This weekend we went to another failed attempt at a food festival downtown.
Guys, I love festivals and I rarely get to leave the house so that's why I keep trying them out.
I think I'm done now.
This one was the best of the worst.
It was supposed to be a Cajun catfish festival, right?
But there was no cajun catfish!
There were two vendors selling catfish - but for a CAJUN CATFISH FESTIVAL there was a terrible lack of CAJUN CATFISH aaaaand FOOD.
There were about 8 food vendors, it was the same ol' same ol' corndogs and stuff and they were sooooo spread out over a very large area it was ridiculous.
Let's give them an "B+" for effort - there was a magician this time. He was great but there was hardly anyone there to make a decent audience for him.
And there was an (Albanian? Hispanic?) Elvis impersonator. He came under the magician's tent and took all the poor guy's attention away. People started swarming him for photos and followed him when he walked away to hide in his pearl-white Escalade.
We ended up getting two boudin balls (boudin rolled into balls, battered and deep fried), a Nacadoches meat pie and a whole tilapia.
So here's really why I'm so frustrated about this festival in particular. The hosts did not and WOULD not advertise the event! Almost as if they didn't want to succeed!
When I heard they were looking for vendors, I made a vendor call post and posted on my Events in Texarkana Facebook page. I asked them to make an event page so I can share and they didn't do it - so I did it for them. Their flyers were missing important info like admission and times and people were coming to me for more info about the event because I was the only one advertising!! I stepped up and helped them promote the event, never letting them know that it was me pushing the event info so hard.
Even after all I did to help - the attendance was still low and I'm sure it's because people have learned their lessons about these "food festivals" that keep coming up. The vendors leave early because no one is showing up and no one is showing up because no one knows about the events!
So when people come in the afternoon or early evening, almost everyone is already gone.
Hispanic Elvis knew about the festival though...
Hispanic Elvis didn't sweat in leather in 97F Texas weather...
Hispanic Elvis is not human.
No worries, River. I'll find you a good festival. Even if I have to create it myself... er, again.
So what are the festivals like where you live?
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Bummer. I hate it when I make an effort to go somewhere and it turns out lame.
ReplyDeleteThat was very nice of you to try to promote the event for them. Very stupid of them not to want to promote it. I guess they wanted to fail.
Love the pink runners!
bisous
Suzanne
Hispanic Elvis is quite yummy-looking!
ReplyDeleteYour kids are so cute. Do they at least have fun at the festivals?
We don't have much here but I like to get a lemon shake-up when there's a stand and sometimes some kettle corn. I'm not one for corn dogs.
Aaaaaw....Hollie, you are one awesome chica! That's really nice what you did for the event. It's really sad that even the hosts didn't do anything to promote it:( Even a small town can have a great festival if a lot of work is put into it. I live in a big city so obviously, I can't compare, but here's hoping for more planners like you who are passionate about these festivals. XOXO
ReplyDeleteI despair at organisers of events who do nothing to promote and then wonder why it isn't a success. Fair play to you for trying so hard to publicise what could have been a great day out.
ReplyDeleteElvis looks amazing! xxx
That's sad. Like you, I get excited about such events and if they turn out to be busts, then it's Disappointment City.
ReplyDeleteFestivals are small in Asheville because it's not a huge town, but they usually have super cute booths and things.
ReplyDeleteIt is so sad that you are a real live festival girl and the festivals are kinda bummer. And there you are all pretty in your pink tennies and everything!! I just know that one of these days there will be an awesome festival where you live and they will crown you Queen! The festivals around here are crummy in another way. They are mostly filled with booths from businesses trying to promote themselves and restaurants where they overcharge for little itty bitty food portions. It's pretty corporate which is so unfestival-like. My family lives up in Montana and they have some kick-ass festivals up there.
ReplyDeleteYay for Hispanic Elvis!
ReplyDeleteone in March and one in August. The August one in a BBQ cook-off, outside, in August (we take the food home and eat in the A/C) I spent the 4th binge watching Wayward Pines with my best. It was way to hot in S.Carolina to go outside. Lord have mercy!
ReplyDeleteWe have food truck nights where about 6 food trucks come out. Different kinds of food and fun to try new things with live music. The festival you went to does look pretty uneventful from pics you showed. I'm sorry, but you look great!
ReplyDeleteWell that's too bad, adlthough the food you guys got does sound good. I'd never heard of boudin so had to look it up.
ReplyDeleteFestivals here are usually too crowded, especially the food ones. There's a big food one in the Greek neighbourhood that is so incredibly busy that we don't go anymore, even though I love Greek food.
It was good of you to help promote that festival. Maybe one day someone will pay you as a promoter. It certainly sounds like you know how to do it!