Festivals

hey gang , what i am looking for is Festivals in VA where we can set up booths for the VCDL. places where we can get foot traffic. set up a covered booth and distribute educational material.

i really like to do these shows. one is to get the people that don't go to gun shows (i don't like to go to them). but also i like to talk to anti's

if you know of places we could do this let me know. Thanks Chris

I hate to throw a wet blanket on a great idea, but ....

Getting events to comp space is pretty hard to do, even those events that are if not OC-friendly at least OC-tolerant. They seem to be fund-raisers for someone - eben if it's just to raise enough money to do it again. Giving away $x (the customary space renral) to VCDL usually means they will be asked to give away $x to several other organizations that feel they are just as, if not more, deserving.

Then there is the issue of a differeinng of opinion between the event folks OC-friendly or OC-tolerant and the venue itself. I'm not going to mention the Virginia Republican 7th Congressional District Committee by name, but that's a good example. The 7th District Committee claims to be OC-tolerant, but they consistently have picked Snag-A-Job Pavillion as the location for their Republican Roundup. Innsbrook, the complex where S-A-J P is located, is actually OC-friendly. However, S-A-J P is downright firearms intolerant.

Richmond International Raceway is a mixed bag - no guns in the grandstands or (when the State Fair was held there) on the grounds during State Fair. Yet they host a gun show that welcomes VCDL and several of the events on the grounds are OC-tolerant. Meadow Event Park, the new home for the State Fair (if it's not in bankruptcy again) is gun-hating central, yet they also host a gun show that welcomes VCDL.

Now I'm not saying that someone working the VCDL table must, or even ought to, wear a gun. But there's something just not right about promoting your right to defend yourself at an event that will not allow you to do just that.

Now - to dry out that wet blanket. I'm willing (even eager) to show up and sit at the table, hand out literature, and talk with the folks. Wish I could help with the set-up and tear-down but I'm no longer able to. Finding events should not be a problem - heck, both the Commonwealth and most counties have tourism/conference bureaus that publish the information.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8lT1o0sDwI (naughty word alert)

stay safe.

There has been a VCDL table the past few years at the Louisa County Agricultural Fair but it is not comp space by any means. I am still under the impression the event organizer was attempting to shut it down last year by requiring all 'vendors' to provide insurance / bond. Saber rattling and not selling VCDL merchandise got around that and only donations and memberships were accepted. Additionally, three items were raffled off to new signups to the Alert. As always VCDL has been very well received by event attendees; a sea of GSL stickers flooded the grounds. There have been no issues with or concerned raised with OC or CC carry...yet as well all know how some things can change unexpectedly.
The next one will be August 2-3 so mark you calendar if your interested in volunteering your time. More information will be posted in a VCDL alert once it is available.

The exposure of the Ag Fair led to the direct request to set up a table at a local bowling pin shoot that occurs 3 times a year. It is $5 a match and 100% of the money goes to the adopted charity for that shoot. The fun to be had is well worth the drive out. The size of the table has been reduced over the past few shoots to allow the limited amount of table watchers more opportunity to compete but it may be time to set up a full one again due to an increase in event attendees. The only rule on carry is weapons must be holstered or cased and unloaded unless you are on the line (this does not mean empty mags).
The next one is June 22nd and I'll post the flyer once I find what I did with it.

You'd be surprised at the amount of people who had never heard of VCDL and are hungry for more information. The idea has been slowly expanding to events in other counties within the state as well. You can't go wrong expanding or getting in front of an entirely new choir as most people don't know there are highly effective state and local level organizations that do what the well known big national organization refuses to.

not worried about the comp. if i have to i will pay it myself. it's kind of like eating an elephant just do it one bite at a time.

getting fresh people is the main objective. we already have one in Hillsville and one in Christiansburg.

i would like to have more spread out over time.

i would like to check out the one in Louisa county i will put it down on one of my lists.

please let me know if there is anything in your way. don't know if i could do any toward the north, but i would like more here in SWVA. i think we could also get people to hold some in the north

