UPDATE: Just remembering when we did this event. Beware. The amusement park has now closed and things might be worse... or they might be better. Moi? Uh uh.
Oct 2007. As we are getting closer toward Halloween, I recall spending a couple weekends at this Vacaville event. Let's share the horrors of two weekends at the Vacaville Harvest Days.
Vacaville Harvest Days. Very bad show!! Never again. This event was held over two weekends at the Nut Tree in Vacaville, adjacent to Highway 80. Long ago, there was a restaurant, etc., there by the name of Nut Tree and it was a great stopover for travelers. People that traveled Highway 80 between San Francisco and Sacramento back in the 70's and 80's would remember the place dearly. Very nice place to take the kids, grab some snacks, etc. However, it hit hard times a number of years ago and closed because people had other places to go. October 20-21 and October 27-28.Anyway, they have capitalized on the Nut Tree name and built a number of stores there. Vacaville Harvest Days was poorly organized. On the first weekend it was held in front and there was virtually no foot traffic. Heavy winds at night blew over our canopy and when we came back the following morning, everything was a mess.
You can read this story on the Do You Remember page of our website. Also, read about the heavy winds we had to endure there and at other shows on our Flying Canopies page.
Also, please refer to entry made on Oct 1 on this blog: http://thisaintparadise.blogspot.com/search/label/vacaville%20harvest%20days
Thank gosh we had taken our merchandise home from the Vacaville Harvest Days event because we were aware of the local riff-raffs!!! On the second weekend, it was held in the back in the Pumpkin Patch, which turned out to be even worse. Everybody had poor sales. Everybody!!! Very poor traffic flow and people just were not interested. Take the kids to the Pumpkin Patch, grab a pumpkin and drive away. We were forced to walk a very long ways to the bathrooms. Promoters claimed they couldn't put porta potties back there for our convenience. City this, city that, fire department this, police department that.... they were ready to blame the failure of Vacaville Harvest Days on everybody else except themselves. So, people the moral of the story is to never do this event. You are not going to make any money, There is no paradise there...keep on truckin!!! And the other moral of the story? If you are ever going to leave your canopy up overnight, either put up all or none of your side panels. Mistakenly, I only put up 3 and the canopy caught the wind over night and toppled over. What a mess in the morning!! Vacaville Harvest Days ... what a mess.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Vacaville Harvest Days - 2007
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Harvest Days - Vacaville
This is a very lousy event. So many problems. Just received an application for the Harvest Day's Festival in Vacaville at the Nut Tree. Dates: Oct 18-19, 25-26. Please read what I have written about this event in the past.
http://www.starvingvendors.com/do_you_remember.html 'Vacaville Harvest Days' on right.
http://thisaintparadise.blogspot.com/search/label/vacaville%20harvest%20days read previous entry made earlier on this blog regarding this event.
I can't believe they are having the Harvest Days Festival again. I did two weekends last year there in Vacaville and it was terrible. On the first weekend, we were located in an area in front of the Nut Tree. About a dozen vendors there. Very poor traffic flow, as people headed into the Nut Tree and the amusement area, not even paying attention to us. Very very poor sales and strong winds, which blew over our canopy at night. Everybody had to pack up at night because it was unsafe.
For the second weekend at Harvest Days, we were located near the Pumpkin Patch in the back and traffic flow was even worse. We packed up and left after the first day, as did a number of other vendors. Virtually nobody buying anything. The kids went over to the pumpkin patch with their parents, grabbed their pumpkins and got the heck out. Absolutely terrible show. Had to walk about half-a-mile to go to the bathroom. The promoters claimed that the city wouldn't allow porta potties. Bull Marlarky.
They force you to pay $25 for a 'police permit' which means that you have to submit your driver's license number, SSN, etc., to them and the police run a check on you like you are some kind of a criminal.
People, this is a terrible show. Stay away from Vacaville's Harvest Days. You are not going to make any money here and there are just so many problems which will drive you crazy.