Quack! Quack!

*** Don't forget the Mystery Basket for Stitchers Drawing - Only 2 more days to enter!! Details here.
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Once again, it was duck weather around here this morning ! Humans in the Mid-Atlantic region may soon be evolving into web-footed creatures with fins. History indicates species do evolve over time to adapt to their environment. Ours is WET - WET - WET !!!
Our neighborhood is now approaching 30” of rain in the last 8 weeks. Normal rainfall for that period is about 6”. Flash flood warnings are up almost daily. Folks are starting to ignore them, regarding them as “nothing new.”
There are a few good points to all this rain, though - We all now have waterfront property which should give it a higher market value. (Of course, most of the access roads are also under water every few days.) You can go crabbing right in your own front yard. Fresh fish is also cheap. Just open your door. They’ll swim right in and you can simply reach down and grab them. (What? Haven’t you watched “Hillbilly Hand fishing o TV, yet?)
Maryland farms, once known for tobacco, and recently struggling to find something new can now consider growing rice as a cash crop. I’ve even heard the water lilly may replace the Black-Eyed Susan as the State flower.
I miss being outside. There are usually so many wonderful Fall festivals around us this time of year. So, far, we’ve been to none. If they’re not held in a field, you’ve got to park in a field. We no longer have fields. We have swamps and mud bogs. The Big Guy refuses to take his car there.
Unfortunately, we don’t own an all-terrain vehicle. We did, however, try off-roading in my mini-van two years ago. I convinced him it was a nice day and we went to an annual craft fair held on a farm. We both had enjoyed this event for years, first as sellers and then as customers. It hadn’t rained all week before the fair. The field we parked in was fairly solid when we pulled in. After shopping there for several hours, many cars had traveled back and forth forming some muddy ruts on that parking lot (formerly grassy field). It had become one humongous mud pit.I handed The Big Guy the keys and said, “You’re driving.” Well, he floored it and we were off. His theory was “if we don’t hesitate or stop, we can make it.” It was an obstacle course of stuck vehicles, pedestrians plodding their way through the mud on foot and tow trucks working to pull vehicles out. We shot mud at least 20’ in the air but we made it to solid ground all on our own!

Mud dripped from the luggage racks and side-view mirrors. No one could have told you what color that van was. We pulled over long enough to scrape some peepholes in the mud on the windshield and made our way to the nearest automatic car wash. Finally, we could see out the window. There was still enough mud dripping, after that rinse, to garner lots of stares on our 70 mile drive up I-95. We ran it through our local car wash two more times that night and hand-washed it the next day. It stayed dingy for yet another couple washings after that.

The next day, the kids in the family gave us a “Mudder Award” and served chocolate pudding in our honor.

Yesterday, I looked at the calendar and mentioned, “Brandywine is this weekend.” He simply glared and said flatly, “Don’t EVEN think it!!”

I later heard him mutter to our boarder, “That was scarey that day!”

I hope to get there again someday - maybe we’ll have a drought next year.

Working the Shows Wednesday - Big Show Bites the Dust - Leaving Exhibitors In Limbo

It is with great sadness I bring news of the sudden death of the decades-old Brandywine Arts Festival in Wilmington, Delaware this week. --And, no, it WASN'T a victim of the economy ! (I don't think the butler did it, either.)

The show's demise was "sudden" in the sense that it was still a "go" two weeks ago. Organizers just didn't know "where" it would be happening. Sometime between Saturday and now, the show has been cancelled.

This week's show would have been the 49th annual occurrence of this large, family-oriented festival held in a State park along the Brandywine River. The show often attracted upwards of 20,000 people. Crafters have long considered this a good and profitable event. It was one of The Big Guy's mainstays for a number of years in the early 80s.

I was a bit shocked to see a news article on Saturday (9/5) stating the organizers had secured a location and would be obtaining permits this week. Whoa ! That left 4 business days to get the paperwork done and publicize the new site. What was happening?

It seems the organizer owes the State of Delaware (not the City of Wilmington) some money from last year's event. Sources put that figure somewhere between $6,000 and $8,500 for permits, police coverage, DPW and other related expenses. I can only assume they attempted to collect that money throughout the year and, as a result of the outstanding debt, withheld the necessary permits and use of the State-owned park for this year's event.

Apparently, the organizer then began a search for a new location and announced on their website in June that the festival would now be taking place at St. Anthony in the Hills in Avondale, Pennsylvania. However, no contract was signed with St. Anthony's. Permits were not in hand, proof of insurance was not forthcoming and police permits were not applied for. St. Anthony's refused to allow the event to take place on their property. Remember, there was never a signed agreement. The organizer never provided the required paperwork. She did, however, list the new location on the festival's website.

Last weekend, one week before the event, the organizer announced the event would now be held at the old Walker Farm in Hockessin, Delaware. Seems the site's owners, a development firm, wanted to help and had offered the new location. As of 9/5, the festival had not applied for permits from the County (with only 4 business days to go) but DID post the new site on their website.

One has to wonder how the general public (the potential customers) would find their way to the event. How much publicity could be obtained in less than a week?

So, where's that leave the artists and craftspeople?

Got a paddle ?

A little digging has revealed there are over 150 exhibitors who have paid their money and planned to sell there this weekend. Communication from the organizer has been poor. In August, some exhibitors were advised of a location change and were told the show had moved to St. Anthony in the Hills in Avondale, Pennsylvania. (Uh, oh. Warning flag !!!)

Let's start by saying this is NOT a non-profit organization putting this show together. This is NOT a cheap show. Spaces go for $300-$350 for a 10'x10' . A number of folks rent double spaces. Let's also note that the organizer had already collected somewhere in the neighborhood of $45,000 in space fees and at least $300 in jurying fees.

Communication has been poor, most recently, non-existent. The organizer claims she has had trouble with her e-mail account but has answered as many calls as possible. Crafters have stated the voice mail box has remained "full" and will not accept new messages.

Crafters were never advised of a possible location change when they applied for the show. Site changes can kill an established show and most experienced exhibitors approach site changes like new first-time events. Bear in mind, neither of the "new" locations were right-around-the-corner from the original site. At the most recent site in Hockessin, there is limited parking and the 14-acre property is located on a narrow 2-lane road. Local officials there had concerns about traffic volume and related matters. Again, remember, we're talking one week before the event!

The organizer claims all of these problems came about as a result of the State Police cancelling last year's rain or shine festival due to the remnants of a Tropical Storm coinciding with the event. The area was plagued by considerable flooding and there were public safety issues due to the storm. She supposedly lost $20,000 on the 2008 event.

Exhibitors are now in limbo. They signed up for a well established, successful show with a history of good attendance and decent sales. They did their homework and made well thought out business decisions. Will they get a refund? If so, how soon? It's a given they are out a selling opportunity on a prime weekend. It is unlikely any will find replacement shows on a day or two notice.

I don't have any answers for them. I can only sympathize with them and keep my fingers crossed they'll find a way to make up the sales. This loss was a big blow.

Stay tuned for more of "As The Show Dies." I'll try to keep you advised of any progress in this matter.

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I had planned to tell you about last weekend's craft show at Kipona in this space today. I guess, I'll have to give you a bonus Working the Shows post tomorrow.