well-placed signs could get people to turn onto Grand and up to the event about a dozen blocks away.  The people that came were not buyers and not much of them were really checking out the music.

THERE WAS NOBODY SELLING SUNGLASSES. Unusual. Amazing. In a show this size, I would expect to see at least 4.  Actually there was one guy with about a dozen on a table going for three and a half bucks an eyeball.  Nobody with shammies.  Didn't see anybody selling doggie stuff.  No cooling scarfs.



   
  
YOU KNOW HOW HARD UP VENDOR'S ARE when you pass by one with a sign that says 'Water $1.00.'  That's a good deal, actually.  We all have seen food vendors and NP's selling generic water for $3.00 a pop.  But this person was selling jewelry or something like that.  I saw a person order a water and the lady reached into her cooler and pulled out a water.  Now tell me, how many bottles of water are you going to get into that tiny cooler AND how much ice are you going to have to get.  I mean, do you have an ice truck coming by every 30 minutes dropping off ice for you.  You know, many years ago we did that at a couple flea markets.  We were selling jewelry too and we brought a LARGE COOLER (not a tiny itty bitty little one) and packed it with ice, water and sodas from COSTCO and sold them for $.75.  That did help because we would sell 3-4 dozen a day, but only showed about a $20-25 NET PROFIT.  They stopped us AND MANY OTHERS from doing that.  We never tried it at an actual street fair though and that was 16 years ago. 

SUMMING UP THE DAY, it was slow overall with a spurt here and there.  Nothing to write home to mom about and I definitely am not impressed with this event.  Stay tuned.  We still have Sunday to go and I am  not expecting any miracles.  However, I do not think I'll be coming back here next year.  I noticed a large number of vendors with very few sales throughout the day.  Not good.

           
 
IT'S A CRAZY WORLD, AIN'T IT?  After we left the event, we drove back to the motel.  I took a spin over to McDonalds to pick up something to eat. (no Sizzler tonite!)  I placed my order, which included a Big Mac.  The guy asks me if I want the special, which was two for $3.00.  He said that one costs $3.09 and I could get two for $3.00.  So, I said to him, "HUH?."  He then repeated the deal.  He points toward the sign on the wall.  I turn around.  "Okay, where's the camera.  Come on out."  We start laughing.  I looked to my left.  "Where's the camera, you're kidding me, right."  He then told me again that was their special and that's what I got.  As I stood there waiting for my order, I thought about selling my extra Big Mac to somebody for two bucks.

BACK AT THE MOTEL  It looks like a noisy night over here.  People next door outside talking loudly.  Hear a bunch of clanging in the other room.  Maybe they are taking apart the copper pipes?  Wouldn't be surprised.  Too bad I'm not getting up early in the morning, know what I mean?

FELL ASLEEP AROUND 9:45.  Was awakened by some people talking loudly a couple doors down from us.  Dozed off and was awakened again.  Strike two.  Fell asleep for another hour and then was awakened again at 1:30:  Streeeerike Threeeee.  I jumped out of bed and opened my door and determined that it was two doors down from us and coming from the Euro's that I had seen earlier in the evening going back and forth to their room with beer cans in their hands.  I stormed down there and saw 4 of them sitting in chairs outside their rooms.  Rubbing my eyes, I approached them and said  'This is the third time you guys have woke me up.  You know your voice carries all the way to the other rooms and I am sure that other people can't sleep also.  I guess it's past 9:30 in Europe, but this is Kalifornia and it's 1:30 and people can not sleep.  Can you please keep it down."    "Yah, ve veel try."  Thank you.  Three and one half minutes later, I heard them disburse after perhaps kissing one another good night.  Oh gootnight, Wolfgang.  Veel see you in da morning. Ah yes, goot night Hermann. I shall mees you.  End of that.  Why is it always me.  I can see it in the newspaper now:

BERLIN BOMBERS HOLD 72 HOSTAGES IN SLO MOTEL; DEMAND 6 CASES OF COORS AND 4 ATV'S.  Police have been negotiating with a group of German Commando terrorists who have taken over an enormous motel in San Luis Obispo, CA and are ready to accept their demands, which they consider to be outrageous.  They have herded their hostages into the large circular pool in an area adjacent to the parking lot.  Be sure to watch the 11:00 news when we will be coming to you live.  Marsha Rodiguez Santana Gonzalez Gomez Smith speaking to you from our station's headquarters in Pismo Beach.

