Special Weekend Edition: Guest Reporter & Farm Chicks Show Vendor Deb Kennedy
Park Lane Hotel vintage sign saying 'Farm Chicks
Show'
Hi, everyone… I'm Deb Kennedy,
and I am one of the vendors participating in the Farm Chicks Antique
Show in Spokane, Washington this weekend. When Gabreial put out the call
for guest bloggers to write about the show, I offered to share a bit of
a 'behind the scenes' perspective. My husband and I own 'Retreat', and
this is our third year as members of 'the Farm Chicks Family'.
The Farm Chicks Antique Show is more than just a great place for
thousands of attendees to gather from across the nation… it's also the
favorite venue for many dealers who come from near and far every June
for the show!
up at the show
150 of the best dealers of antiques, vintage,
vintage-style, and handmade goods participate in the show, and most of
them will tell you it is their favorite show to come to. How can you NOT
love a show that is all about the details? Three years ago, vendors
arrived to find boxed cupcakes in every space. This year, Celeste from
the legendary CHAPS Restaurant built a giant cake from junk to celebrate
the opening of her new business – aptly named 'CAKE' (What else?!).
She served the most decadent devils' food cakes to every vendor on
Friday during setup… a sugar rush that was most definitely
appreciated by over 200 people working like mad all day.
The decadent chocolate cakes that Celeste served to
the vendors today!
Preparing for Farm Chicks begins months before the show for vendors,
and it all culminates in the frenzied 10 hour setup day on Friday.
Trailers, vans, and rented trucks fill the parking lots, while hundreds
of people spend the day emptying them of thousands of pounds of
merchandise. Some vendors create settings worthy of film sets and store
displays, others manage to fill every last inch with finely-tuned
details. We are, essentially, owners of traveling stores, and we set
them up anew for every show.
It's hard work, but it's a lot of fun, too! Music plays, people chat
and laugh and oooooh and aaaaahhh over each others'
treasures, and a huge facility that was empty at 8 AM is transformed
into a wonderland by 6 PM. {And that is when we are kicked OUT by
security, so we have to be done!}
Photos are taken, hugs given, and an exhausted crowd heads out to rest
until the next morning.
When that door opens at 10 AM on
Saturday, the thousands of guests who come to the show know that their
experience at Farm Chicks is just beginning… for vendors, that's the
finish line! Saturday and Sunday are days to visit, share, inspire, and
make new friends as we sell our wares. The energy of the show affects
everyone present, and though Sunday afternoon will find us all
exhausted, both vendors and attendees alike will be thrilled with their
special finds, new friends, and wonderful memories of another successful
show. You really can't ask for more!
Serena Thompson, founder & owner of The Farm Chicks, is a
consummate professional and handles every detail with aplomb and style.
She makes every vendor and every guest at her show feel welcome,
appreciated, and like a valued contributor to the success of the entire
show. Is it any wonder why so many of us consider this the best
show in the country?! {No offense to Country Living Magazine, who rated
it #2 in the nation in the May, 2010 issue.}
I hope you all have a chance to visit the Farm Chicks Show one day,
or at least to view the many many photos of it that will soon be on
blogs, Flikr, & Facebook. I know you'll be inspired! You can find
out more at www.theFarmChicks.com.
Deb Kennedy is a designer & decorator, and co-owner of
Retreat vintage-style furnishings.
Visit her blog at http://hummadeedledee.
and her business website at www.RetreatStyle.com.
My farm chicks experience was amazing and wonderful. I met some very cool people and was so well received that my head is still spinning. The hardest I have worked and the greatest validation as an artist to date! Thank-you all for sharing your experience, I love reading about this event.