Check out "Amelia Day" for next year. It will be on Saturday May 10, 2014 They close down the main streets and allow vendors to set up booths. Not all of the booths are commercial. One of our favorite anti gun legislators had a booth for his law firm where they were handing out information. There were other non-commercial booths as well. My wife and sister-in-law sold costume jewelry and did very well. My sister-in-law was wearing her "Guns Save Lives" button and got a lot of positive responses to it. Cost for a booth is $30 if your register early.

celticredneck said:

Check out "Amelia Day" for next year. It will be on Saturday May 10, 2014 They close down the main streets and allow vendors to set up booths. Not all of the booths are commercial. One of our favorite anti gun legislators had a booth for his law firm where they were handing out information. There were other non-commercial booths as well. My wife and sister-in-law sold costume jewelry and did very well. My sister-in-law was wearing her "Guns Save Lives" button and got a lot of positive responses to it. Cost for a booth is $30 if your register early.

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where's it at? is there a web site

papa bear said:

where's it at? is there a web site

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http://www.ameliadayfestival.com/

Google.... when not abused, it can be a wonderful thing. :lol:

There's a church in Powhatan that is putting something on called Freedom Fest. My company is going to have a table there.

http://www.freedomfestpowhatan.com/

ProShooter said:

There's a church in Powhatan that is putting something on called Freedom Fest. My company is going to have a table there.

http://www.freedomfestpowhatan.com/

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Don't forget, if the church is also a school, you can't carry there....

Roscoe

so with the Va State Fair being a big event then that would be a great place to have a table and have people there that dont attend gun shows. Perhaps VaGunTrader and the VCDL could team up on the cost of a table and both sides help man the table......if we can get our foot in the door.

I just emailed the fair about more info on a table.

got a response already....i'll go to their website and checkout their rules

Thank you for your interest. You may go to our website – statefairva.org and click on “Guest Information” at the top of the page, then click on Vendor and Concession info. You will find our application and our manual with all the rules, regulations, hours and requirements there. You may fill out the application on-line, e-mail or mail it. DO NOT SEND ANY MONEY OR CREDIT CARD INFORMATION AT THIS TIME. You may also e-mail pictures of your set up at the time you submit your application since this is a requirement to be considered for our fair. If or when we have space available we will let you know. We look forward to hearing from you.



Sincerely,



Lora Parker

Vendor and Concession Office

State Fair of Virginia Farm Bureau

http://www.statefairva.org/Portals/0/PDF Forms/2013/2013_Exhibitors_Manual3.pdf


One of the items not acceptable for endorsement are : gun shows



Also... . Vendors must provide the State Fair with a valid $1,000,000
liability insurance certificate
naming the: State Fair of
Virginia, Commonwealth Fairs & Events, LLC as additional
insured
and
covering the dates September 27
– October 6,
2013
, or request and pay for coverage under the fair’s
insurance program by
9/1
. Providing an inaccurate insurance
certificate could result in a processing penalty; in the case of a
false certificate, expulsion.

VaGunTrader said:

got a response already....i'll go to their website and checkout their rules

You may also e-mail pictures of your set up at the time you submit your application since this is a requirement to be considered for our fair.

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Somewhere I have a pretty good photo of a VCDL booth setup, if you need it.

Blk97F150 said:

http://www.ameliadayfestival.com/

Google.... when not abused, it can be a wonderful thing. :lol:

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book marked it thanks

ProShooter said:

There's a church in Powhatan that is putting something on called Freedom Fest. My company is going to have a table there.

http://www.freedomfestpowhatan.com/

Click to expand...

don't know it is a paid to enter event. will it be conducive to a booth? i know we have to pay at Hillsvile, so that's no problem does seem a little expensive

Tess said:

Somewhere I have a pretty good photo of a VCDL booth setup, if you need it.

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actually TESS i have had one group to ask for a picture. so yes, i would like a picture

papa bear said:

don't know it is a paid to enter event. will it be conducive to a booth? i know we have to pay at Hillsvile, so that's no problem does seem a little expensive

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You can get a booth/table area for $25. Give them a call.