The Clifton Gorge Music & Arts Festival: Big Event, Small Village

Small villages can put on the best festivals. Over the weekend, I attended the annual Clifton Gorge Music & Arts Festival as a vendor. Combined with a classic car cruise-in a couple of blocks over, this event occupies nearly the entire village (population 124) of Clifton, Ohio, home of the locally famous, historic Clifton Mill which draws a huge crowd every Christmas season with their impressive display of lights. (The food's not bad either.) This is the village's big, annual fundraiser.

Live music (from bluegrass to rock 'n' roll) in the pavilion played Friday afternoon and night and all day Saturday until late into night. Dance demonstrations (tap dance, folk dancing, belly dancing, square dancing, fire dancing, etc.) took place in the intersection of Clay and North Streets. With nearly a dozen food trucks, there was plenty to eat. Vendor stalls lined the streets and filled the village green.

I attended the festival a few years back and was surprised at the throngs of people enjoying themselves. Early this year, I contacted the village office to inquire as to participating as a vendor. For me, it was a good business decision.

The organizer placed my booth on the village's main drag, facing the opera house and between a CBD products vendor and the Dianetics booth. After being threatened with a wet forecast, we were grateful for the dry, if terribly hot and muggy, weather.

I arrived on Friday during the latter hours of vendor set-up to find the streets already blocked off. With some help I found my assigned space which was already occupied by someone else. I showed my space assignment to that vendor who informed me that we'd all been moved down a spot. I admit: I caved and set up my canopy next to hers.

After my best friend and I had finished setting up, the Dianetics folks arrived. A street sign prevented them from setting up in the available space. With their help, we moved my stuff a few feet closer to the CBD dealer to make space for the Dianetic booth. It all worked out.

Our space assignment placed us in a shady spot beneath a tree. The shade was welcome, but we appreciated the canopy preventing the tree from dripping bugs and leaves onto us. I brought my fan and used it. (I don't tolerate heat well, and late August is always hot and humid in southern Ohio.)

My friend and I dubbed Friday evening as "preview night," mainly put on for the locals. Pedestrian traffic was light and steady. We sold a few paintings and I sold a few books. Saturday, the crowds descended. We both remembered bigger crowds than we saw this year, but the festival remained busy which meant that we remained busy.

As always with such public events, the people-watching gets interesting. We met a lot of nice folks and had some wonderful conversations. With a bit of luck, I'll net one or two clients who need assistance in publishing their stories. I went through a lot of business cards. We sold several paintings—one customer bought five of my friend's paintings—and books.

The two days were long, hot, and sweaty. Overall, it was a good event. I'll definitely be signing up for 2023.

#festivals #henhousepublishing #hollybargobooks