Tacomania
Jun. 29, 2008 at 10:29am
Chalk at the Tuesday Farmers Market on 6th Ave
The first day of the new farmers market will be Tuesday, July 15. As the new market manager, I am scrambling to get all of the details finalized and get this market off to a good start. One of the ideas that I've had for the new market involves chalk and lots of it!
One of the details of the market is the placement of all of the booths. Of course, there will be a master map for the market and each participant in the market is assigned a spot that corresponds to a number on the map. The booths are packed in rather tightly, so when each participant arrives and sets up, the placement of their gear and wares is vital. Some markets use duct tape and some mark out little lines to show the edges of each slot. For the new market, I think it would be so cool if we could have a chalked outline of each spot and a creative drawing of either the spot number or the name of the participant.
I think this is a fun idea. But maybe not practical. What do all of you chalking experts think?
- Could I find enough folks willing to volunteer their talents to make this happen? The market budget is small, but I could probably reward chalkers with something like a sticker, a bag, or a t-shirt, but the reward would be having thousands of people admire the art and knowing that you contributed to a great community event. Most of the booths will be on the street. Is the surface of the asphalt too rough for chalk? N. Pine is a fairly high traffic area. Would the drawings wear down too quickly? Would it be worth the effort? Finding a good time could be tough. The street will be closed to traffic for only an hour and a half before the opening of the market and the vendors will be trying to set up their booths during that time. It will be hectic, especially on the first day. If the chalk could be applied the day prior, that would be best. But the street won't be closed to traffic.
Okay, maybe this is impossible. That last point is a tough one.
Here are some more details on the market:
Thanks for allowing me to think "out loud."
Approximately 40 booths
Tuesday Evenings
July 15-Sept 30
Open 3:30pm - 7:30pm
Street Closed 2-9
N. Pine at 6th Ave (beside Schucks & Masa and in front of E-9)
 by Erik on 6/29/2008 @ 11:14am | Heather, What might work for the opening is to simply commission someone to make a piece at the entrance of the market or inside it. Basically an advertising piece for the market: Here's the masthead that that Frost Park employed.   and a couple more complex ones:  You could also have a nearby restaurant sponsor a with their logo or name in it.   Here's a good example: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hMiy7pR_EU A $75 certificate at the adjacent Masa Restaurant might work and be a good use of their advertising budget in relation to how they normally advertise. Of course, multiple merchants may be willing to advertise this way as well. Its a great way for them to literally connect to the Farmers Market. |
by Erik on 6/29/2008 @ 11:38am | The street will be closed to traffic for only an hour and a half before the opening of the market and the vendors will be trying to set up their booths during that time. It will be hectic, especially on the first day. You might want to have someone place theater type barrier around the work area like this:  |
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About
Hello! I'm Heather and I'm a bit manic about Tacoma.
I'll probably be blogging about my experiences in Tacoma as they relate to the environment (natural and built), social (in)justice, community building, economic development, bio-diesel, public transit, biking, gardening, home improvement, food & wine, and my little family (me, my husband, one dog, one cat). This is my first attempt at writing a blog - so please bear with me.
Contact: heather.ups@gmail.com
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