Relocating your food vendor business to a new city comes with both opportunities and challenges. A fresh location can mean new customers and increased sales, but the transition requires careful planning. Understanding the local market, securing proper permits, and adjusting your marketing strategy are crucial for success. Whether you operate a food truck, a festival booth, or a mobile catering service, preparing in advance will help you navigate this transition smoothly.

Learn More About Your New Location

Before setting up shop, take time to discover your new city. Understanding the local food scene is key to making informed business decisions. Look into demographics, popular cuisines, and cultural food preferences.

March 2025 Application
Deadline Approaching*

Los Altos Arts & Wine Festival

Fine Arts & Fine Crafts
DEADLINE: MARCH 10, 2025
July 12 & 13, 2025
Main & State Streets, Downtown Los Altos Village, Los Altos, CA




Palo Alto Festival of the Arts

Fine Arts & Fine Crafts
DEADLINE: MARCH 10, 2025
August 23 & 24, 2025
University Ave between High and Webster Streets, Palo Alto, CA




* March 10th is the third of our event applications' deadlines. We do accept applications after deadlines for space or waiting list consideration. Note: late applications are considered after the selection process has concluded and participants have been chosen. If your work is a good fit and space remains available in your medium, it will be accepted. Otherwise, your work will be placed on the waiting list.

Engaging with nearby suppliers strengthens the foundation of any business. Their proximity, quality, and personalized services create growth opportunities that stretch beyond simple transactions. Businesses prioritizing partnerships with neighborhood suppliers enjoy enhanced agility, reduced costs, and a deeper connection to their communities. Understanding why local vendors matter highlights the importance of these relationships and their potential to transform operations into a sustainable and thriving model. By recognizing this value, businesses can adopt strategies that lead to mutual growth and long-term success.

So, if you are ready to start booking gigs, you have:

▫️  Set up a good work space
▫️  Tried and true promo material in place
▫️  A good letter to send to promoters
▫️  Sorted your niche market and are ready to pitch to the right folks

As if booking gigs is not complicated enough, the reality is, each type of venue has it’s own booking time frame depending on who they are and what they do. Keep in mind this is a general rule, but one I have had success with. Here is what I have learned over many years of booking gigs for myself and artist I have represented.

An important rule of thumb:  Quite often, the decision makers will sit down and do all the booking for several months in one or two sittings. If your name is in front of them, and you have contacted them many times (sometimes many, many) through email and phone calls, you stand a better chance of getting hired. Yes leaving messages with gate keepers and bar tenders does help. And when the bookers do sit down (often randomly) to book their shows, your name will be in the pile. Persistence is the key.

The art of creating a digital portfolio for your festival booth is a little like curating a miniature museum – a place where the passerby meets you, not just in pixels but in intent. These portfolios speak silently but often louder than your physical presence; they guide onlookers through a universe of your design with ease. A festival booth, while rooted in the reality that we can touch, can also live and breathe in this digital space, waiting for your artwork or products to be noticed. The way we do marketing and present ourselves today is less through handshake introductions and more through pixelated first impressions. So, how do you build a digital portfolio for your festival booth? How do you curate the narrative of your work for the screen?

Let’s take a moment and consider how to construct something that can both capture your vision and let your audience understand the depth of your craft.

Happy new year! This is a special blog article from our friends at Pacific Fine Arts Festivals! Check out these art fairs & festivals in California with upcoming February deadlines.

Belmont Handcrafted Originals Art Fair
DEADLINE FEBRUARY 3
Call for Arts & Crafts
March 22 & 23, 2025
Carlmont Village Shopping Center
1049 Alameda de las Pulgas, Belmont, CA
More info: pacificfinearts.com/applications/belmont-handcrafted-originals-art-fair/

Whether you use a cart, trailer or vehicle, there are certain requirements that you must meet before you can light up those grills and flat tops!  The authorities must be convinced that your food business meets their standards.

Touring as a musician is a dream come true for many, but it comes with unique challenges that can test your physical and mental stamina. The long hours, constant travel, and back-to-back performances can quickly wear you down if you’re not prepared.

This guide offers five essential tips to help you maintain your stamina on tour, ensuring you stay at the top of your game while protecting your health and well-being.

1. Prioritize Sleep and Rest

Sleep is often the first casualty of a hectic touring schedule. Between booking events, travel, soundchecks, and performances, it’s tempting to cut corners on rest to squeeze in socializing or late-night jam sessions. However, sleep is critical for recovery, focus, and energy.

Capturing stunning festival photos is a skill that blends creativity, preparation, and an eye for detail. Festivals provide vibrant settings with unique moments, making them ideal for creating captivating social media content. This guide will help you turn your festival experiences into visually appealing memories that will engage your audience online.

