Farm Fest Journal: Two Weeks Before the Gates Open

There are exactly two weeks until Farm Fest.

On paper, that sounds like plenty of time.

In reality?

It feels like tomorrow.

People often ask what it's like organizing a festival. Most visitors only see the finished event—a beautiful day filled with handmade vendors, delicious food, live music, workshops, and families enjoying themselves.

What they don't see are the weeks leading up to opening day.

So I thought it would be fun to start sharing a behind-the-scenes look at what life is really like during the countdown to Farm Fest.

Welcome to the Farm Fest Journal.

The Marketing Push Is in Full Swing

This is probably the busiest marketing period of the entire year.

Every day we're trying to introduce people to another reason to visit.

We're sharing vendor highlights, creating graphics, writing blog posts, updating the website, posting on social media, and reaching out to local communities.

By now, people should be seeing Farm Fest everywhere.

That's the goal.

Not because we want to overwhelm anyone—but because life is busy, and sometimes it takes seeing an event several times before it finally makes it onto someone's calendar.

Every Vendor Represents a Dream

One thing I think about often is that every booth at Farm Fest represents someone's business. Being a handmade vendor myself. I also attend vendor events through the year. So I know what it takes to attend these events. I know the hours of work, what it takes to pack, set up, and tear down. The exhaustion. The hope of a good sales day. I live it too.

Some vendors work evenings after their full-time job.

Some spend months preparing inventory.

Some are attending their very first festival.

Others have become familiar faces over the years.

Each one has invested time, money, creativity, and hope into this event.

That responsibility isn't something I take lightly.

I genuinely want every vendor to have a wonderful day.

My absolute main focus is supporting the vendors. It weighs very heavily on me that it is my responsibility to provide them with a positive experience. From easily being able to apply, and pay their fee to communicating about setting up, to getting customers in the door, I take every part very seriously.  

The Little Details Start Taking Over

This is when the seemingly endless checklist gets very specific.

Questions like:

• Do we have enough signs? What kinds of signage do we need this year? Parking, directions to the restrooms? We always need more signs.

• Have all the vendors sent their photos? Getting the vendors to send in current photos of what they will be bringing to Farm Fest! We want the customers to get a sneak peek of what they will see!

• Handing out fliers and handouts supporting the event. We want to stay on the top of everyone's mind.

• Are the workshop schedules finalized? We keep trying to expand the workshops up to the week of Farm Fest, so scheduling is a day to day event up to Farm Fest.

• Do we have enough tables-chairs-toilets-tents? We already have them on order, but do we need add more to the order? How many people are we thinking will attend??

• Are the yard signs ready? Putting out the signs around town is something I do the weekend before Farm Fest. I don't want them getting stolen, damaged, or thrown out, or in peoples way. Nothing is worse than a sign littering the side of the road for an event that is long over!

• Is every website link working? We try to link to our vendors websites and Facebook pages, are all the links working? I will keep checking!

• I am sending out press releases to the local TV and news channels. We want as much free press as possible! 

• Did we remember enough trash cans-trash bags? We always need more!
  

• Do we have enough helpers and volunteers? I want to have enough, but not have so many that they have nothing to do!

None of these things are glamorous.

But together, they help create a smooth experience for everyone.

What I've already taken care of

• We've already secured renting the portable toilets and hand washing stations.
• We've already ordered the tables and chairs for the eating tent.
• We have allocated extra tents, but will wait for the weather to see if we will need to order them.
• I've already contacted my insurance provider to get an umbrella policy for the day of the event. This isn't cheap, but we want to make sure everyone is covered incase of an emergency.
• We have some volunteers and workers lined up. But might need more?

Watching the Weather (Just a Little)

If you've ever organized an outdoor event, you probably understand this one.

It's still too early to trust the forecast.

But that doesn't stop me from checking it.

More than once.

Every day.

The funny thing is that the forecast will probably change several more times before event day.

Still...

It's hard not to look. And stress out over every detail of it!

The Vendor Community Is Amazing

One of my favorite parts of organizing Farm Fest is getting to know so many talented makers.

Over the past several weeks I've been receiving photos, answering questions, updating applications, and sharing everyone's businesses online.

It's exciting watching the event come together one vendor at a time.

Every new confirmation makes the festival feel a little more real.

We are working to creating the vendor map now. Trying to position each vendor it the perfect spot. Each vendor has special needs: baked goods should be shaded if possible to keep thing from melting, we don't want to put two vendors with similar products close together, some vendors need two spaces, some need electrical hookups, some have other special needs. Some are friends with other vendors and want to be close to them.  We do our best to keep this all in mind! 

Behind Every Social Media Post...

There's probably another hour of work you don't see.

Creating graphics.

Resizing photos.

Writing captions.

Scheduling posts.

Updating links.

Answering comments.

We're also running giveaway posts. These take a lot of work with monitoring the comments and picking winners in a fair and random way.

It's a lot of work—but it's also one of the best ways I know to help our vendors reach new customers before the event even begins.

What I'm Most Excited About

More than anything, I'm excited to see people discover something unexpected.

Maybe they'll meet a local artist.

Maybe they'll find a tea they've never tried.

Maybe they'll watch a workshop that inspires a new hobby.

Maybe they'll simply spend a relaxing summer day with family and friends.

Those little moments are what Farm Fest is really about.

There's Still Plenty to Do

Over the next two weeks, the pace will only get faster.

We'll continue introducing vendors.

Finish preparing the grounds. The hay fields need cut to allow for parking. And I'll need to put all the hay in the barn for the farm animals. (this is my LEAST favorite thing to do before Farm Fest)

Double-check logistics. Double check rentals are arriving on time. Tables, chairs, toilets, tents.

Place yard signs around the community. We want to keep everyone reminded!

Finalize booth assignments. Get the map done and printed for the vendors!

Prepare for whatever the weather decides to do. Is it going to be a heat wave? We'll need some misting tents to keep everyone cool, Rainy? We'll need more tents to keep everyone comfortable. 

And probably make a few last-minute changes along the way.

That's all part of organizing a festival.

Why We Do It

People sometimes ask if organizing an event like this is stressful.

The honest answer?

Absolutely.

But it's also incredibly rewarding.

Seeing visitors support small businesses...

Watching vendors have successful days...

Creating a place where people can gather, shop, learn, and enjoy the community...

Those moments make every late night worthwhile.

Looking Ahead

In just two weeks, the quiet field where we're planning today will be filled with colorful tents, conversations, music, great food, and hundreds of people exploring everything our vendors have worked so hard to create.

Right now it's mostly lists, emails, and planning.

Soon it'll become Farm Fest.

And I can't wait to share it with all of you.

Follow Along

This is the first entry in our Farm Fest Journal series.

Over the coming weeks, I'll continue sharing behind-the-scenes updates, lessons learned, and the real story of what it takes to organize a community festival.

Thanks for coming along for the journey. I hope to see you at Farm Fest!