Free resources to help you find vendor events to set up your booth.
Now that you’ve read all about what to do before and after signing up for an event from our last post (What to do before & after signing up for vendor events) you’re ready to start looking for events! But how? Don’t worry! We’ve got you covered for that, too! Here’s the main sources we’ve had good luck with.
- Social media
- Event websites
- Google searching & more
Social media
The main social media platforms useful for finding events are Facebook and Instagram. I prefer Facebook, personally. Here’s a few ways to search:
- Find Facebook groups with keywords such as “vendors”, “vendor events” etc plus the name of your city/state and several should pop up. If not, try searching with popular surrounding city names. Some areas also have words like “upstate” “middle” etc so try those, too! These groups are for coordinators to post upcoming events and vendor searches and also for vendors to post looking for events. Don’t forget to be careful when looking into the events shared in these groups! Most of them are legitimate, but some can be scammers. Refer back to our (post link here) post for tips on how to spot a scammer.
- Search the events section on Facebook. Use the location settings to keep results local and search keywords like “craft fair” “market” “festival”. You can also search categories like “shopping”. Once you find a nearby event, check the about and discussion sections of the event for information about how to sign up as a vendor. You can also see who is hosting the event and message the coordinators. *Also, if you scroll to the bottom of an event page, it will show “suggested events” with more!
- Search “pages” on Facebook. Use words like “event planning/planner” for coordinators’ business pages where you can find all of their future events and vendor info. You can also search “craft fair” for annual events’ information pages. Try filtering the results for your location if you don’t see any in your area on the first page.
- For Instagram, try searching hashtags specific to your area. For example, #tnevents. Then, click “most recent” so you aren’t looking through old posts. When you find a post about a local event, click on the account’s profile to find more info.
Event websites
Here’s a few websites created to find events for all over. While the websites are not specific to craft fairs, it’s easy to search what you’re looking for.
Google search & more
- Google search can help with finding results all across the web in one place. If you use google search in your phone’s browser and you are also signed into your social media account(s) on your phone, search results on Google will also include any Facebook events related to your search.
- Search your city’s chamber of commerce website.
- Network at other events you attend as either a vendor or shopper. When vending, ask your neighbors for future show information, reputable coordinators, venues near you, etc. When shopping, ask for the coordinator to chat with about any future events they’re hosting.
- Search for local event venues’ websites and find their online calendar with all future events being held there and do a search on the ones you find.
Good luck!
Check out our Craft Fair Essentials post for everything you need to set up your first booth! You can also find our free printable checklist Vendor checklist (FREE printable!) for more information about what you’ll need for the big day.
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