Main Street Fort Worth Arts Festival Reviews -

Medium: Photography
Year you most recently exhibited at this Show:
2024
Your Estimated Sales at this Show: $501-$2000
Price Range of your Work: 50 - 1295
Number of Years You have Exhibited in this Show: 1st time
Number of Years You have been doing Art Fairs overall: Forever...
Attendance: (1 is poor, 5 is great) 5 (great)
Location: 5 (great)
Facilities: 5 (great)
Ease of Participating: 3
Sales: 1 (poor)
Overall: 1 (poor)
Booth Fee vs. Your Sales Ratio: Poor
Estimated Attendance: 50,001+ people

Good Things about this Art Fair:
Extremely well organized. Load in and out goes well - which is a considerable accomplishment given the size and location of the show.

Tons of booth sitters who are easily found when you need a break. The artist hospitality room is in a local hotel and it is amazing.

Met the Director - he is a caring individual who truly wants to help. Very personable!

The quality of art is exceptional.
VERY well attended with massive crowds.
Sales could be potentially massive too. But...

What could this Art Fair have done better?:
The organizers need to do something about getting the true buyers to go around to ALL the booths - not just a select few in the 600 block. The number of people really engaging with the art is VERY poor.

Crowd Quantity? Yes. Crowd Quality? No. Part of the reason is that the booths are crammed together. This makes it difficult to stand out - unless you invest in a double booth on a corner - which is really expensive and very limited in number. Only the prima donna artists seem to get those.

Advice to Other Artists Considering this Show:
(1) Pavillion tents are provided and strapped down to anchors screwed into the pavement. They are very sturdy. You setup your tent underneath these. Your space is exactly 10x10. A trimeline canopy will fit inside this space. Be sure to setup your roof on your trimline. Do not just rely on the pavillion tent to stop the rain. The pavillion tents have leaks. Setup your trimline so the vent on the roof faces sideways, not towards the front. This way, the slant of the trimline roof will match the slant of the pavillion tent. The fit is VERY snug. You may have to knock a few legs around with a hammer to get it to fit.

(2) Try to setup on Tuesday PM, instead of Wednesday. You'll have an easier time setting up.

(3) You only have 10x10 space. No more. Use part of that space for backup stock (build a wall out so that you can have a storage space behind it). Do not setup awnings.

(4) It will rain. Many booth spaces will have standing water. Plan accordingly. Keep your sensitive inventory off the ground. Bring water proof shoes. Bring a good rain jacket and umbrella. We had a full day of pounding rain, so much so that we closed early that day. Sales were completely killed. Horrible experience.

(5) It can get very windy. Take this into account when setting up your art. It is especially windy in the 700 and 800 blocks.

(6) You have two roofs which makes it very dark in your booth. Good LED lights are required!
Electricity is provided for each booth.

(7) I have abstract work. I am inclined to think this does not play well into the crowds. I think they prefer a more literal version of art.

Additional Commentary on this Show:
I will not do this show again for three reasons:

(1) The quality of patrons is very low. Very poor engagement with the art. This is extremely frustrating considering there are a LOT of people there.

(2) The booths are just too tight and cramped. Hard to stand out

(3) The weather can be a complete buzzkill.

I was expecting SO MUCH more from this show - I was thoroughly dissapointed.

Posted by: Jeff Gracz | 04/30/2024 at 11:03 PM

Medium: Digital Art
Year you most recently exhibited at this Show:
2018
Your Estimated Sales at this Show: $10,000+
Price Range of your Work: $500 - $4,000
Number of Years You have Exhibited in this Show:
10+ times!
Number of Years You have been doing Art Fairs overall: Forever...
Attendance: (1 is poor, 5 is great) 5
Location: 5
Facilities: 5
Ease of Participating: 2
Sales: 3
Overall: 4
Booth Fee vs. Your Sales Ratio: Great
Estimated Attendance: 50,001+ people

Good Things about this Art Fair:
Staff and volunteers are very helpful, always available and well informed. The crowd is huge and people do come to spend money. People with small items stay busy night and day, but there are big buyers here too.

