Event Preneur Pro

14/08/2024

😆

13/08/2024

Courtesy of Buttonfull Creations.

09/08/2024

Drawings that were gifted to Bluey & Bingo last Saturday. A little girl originally brought these in to be autographed, but then she decided to gift them as presents instead!

08/08/2024

The City of Buffalo Animal Shelter is at FULL Capacity. If you’re looking for a new fur baby or can foster please consider stopping there.

08/08/2024

Here's a creative recycling idea for the garden!

05/08/2024

We're now booking for 2025 and have 2 locations to choose from. Please email us at [email protected] for show info and apps.

03/08/2024

We wanted to express our appreciation to everyone who came out in the rain and humidity for today’s event! Now it’s time for us to take a short break for the next 6 weeks, so we hope everyone enjoys the rest of summer! The next time you see us, school will be back in session, the weather will be getting a bit cooler, and it’ll be only a few days away from the beginning of autumn!

03/08/2024

Hope to see you later today!

02/08/2024

Creative clay pot decorations.

28/07/2024

Our Beat the Heat show is coming up on Saturday, so it’s time to leave a little teaser of who’ll be at the event! If you’re planning on being there, head over to the event page and show off what you’ll be bringing!

25/07/2024

The Amherst Public Libraries brought Bluey in to their Hopkins location for two back to back meet & greets this week, and this location knew their Bluey episodes! They had a few dance parties, played with Wackadoo dice, pretended they were flying fruit bats, broke out their Bob Bilby puppet, played Bluey Says, and read The Creek for story time! It was the most involved we’ve ever seen a library get for a Bluey party!

24/07/2024

It's time to share a few basic guidelines for everyone going to the Bluey & Bingo Meet & Greet at the Polish Falcons in Depew on 8/3 from 12-2!

Admission is FREE, but tickets are still required. They can be obtained at the table in the lobby, and make sure every person in your group who wants a picture has their own ticket. We are also requesting donations for the City of Buffalo Animal Shelter.

Once you have your tickets, follow the BLUE line on the floor to get to Bluey and Bingo. If you're not standing on the blue tape then you're not in line. And if the line reaches the interior doors to the event room, it will continue outside to keep everything safe and comply with fire code. Please remember this is a free event, so expect to wait in line.

Once you reach the end of the line, please give your tickets to the handler wearing the STAFF badge so you can take pictures with Bluey and Bingo!

20/07/2024

How not to be a “Karen” at an art fair by Patti Digh.
There's only one step. It's not that hard.

So, you’re downtown in the blazing sun with hundreds of people around you, walking slowly through an arts and crafts fair. People are bumping into you. You’ve been there. The food trucks are at the other end of the promenade, emitting smells of gyros and pretzels with salt the size of diamonds. Firefighters hand out neon pencils to the children who are in awe of them (the firefighters and the pencils). Kids race-walk to the cotton candy vendor. People with questionable sartorial decision-making abilities are making fun of some of the art on display. There are music sounds in the background as a band warms up.

There are likely white tents above the wares of artisans who are hoping to catch your eye as you do this particular slow march of humanity past them. You try to see what’s for sale with a quick glance without looking at the seller, so you don’t feel compelled to stop and chat. You know you do this. These are people who got up at the crack of dawn that morning to be part of the fair; whether you like their art or it’s just not to your taste, at least offer a hello. They have made things and are offering them to the world. That is a Strong Offer. And that is hard to do.

Something does catch your eye. It is beautiful, and you would like to have it in your very home to admire daily. You love what it moves in you. You want to touch it and wake up to it in your house. Or it is the perfect gift for Aunt Agnes’ 80th birthday next month.

Here is one sure-fire way to not be a dick about purchasing it:

Never utter the words, “Would you take less for it?”

You love it, you want it, and the human being in front of you has actually MADE IT WITH THEIR OWN HANDS, using their creative spark to do so. That takes talent, skill, learning, and time spent perfecting their art over a lifetime, not to mention the artistic genius of a caliber that has moved your heartstrings to the point of desire.

