In case you missed it, I braved the 35 mph wind gusts and vended at the second annual Montclair's Earth Fest on South Park Street last Sunday.
I spent the weeks leading up to the event sorting the donations of arts and crafts supplies I had collected over the past year. I had so much more than I realized! I had to make tough choices about what to bring and what to leave behind. And as the day approached, and I saw that the weather was going to be my least favorite, windy, I put a lot of preparation into making sure my display would stay put and not blow away when the strong gusts whipped up.
All my efforts were worth it! Thankfully, the organizers gave me a spot that was a bit protected from the wind and I was locked down and unbothered by the gusts! My booth was popular and I was mobbed before I even finished setting up. I saw so many familiar faces, met lots of new people, and chatted with folks about the Montclair Creative Reuse Project, nearly running out of business cards! I also went home a lot lighter than I came, people were very generous and took advantage of my "Pay What You Can" policy, paying whatever the items were worth to them.
Last year I wheeled my gear over on my hand truck, but this year I wanted to bring a lot more goods so I rented a car. I used the opportunity of having a vehicle to pick up a donation from someone who had reached out to me through my website. She had a very large donation and lived about 15 miles away and the timing of getting the rental was key. Her daughter had a business that she was no longer operating and the materials I collected included glitter, metal tumblers, paints and accessories for decorating them, and so much more.
We loaded up the car and I drove straight to a local shop who I had contacted about the donation. It was more than I have space for and I believed the shop could use the materials. Indeed, they distributed the supplies to artists who can use them. It was a perfect example of my mission to facilitate the transfer of usable surplus materials from the people who have them to those who will re-love them when they re-use them!
Now I'm taking the success of Earth Fest and looking for more opportunities to pop up with the MCRP. I was offered a pop up at Yarnia over the summer so stay tuned, when I book some gigs I'll post them to my Events page. I'm still seeking donations so don't hesitate to reach out to me, no matter how small, if it's still usable but you no longer need it, chances are great that someone else does!
Thanks so much to everyone who came out to Earth Fest, and thanks for all the donations, it wouldn't be possible without your support! Gratefully! -Claire