Great artist breakfast, quality judging - awards went to top artists ( no I did not get one ) and show was consistent in quality.

What could this Art Fair have done better?:
Parking always seems to be an issue and this year was no exception. Several lots did not allow artist to park, creating some problems.

Storage is too far from booths in some locations.

Advice to Other Artists Considering this Show:
Bring help if you can. It is a long hard show with huge numbers of people to deal with.

Posted by: Anonymous but verified | 05/21/2018 at 01:39 PM

Medium: Painting
Year you most recently exhibited at this Show: 2015
Your Estimated Sales at this Show: $10,000+
Price Range of your Work: $12 - $3000
Number of Years You have Exhibited in this Show: 10+ times!
Number of Years You have been doing Art Fairs overall: Forever...
Attendance: (1 is poor, 5 is great) 5
Location: 4
Facilities: 4
Ease of Participating: 3
Sales: 5
Overall: 5
Booth Fee vs. Your Sales Ratio: Good
Estimated Attendance: 50,001+ people

Good Things about this Art Fair:
Excellent Sales. This is the best sales we have had in the last 7 years. Our sales were better than 5 weeks in Florida.

Bad Things about this Art Fair:
Somewhat of a hassle to set up under their tents. We had an end booth and part of our booth was extended past the end of their booth.

Advice to Other Artists Considering this Show: If you can get in DO IT

See my blog on ArtFairInsiders.com for additional commentary on this Show

Posted by: Wallace Fuller | 04/18/2015 at 11:54 PM

Show Name: Ft Worth Main Street Arts Festival
City and State: Ft Worth TX
Your Medium: Jewelry
Year you most recently exhibited at this Show: 2014
Your Estimated Sales at this Show: $5001-$10,000
Number of Years You have Exhibited in this Show: 1st time
Attendance: (1 is poor, 5 is great) 5 (great)
Location: 5 (great)
Facilities: 5 (great)
Ease of Participating: 5 (great)
Sales: 5 (great)
Overall: 5 (great)
Booth Fee vs. Your Sales Ratio: Great
Estimated Attendance: 50,001+ people

Good Things about this Art Fair:
There are very few areas for improvement. This show is the Best opportunity. If you are ever invited-go!

Great Urban setting on brick lined streets filled with really well juried artists run by a group that loves artists and promoting its city.

Bad Things about this Art Fair:
Not much. You can't control TX weather so Sunday was cancelled. But even with only 3 of the 4 days I still had a great show. You can count on wind. You can count on long days and you should have a helper

Advice to Other Artists Considering this Show:
Do this show if you get a chance. Texans are great!

Read your packet before the show. Bring you weights and or additional weights, stabilizer bars, big zip ties and more. Wind is normal there. Adjust your tent size to accommodate the poles of the tents you set up under. I had 3 of the festivals tent legs in my corner booth. I drilled holes in my set up so the overall foot print was 9' 8" and I squeezed in just fine. I made my stabilizer bars shorter too. I zip tied to their poles as we'll for extra stability. I didn't use my canopy top as it would been saggy. Not a problem as I was under their tent

Additional Commentary on this Show:
The volunteers were amazing and their was a team assigned for each block.

Show hours are 10-8 and the hours are busy. Bring a helper so you can have a break or extra hands. People drink and the crowd changes between 8:30 and 9pm. Best to secure your booth and put you feet up at this point.

Posted by: Kay Cummins | 05/01/2014 at 07:01 PM

Show Name: Main St
City and State: Dallas, Texas
Your Medium: Painting
Year you most recently exhibited at this Show: 2012
Your Estimated Sales at this Show: $501-$2000
Number of Years You have Exhibited in this Show: 1st time
Attendance: (1 is poor, 5 is great) 4
Location: 4
Facilities: 3
Ease of Participating: 3
Sales: 2
Overall: 2
Booth Fee vs. Your Sales Ratio: Poor
Estimated Attendance: 10,001-50,000 people

Good Things about this Art Fair: good location, variety of artists to view, give you your jury score

Bad Things about this Art Fair: Has become overrated. Seems very few local artists accepted. Seems if your art prices are not very high end you are not considered. They will send you an email site which explains the kind of art they prefer, implying the artist change genres. There overall attitude is the Festival and it's name are considerably more important than the artist.