Free Can of Ant Spray when you check in.
THE ANT PARADE.  I woke up early this morning around 5:30, which seems to be a regular thing with me.  Walked over to the chair in my darkened room and turned on my computer.  Shortly after it lit up, I saw a bunch of ants running across my screen.  Oh my gosh, this motel (Vagabond Inn) must be infested with ants.  Now I know why the rates were rather cheap.  Well, my friend had bedbugs in his Motel (Motel 6 - Atascadero).  Yes, the motel with a true meaning.  The saying 'Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite' is correctamundo.  How about this one....... Vagabond Inn, the place where your ant (aunt) stays for free?  I just hope I never run into 'Roach Motel.'  Well, the ants here check in, and they do not check out.  My wife is still sleeping and I don't want to inform her of the good news.  You know, if I tell her, then she'll start itching, thinking that the ants are in the bed.  Just a reaction, know what I mean.  Oh well, I can see the headlines now in the Midnight Tabloid:  



GIGANTIC KILLER ANTS OVER RUN MOTEL IN CALIFORNIA.  250 PATRONS RUNNING OUT OF ROOMS ONTO STREETS SCREAMING,  GOVERNOR TO CALL IN NATIONAL GUARD.
              
 
When daylight arrived, I looked at the table in front of me and I counted over 400 tiny little ants milling and scurrying around on the table.  I could imagine several thousand more stretched out on the carpet below and up and down the legs of the table.  Certainly more ants than the number of people we had at the festival.

Read 'Breaking News - Government Unveils Alien Technology as DigiAnts appear in San Luis Obispo.   Vendor News Forum.

Don't you just love reading those reviews people give sometimes.  "Good Crowd.  Had a great day with loads of buyers.  Made almost $200.  Man selling buy and sell next to me. Too much junk, etc."  Hmmmmmm.  Okay.

Sunday, August 30.  Left our motel room around 8:30 and drove over to the office for their CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST, which consisted of a drink and a micro-muffin.  Just a little something to start the day.  We drove over to the show and got there just before 9:00 am, a full two hours before the scheduled start of the days activities.  Some vendors were open, perhaps anticipating early sales. which did not happen.  Not even close, not even anybody walking around.  Maybe occasionally a lost soul or two.

PEOPLE BEGAN ARRIVING around 11:00 and started milling about.  Still sleepy-eyed from all the wild partying that must have been going on, they walked up and down the street occasionally stopping to browse.  Sales were slow in coming, but the weather showed an improvement over the day before, as far as they were concerned.  A bit cooler and more breezes throughout the day.



Nothing exciting happened.  It was just a humdrum kind of day.  I really feel sorry for the vendors who had to sit around the entire weekend with little sales.  Hell, I feel sorry for myself and my wife for doing this event.  I would have shown more profit doing a local show in a plaza closer to home.  I am pretty dissapointed in this event.

Saw one guy playing an air guitar as he was sitting down at a table with several of his friends who were probably pretending not to know him.  Need drugs?  Acid, speed. weed?  I offered to sell him mine for $350, but he said that he'd keep his.

I GUESS IF YOU TAKE THINGS INTO PERSPECTIVE, this was mostly a local crowd and being that, they did not buy.  I really didn't see any signs out near Highways 101 and the Pacific Coast Highway.  You still have a lot of tourists and passer's-by.  I really don't think that I saw very many and that's the only freaking way that a show like this can survive.  These locals do not buy.  Period.  You have 46 people selling a nice assortment of crafts and merchandise and they deserve better than this.  I talked to so many people who were disgusted and said that they were never coming back.  I actually spoke to at least 15 vendors, only one of which was here last year.

SUNDAY GRUB REPORT.  Got a Polish Sausage for my wife and it wasn't good at all.  Peppers and onions were good, but the sausage.  Uh uh.  My wife took one bite and I took another and threw it away.  Tried a cheese quesadilla from another food vendor and it was okay.

IT'S A NICE IDEA TO HAVE A "mini Music Festival" around there, but there are just so many things wrong with the event.  It's really off the beaten path and I don't know where you would stick it.  Actually, I know where you can stick it.  Great for this community but as far as the vendors go, just window dressing to make a sub-par tiny music festival look better.  If you are local, then you can chance throwing away $150, but when you have to double the expenses by staying in a motel, you are up the river and there is no paddle.

FLASH  BULLETIN:   AUGUST 31, 2009.  Huge foot-long ants appearing in a park in Grover Beach.  Said to have come from a vendor's car parked a block away for the Stone Soup Festival on Sunday.  They have doubled in size over the past 3 hours.  Scientists from all over the world are swarming all over the area.  The little toddler's love 'em as they are hopping on them and riding them around the park.