Understand the Festival’s Theme and Atmosphere

Before you start taking photos, it’s important to understand the theme and atmosphere of the festival. Festivals often celebrate culture, music, art, or local traditions; your photos should reflect these elements. Take time to observe the environment and identify what makes this event unique. Whether it’s colorful decorations, traditional attire, or energetic performances, knowing the essence of the festival allows you to capture it authentically.

Did you know the percentage of times a festival will call you back is somewhere about 1%. And you only book about 10% of the festivals you pitch? So to get 10 gigs, you need to contact 100 festivals. And if you are not putting the right info out there, that 10% drops even lower! Now more than ever, it is important to be in reality and educate yourself to the strategies successful musicians use to GET A YES.

It is a novice mistake to blame FestivalNet.com if you are not getting booked. FestivalNet.com is a resource only, not a talent agency. And it is a good one. So, take the time and learn the difference.

Start by educating yourself on the different roles people and organizations play, and develop a lexicon of musical terms to understand how things really work (not just what you see on TV and in the movies).

Artist that get booked understand and implement the basic and necessary business strategies and practices to GET A YES. Artist that get booked are willing to make changes to their beliefs and face the realities of the music industry.

This time of year, it's tempting to search by "2025 only" in our member's pro search.  Since we only have one listing per event, that is not ideal!  Event updates roll in 'year round' - sometimes 3-6 months before the event dates. Searching by 'all years' with your selected month(s) will reveal updated and non-updated annual events!  We ask for event updates monthly and some promoters update far in advanced and others do not; we get to the updates eventually on all events! It's literally never ending, and we appreciate your patience. 😄 Relying on 'last years' event data (website, emails, approximate deadline...) is generally very helpful too.

For artists constantly on the move, staying creative can be a challenge without the right setup. A portable studio setup offers a practical solution, enabling you to carry your essential tools anywhere. Whether painting, sketching, or crafting digital art, having an organized, travel-friendly workspace is vital for maintaining productivity and inspiration. As a traveling artist, adaptability and efficiency are key to making art in diverse environments. You need a lightweight, functional, and tailored setup to your needs so you can unleash your creativity without limits, no matter where your journey takes you.

This time of year is crazy around here with event updates for the new year and we can't keep up - We need your help!  Calling all Event Promoters & Organizers!  Add or Update your events on FestivalNet for 2025 and get one free Call for Artist web ad! This is a $45 value.

We understand if you don't have all your events ready to go. But if you have your dates and locations secured, you can get started with listing or updating for the new year. Application info can be included as soon as it is ready. 

The majority (55.5%) of big music festivals in the United States are held in urban centers, yet, in recent years, there's also been an increase in music festivals held in smaller, suburban areas. In fact, Bloomsberg reports that 20% of festivals are now located in either suburbs or exurbs. You can do a quick search for "music festivals near me" to see the growth in suburban music festivals for yourself. Usually, you'll find a suburban event within a couple of hours or so away. The rise of suburban festivals largely comes down to the uplifting, community feel these (often family-friendly) events provide locals. Plus, people also value the convenience of getting the live music experience without the need to travel far from home.   

Musicians understand that moving musical equipment safely from one venue to another is no small feat. If you're a solo artist, part of a band, or getting booked at music festivals, ensuring your instruments and gear arrive in perfect condition is essential. With the right tips and preparation, you can protect your valuable equipment from damage and make transportation stress-free.

Prioritize Safety: Moving Musical Equipment Safely Begins With the Right Gear

The first step in moving musical equipment safely is selecting the right transportation gear. Professional-grade cases and padded covers are a must for each instrument, no matter how durable they might seem. Hard cases provide the best protection, especially for larger items like drum kits, amplifiers, or keyboards. These cases help absorb the shock of road travel and prevent scratches, dents, or internal damage. For delicate instruments like violins or guitars, padded interiors with secure straps are vital to minimize movement during transportation.

Are you ready to turn your craft into festival gold? Transforming your passion for crafting into a profitable festival business is exhilarating. This guide will help you navigate from being a hobbyist to becoming a standout vendor at festivals. We'll look into strategies for identifying your unique niche, understanding your target audience, and crafting high-quality products that capture the festival crowd's attention. From developing a memorable brand to effectively marketing your creations, every step is important in making your booth a festival favorite. Follow along as we lay out the essential steps to turn your craft into festival gold, ensuring your creative passion pays off in a big way.

The popularity of food trucks has greatly increased over the past decade! Starting a food truck business can be challenging, but with the right guidance and support, success can be achieved. This thorough guide aims to help aspiring food truck owners navigate the industry and find success early on. From conducting local industry research, creating a sound business plan, choosing the right vehicle, and setting up various smart marketing campaigns to reach your audience for your launch, this blog post will get you going in the right direction!!