Advice to Other Artists Considering this Show:if you wish to do this show make sure you have priced items over $2000 or you'll be out the first round. An artists creativity is not considered if it does not fall under their rules. The local artists are not seen because we've know their operations.

Posted by: Jon Smith | 06/15/2013 at 11:12 PM

Show Name: Main Street
City and State: Fort Worth, TX
Your Medium: Photography
Year you most recently exhibited at this Show: 2012
Your Estimated Sales at this Show: $10,000+
Number of Years You have Exhibited in this Show: 3-5 times
Attendance: (1 is poor, 5 is great) 5 (great)
Location: 5 (great)
Facilities: 5 (great)
Ease of Participating: 4
Sales: 5 (great)
Overall: 5 (great)
Booth Fee vs. Your Sales Ratio: Great
Estimated Attendance: 50,001+ people

Good Things about this Art Fair: Always a huge crowd and this year with near perfect weather it was no exception. Great sales all weekend, but especially Saturday and Sunday.

Bad Things about this Art Fair: Always windy and temperature can fluctuate wildly throughout the weekend. Wind can be really strong at times.

Advice to Other Artists Considering this Show: I always get under the tent the show provides to protect self and art from heavy wind and storms.

Posted by: Approved Reviewer, name withheld by request | 10/10/2012 at 12:37 PM

Show Name: Main St Fort Worth Arts Festival
City and State: Fort Worth, Texas
Your Medium: Painting
Year you most recently exhibited at this Show: 2012
Your Estimated Sales at this Show: $2001-$5000
Number of Years You have Exhibited in this Show: 1st time
Attendance: (1 is poor, 5 is great) 5 (great)
Location: 3
Facilities: 3
Ease of Participating: 4
Sales: 4
Overall: 4
Booth Fee vs. Your Sales Ratio: Good
Estimated Attendance: Not really sure.

Good Things about this Art Fair: Overall a great show, especially to us being 'Emerging artists'. Very helpful volunteers that always smiled even at 8pm when everyone else was grumpy and was trying to pack up and leave. Friendly people all around. Good weather and solid coverage from rain & wind. Our little tent fitted snugly under the provided canopies. Sold enormous amount of prints. We were printing at 12pm every night during the show to accommodate the next day's anticipated sales, felt like we were printing money! We had no idea just how busy it gets on Sat/Sun.

Bad Things about this Art Fair:Very slow at being allowed to park our car next to our tent to strike down & load up. Waited at least an hr and a half before we finally got in and away. Everything else was perfect and a lot of fun meeting lots of people including all the other artists, that weren't at all snooty or cold towards us newbies.

Advice to Other Artists Considering this Show:Bring a comfortable pair of shoes. Be patient with your square card thingy. it seems to jam at the big shows..Be nice to the volunteers! Even if you don't sell some big pieces you'll sell ltd edition prints have plenty. Get there early to set up. Traffic is heavy and confusing one-ways to boot!

Posted by: Lee Hay | 09/16/2012 at 12:10 PM

Show Name: Main Street Arts festival, Fort Worth
City and State: Fort Worth, TX
Your Medium: Digital Art
Year you most recently exhibited at this Show: 2011
Your Estimated Sales at this Show: Rather not say
Number of Years You have Exhibited in this Show: 1st time
Attendance: (1 is poor, 5 is great) 5 (great)
Location: 5 (great)
Facilities: 5 (great)
Ease of Participating: 5 (great)
Sales: 5 (great)
Overall: 5 (great)
Booth Fee vs. Your Sales Ratio: Good
Estimated Attendance: 100,000+ people

Good Things about this Art Fair:
Attendance
Staff
Artist Facilities
Sales

Bad Things about this Art Fair:
Parking
Wind

Advice to Other Artists Considering this Show:
Bring good weights and be prepared for the weather.