Now is not the time to low-ball. Do that at the grocery store and see where it gets you: “Hey, would you take less for these eggs?” Or, “I’ll give you $2.00 for that 20-pound tub of cat litter.” Or how about at Home Depot? “Hey, can I have that electric saw for free? I’ll make good use of it.” Or at the car dealership? In fact, do it there. See what happens. Get it all out of your system there.

Only negotiate price (not value) with big companies, not individual artisans or small businesses whose margins are tiny. I don’t understand this behavior. We don’t negotiate at the Piggly Wiggly, but it becomes a national pastime when dealing with artists and individuals who are trying to make their way in the world by writing or making music or some other creative act. It is unseemly, and you don’t want to be unseemly, do you? (Plus, most of the time, we should be paying more than what an artist is asking.)

So, no, don’t do this haggling. Pay the price the artist has assigned it. They know much better than you what it took to create the thing you love—and it didn’t just take the time it took to paint it. It took a lifetime of knowing. And they, too, need to make a living—and artists deserve to make a fine living for all they bring to the world. And you need to value that with the money you made with your own little hands.

A lot of people own small businesses. And we get asked all the time for discounts or freebies. And many people are artists and musicians and creative sparks who try to make their living making their art. AND ISN’T THAT FANTASTIC!

You know what isn’t fantastic? When you ask for that better deal. Do pay what the artist has suggested is fair for their time and expertise. And always be grateful that there are people in the world making art.

Other things that are not fantastic:

1) Asking writers and artists and other small business owners why their stuff costs so much or why they can’t give you a free whatever. That is far from fantastic. Please. Go ask for a free car, instead. They can afford to give you one; we can’t.

2) Seeing art made by someone, telling them you could make that yourself, and then making it yourself rather than buying it from the person who actually had the idea in the first place. Not cool. Support artists in the way you would like to be supported if you were sitting in the sun all day at a craft fair with your heart splayed out on the tables in front of you.

3) We all love a deal. I know that. Ask big box stores for deals, not individuals. Also, when you buy a book for a big discount, no author is getting anything from that sale. We barely get anything when you buy it for full price.

4) If you commit to purchasing something that involves the payment of money, follow through on your commitments. This is particularly true if the artist has provided a payment plan to make it easier for you.

I always hire poets, writers, artists, and musicians for my Life is a Verb Camp. Camp doesn’t turn a profit and I’m not made of money (what an understatement!), but here is my statement about hiring artists for Camp:

I have always hired poets as our keynote speakers because I believe that poets deserve and need our support. I don’t ask their fee because most would lowball themselves, but rather, I offer my generous fee to them. If it is not enough, I understand that, but I don’t want to pay less than that to anyone, regardless of whether they would have asked for less.

We have got to support people who are making our world more beautiful and more meaningful with their work.

Carry on and buy art.

Love,Patti

P.S. Don’t even tell me you’ve ever said, “I could do that” at an art fair. The point is, you didn’t do it. They did. Go put your hypothetical art on your wall if you must, but hush up. [Disclaimer: This whole post might have been written by Cranky Patti.]

14/07/2024

I wanted to give a quick THANK YOU to everyone who was at our Christmas in July show yesterday! As most of you know, a lot of the time you’ll hear dry sarcasm coming out of my mouth, but I always try to be polite and helpful as well. Last night, we got this message from a gentleman who was assisting our baker with her table yesterday, and I always appreciate receiving feedback like this!

13/07/2024

The Grinch came dressed in his Hawaiian leis and donut floatie for today’s show.

10/07/2024

After accidentally oversleeping for about 30 minutes this morning, I opened my windows to be greeted by a hawk resting in my backyard. And what a distinguished gentleman he is!

07/07/2024

03/07/2024

This handmade piece is courtesy of Faye Sunflowers.

02/07/2024

Unknown artist