After starting her own crafting business and realizing the struggle for first-time vendors, Becky Corns and her husband, Max, are donating their time and space to be used for a large vendor fair today.
Beginning in May of this year, Becky decided to utilize the land at her Fayette County home for a free vendor fair to help promote local hand crafters and specialized vendors. After realizing the extreme cost – in some cases a fee to set up a booth for an event can be $200 according to Corns – and the impact it had on profits, she wanted to help.
“I decided to just organize the event and invited a few people, and after a while people were approaching me on Facebook or otherwise asking if we still had room, and of course we do so we continued to add more vendors,” Becky said. “I thought originally that we might only have maybe 20 or 25 vendors. I never imagined just how big it would be.”
Currently over 110 vendors and crafters will be at the Corns’ home at 6685 Boyd Road, just a short drive from Good Hope and Washington C.H. Included in this list are a henna artist, primitive decorations, hand made furniture, jewelry vendors, the Ohio Pickers, Rickety Persnickety, Past Thyme Primitives, Uniquely Yours, Jamberry, Grandpa’s Pottery and much more. Many of the vendors will be locals, but even vendors from as far as Kentucky and parts of northern Ohio are coming to sell quality goods.
“Most of these vendors are from close by and we already have over 700 people, at least on the Facebook event page, that have said they are coming,” Becky said. “I have a food vendor and a bakery out of Londonderry named ‘Yummies by Jaime,’ who will be here selling food to everyone who comes out. We have so much room to park out here and we will have a few carts shuttling people from the parking area up to the vendors. Out of courtesy to some of the folks who won’t be able to set up until Saturday morning, no vendor will be selling items until 9 a.m., but once that comes it is free game for everyone to buy whatever they would like.”
The event will also hold several attractions. The first is free face painting for children and Becky encourages parents to bring the whole family out. The other interesting addition to the event is a free raffle drawing. Some vendors have decided to put items up for raffle and patrons to the event can sign up for free. The items up for grabs will be displayed prominently, and there is no need to be present. The event will end at 6 p.m.
“I just really want to give back and help some of these vendors make some extra money,” Becky said. “Whether it is to help them expand or create more products, help them make money to pay for school supplies for children or just to help them get by while still creating things they love, I am glad to be able to help these vendors out.”
While visiting the vendor fair, remember to check out all the items available. Additionally, check out Becky’s own business, “Becky’s Country Candles,” while there.
