Vending at the Alaska State Fair

Updated Feb 2, 2018

The Alaska State Fair is an awesome annual event held right here in Palmer, Alaska! The Alaska State Fair always ends on Labor Day in September and is in operation for the 12 days prior.  I have had the great privilege and FUN of being a vendor at the Alaska Sate Fair since 2011.  I own The Dirt Sheep which is the gift shop that is open year 'round here at the B&B.  The shop is literally a 10'x20' booth built as per the Alaska State Fair specifications. We use a slideback tow truck to haul the building to our spot at the fairgrounds.  Having said that, admittedly it is a lot of work and the standard rate of booth relocation is $500 each year.  So, if you have any interest in securing a booth slot at the fair, you may consider setting up a sturdy tent, which we did for the first couple of years we were there.  There are pros and cons to that of course, which one huge 'con' being the wind that usually comes up at some point during the 12 days of our Alaska State Fair.

The Dirt Sheep, when located on the Alaska State Fairgrounds has a space on the Purple Trail, lot #P42 (lol, yes, almost like in Finding Nemo!).  The Purple trail is the same trail that the notorious Bungee Chair ride is on.  The Dirt Sheep is located directly across from the (also notorious!) Rueben Haus!  According to Jim Gaffigan they served him the best Rueben sandwhich he'd ever had.  ;) 

This location suits us well as the booths around us are of similar target shoppers, with woodworkers next door and other earthy, fiber booths on the same trail.  If you have a face painting, henna tattoo, hair extentions or Fool-the-Guesser type of booth, you would be wise to try to get a location on the Green trail or possibly closer to the log food buildings and rides.  Location can make a huge monetary difference, so be mindful of what is around you as you apply for a space.  If you have a product or service that lends itself more toward a certain clientelle, be sure to find out where other similar vendors are and try to get placed in a location that makes sense that way.  You can view the entire fairgrounds by color designation by visiting this link:  Alaska State Fairgrounds Location areas.  

Expenses to consider

To acquire a booth space you will be spending $1230 for a 10'(street width) x 20'(deep) space, for an outdoor location. If you prefer to be inside the Raven hall, you will be spending $2200 for a 10'x10' space- adding the luxury of being out of the weather and having indoor bathrooms at your convenience.  There are also accommodations for 'single-day space rentals'. For more details be sure to visit: Alaska State Fair Vendor Information

If you are considering hosting a booth or space at the Alaska State Fair there are a few things to consider.  The days are LONG and FULL.  Weekends the hours of operation are 10:00 A.M. to 10 P.M.  Weekday hours are noon to 10:00P.M.    You are required to be open and in service for the entire stretch of those hours, no closing early or temporarily during the day.  Be certain to get a parking pass in the color of parking lot closest to your booth/space location.  It is a distance to any of the locations and if you are carrying any daily goods in/out, just plan to bring a carry-on type bag on wheels.  You'll be glad you did.  For more details and answers to many questions, please visit:  Alaska State Fair Vendor Handbook

Lodging

One of the biggest expenses you will have to deal with if you are interested in hosting a booth/space at the Alaska State Fair is lodging! There are a few options.  You are allowed to pay for a place to camp on the grounds.  This will be your least expensive option (though not free!) but you may not get any actual rest. From many accounts, I'm told that the nightly activity and noise on the grounds can make it impossible to sleep.  After a long, very busy, noisy, people-intensive and exhausting day, I know I want nothing more than a quiet, warm, clean, comfortable bed!   Alaska's Harvest B&B is only 3 miles from the Alaska State Fairgrounds and since I am a vendor every year now, I only rent the B&B rooms and the 3-bedroom cabin, to other vendors at a special vendor rate. Vendors realize they will likely not even see me as I am 'living' at the fairgrounds, just as they are, and when I get home I want to drop into bed just as they do. I have some vendors who have stayed with me for over a decade and declare they'd never consider anywhere else since I am close, clean, quiet quality and other prices have literally skyrocketed during the fair, because they CAN! If I have no vacancy, I recommend a few other local places that are fantastic as well:  Alaska Knotty Pine B&B.    The Gathering Place B&B   as well as Alaska Garden Gate B&B and Cottages. There will not be an empty room in our valley during a single night of the 12 days of the fair. I have some who book a year in advance every year just to be certain to secure a great place to lodge. Alaska's Harvest is the closest B&B to the Alaska State Fairgrounds yet away from the fray and noise! If you have any interest in being a vendor at our amazing Alaska State Fair, give me a call 907-745-4263, and let's get you booked for a great place to land at the end of every exhausting (and profitable), exhausting (AND PROFITABLE! lol) exhausting day!

Keep your sanity!  

May 14, 2018

 Twelve consecutive VERY LONG, VERY LOUD, VERY BUSY days any place can make a person a bit crazy.  Days at the Alaska State Fair are no exception.  Be sure you take a break if you are manning a booth!  Take a few walks in the day just to get out.  It might even be helpful to make a planned trip thru the Alaska State Fair gardens!  They are often less congested and can bring a bit of solace in the middle of an otherwise "people/chaos" saturated day.  The weekends at teh Alaska State Fair are particularly taxing since the fair opens at 10a.m. and stays open until 10p.m.   Take a chest cooler or have a thermos of coffee in your booth.  Sometimes you just need to take a little break, have a refreshing or soothing drink and remind yourself that this is meant to be a fun venture!

 Make friends with the vendors around your booth.  There are times when no one but another vendor will understand what you may need to say.  There are fantastic repeat customers every year who make the entire effort very worth while, but now and then, there are 'those' shoppers who can truly dampen your spirits.  The vendors around you have had the exact same experiences and sharing them together can bring a healthy bit of laughter to the situation.  LET IT ROLL off of you and move on quickly to enjoy the next fantastic shopper!

Bring fresh products into your booth

While clients who frequent the Alaska State Fair each year do love to be able return to your booth for the items they love to find every year, it is always good to keep things fresh by adding this or that new item or new version of an old item.  Variety is always welcome, so keep things interesting by being creative in how you introduce new similar items.  AT THE VERY LEAST...rearrange your booth a little and improve it, update it, and make it just a bit more inviting every year.