Additional Commentary on this Show:
Worth the time and effort. We drove for 19 hours and it was well worth it. I was on Main Street. Down side, no storage, but the sales were worth it.

The staff was helpful, the artist hospitality area was great. It's a long show and bring a helper if you can.

The winds were pretty bad, so be prepared. Same with lights. I didn't get much haggling, when you politely say no, there are no arguments. I am going to apply again.

For more of my commentary on this show please click on my name below to visit my blog on ArtFairInsiders.com.

Posted by: Stephanie Swift | 04/27/2011 at 07:06 PM

Show Name: Main Street Fort Worth Arts Festival
City and State: Fort Worth Texas
Your Medium: Pottery
Year you most recently exhibited at this Show: 2011
Your Estimated Sales at this Show: $5001-$7500
Number of Years You have Exhibited in this Show: 1st time
Attendance: (1 is poor, 5 is great) 5 (great)
Location: 5 (great)
Facilities: 5 (great)
Ease of Participating: 5 (great)
Sales: 4
Overall: 5 (great)
Booth Fee vs. Your Sales Ratio: Great
Estimated Attendance: 100,000+ people

Good Things about this Art Fair:
Organizers could not have been more helpful. Easy to check in, get in, load out, and set up. Dozens of volunteers through out the show, with clearly identifiable shirts.

They have a blast phone system which allows them to call your cell phone and deliver an immediate message to all artists who have given them a cell phone number. We were given ample warning that high winds were expected, and any assistance which we might need was offered.

Crowds were consistent for all four days, although our experience was consistent with other reports that sales tended toward the low end of our body of work.

Bad Things about this Art Fair:
You go into this show knowing that the days will be long, but if people want to give me their money at 9 PM, we will wait for them. It's an outdoor show, there may be wind or rain, be prepared.

Posted by: Linda Dalton | 04/27/2011 at 06:53 PM

Show Name: Main Street Ft Worth
City and State: Ft. Worth Texas
Your Medium: Painting
Year you most recently exhibited at this Show: 2011
Your Estimated Sales at this Show: Rather not say
Number of Years You have Exhibited in this Show: 5-10 times
Attendance: (1 is poor, 5 is great) 5 (great)
Location: 3
Facilities: 3
Ease of Participating: 1 (poor)
Sales: 4
Overall: 3
Booth Fee vs. Your Sales Ratio: Good
Estimated Attendance: 100,000+ people

Good Things about this Art Fair:
Good sales.

Bad Things about this Art Fair:
Too long, weather almost always rough, too dusty and dirty. Did I mention too long?

Advice to Other Artists Considering this Show:
Bring some help and patience.

Posted by: Willie McTell | 04/20/2011 at 09:24 PM

Good to hear about a successful show!

Posted by: Debbie Roberts | 03/03/2011 at 06:36 PM

Photography
MAIN STREET FORT WORTH SHOW--TEN DAYS ON THE ROAD--IT WAS WORTH IT!

Great show do it anytime you can get in. Lowend sales predominate the show. There is no stinking recession in Texas. There it is.

Top of the line work. You can have a booth on Main Street or in the artist square. People on Main Street maintain that they make better sales there. Pluses for them are that you are on the main drag. Crowds are huge and never-ending. Drawbacks--you are back to back--no storage area on site. It is dark, you need good lights. On the square, where I have been for two years now, you have room behind your booth for storage. It is also much lighter. Crowds don't feel so pinched. Usually it is very windy. You need good weights.

This was a strong selling show, as usual, there are always exceptions, sales were in the low-end price range. Funny thing about Ft. Worth. You assume all the wealth is in oil--but that is only part of it. A lot of money is in natural gas. Anyways they got it. They love their cowboy culture. They show up dressed in expensive boots,belts, and of course hats. And they spend. They are very polite. Very rarely haggle with you over price. They want it, they buy it.

Summary: --but we all were making money.

(Read the rest of this review at ArtFairInsiders.com)

Posted by: Nels Johnson | 10/28/2010 at 06:15 PM

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