Have festival, will travel
Vendors help bring in the crowds
By Jonathan Willis
What’s a festival without vendors? They can take care of your hunger and thirst while you enjoy the activities.
The Shoals and northwest Alabama are known for many things. The area lays claim to the Tennessee River, the Bear Creek Lakes, Wilson Dam and Spring Park.
There is the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Ivy Green, the W.C. Handy Home and Museum, Pope’s Tavern and the legendary Muscle Shoals musical-heritage.
The region also is becoming widely known for the various array of festivals it has to offer.The W.C. Handy, Watermelon, Alabama Chicken and Egg and the recent Helen Keller festivals draw crowds from all over.
People come looking to hear great music or to browse through the arts and crafts or just to get out of the house.
Some people, however, go for other reasons.
Food, clothing, and arts vendors are an important part of festivals, from Vina’s July Fest to the Strawberry Festival in Moulton in the spring.
"We like to have a variety of vendors so there’s something for everyone," said Franklin County Chamber of Commerce executive director Lisa Stockton, who spearheads the county’s annual Watermelon-Festival.
Rena Glass, of Haleyville, has been traveling to festivals and shows across the South since 1990 selling airbrush shirts, caps and car tags.
"It was a hobby that just kind of turned into a job," said Glass, whose company’s name is Unique-Apparel.
Glass and her husband, Benny, set up at 30 to 35 shows a year and begin scheduling festivals to attend sometimes as far as a year in advance.
"It’s a lot of work," she said. "It’s not like you just show up for the event and go to work. There is a lot of planning and getting ready that you have to do before."
The hard work is worth it, she said.
"Every show is different," Glass said. "I like that I get to create things for other people and every place is different. We just got back from a thunder boat race in Grenada, Miss."
Traveling is just part of the business for vendors at such shows.
Chester Watkins, of Florence, owns a Dippin’ Dots trailer that is sent somewhere different almost every week.
"We go to the Elvis Presley Festival, the Lawrenceburg Fair, just all over the place," Watkins said.
He said there are regular shows they visit each year, such as the Keller Festival and the Watermelon Festival, that are good for business.
"Some are good and some aren’t," he said. "You just never know until you go."
For Beth Brown, festivals allow her to sell children’s clothing that she makes at home.
A passion for sewing and needlework that she got from her mother and grandmother has turned into a work-from-home job for the Muscle Shoals mom.
"I started doing children’s clothes for my niece, who’s 10 now, and then I have been doing it for my daughter who’s 4," Brown said.
"I have a passion for whimsical, cute children’s clothes. I do mostly girls clothes, but I do a lot of monogramming for little boys."
Working at home allows Brown to work at her own pace and still spend time with her daughter.
Festivals are one way she has of selling the clothing that she makes. She also sells on eBay under the name, sweetlittlebelle.
"Word of mouth is one good way for people to know about me, but setting up at some places like festivals is another," she said.
Festivals also provide golden opportunities for civic and social clubs to host fundraisers.
The Franklin County Cattlemen’s Association has become known for their ribeye steak sandwich sales during the Watermelon Festival.
The group sells 1,500 sandwiches each time they set up. According to cattlemen member Tim Reed, the group was able to give 20 $500 scholarships to county high school seniors this year.
"All the profits we make goes to the college scholarship fund," he said.
Working as food or craft vendors at festivals is not an easy job, but for most doing it, it is worthwhile.
"I work a lot of hours, but we have a lot of fun and I enjoy it," Glass said.
Jonathan Willis can be reached at 332-0140 or jonathan.willis@timesdaily.com.
