Your First Year as a Craft Fair Vendor: What to Expect Month by Month

Your first year as a craft fair vendor is a wild ride. Between the excitement of your first sale and the exhaustion of your fifth weekend in a row, there's a lot to learn — and most of it doesn't come from a guidebook. This month-by-month roadmap will help you navigate the highs, lows, and surprises of year one so you can build a craft business that actually lasts.

Before You Start: January – February

Most new vendors jump straight to booking fairs, but the smartest thing you can do in your first two months is lay the groundwork. This is your planning season.

Get Your Business Basics in Order

Before you sell a single item, handle the boring-but-essential stuff:

• Business license: Most states require one for selling goods. Check your county clerk's office.
• Sales tax permit: You'll need to collect sales tax at craft fairs in most states. Apply through your state's Department of Revenue.
• Insurance: Some fairs require vendor liability insurance. Even if they don't, it's worth having. Our insurance guide breaks down your options.
• Payment processing: Get Square, Stripe, or another mobile payment reader. Cash-only booths lose sales. See our complete payments guide.

Build Your Inventory

One of the biggest first-year mistakes is underestimating how much product you need. A single craft fair can require 3-5x more inventory than you think. Start building stock now — you'll thank yourself in April.

Not sure what sells? Check out our guide to best-selling craft fair items for data-backed ideas.

Research and Apply to Fairs

The best spring and summer fairs have application deadlines in January through March. Start researching now:

• Use TheCraftMap's state directory to find fairs in your area
• Check spring fair listings for upcoming opportunities
• Read reviews from other vendors when available
• Start with smaller, local fairs — they're less competitive and great for learning

Our guide on choosing the right craft fair can help you evaluate which events are worth your time and money.

Your First Fair: March – April

Spring is when most new vendors do their first show. Here's what to expect.

The Week Before

You will over-prepare. That's okay. Better to have too much than too little. Use our craft fair checklist to make sure you don't forget anything critical. Key items most first-timers forget:

• Extension cords and power strips
• A mirror (if you sell wearables)
• Bags for customer purchases
• Business cards or QR code for your website
• Sunscreen and snacks (seriously)

Day of the Fair

Arrive early. Like, embarrassingly early. Setup always takes longer than you think, especially the first time. Give yourself at least 90 minutes before doors open.

Your booth display doesn't need to be perfect — it needs to be inviting. Stand in front of your booth and ask: "Would I stop here?" If you're not sure, adjust your height variation, add lighting, or create a focal point.

What You'll Learn

Your first fair teaches you more than months of planning. You'll learn:

• Which products people actually pick up (hint: it's not always what you expected)
• What price points move fastest
• How to talk to customers without being pushy
• What you forgot to bring (there's always something)
• How exhausting it is — physically and emotionally

Pro tip: Take notes after every fair. Write down what sold, what didn't, and what you'd change. This data is gold for the rest of your year.

Finding Your Groove: May – June

By your third or fourth fair, things start clicking. Your setup gets faster, your pitch gets smoother, and you start recognizing what works.

Refine Your Product Line

This is when you should start editing ruthlessly. If something hasn't sold at three fairs, it's taking up space that a better product could use. Double down on your top sellers and experiment with variations of what works.

Understanding how to price your products is critical at this stage. Many first-year vendors underprice because they're afraid of not selling. But underpricing hurts you in two ways: lower profit margins and perceived lower quality.

Start Building Your Customer Base

By now, you should have an email collection system at your booth. Even a simple clipboard signup sheet works. These contacts become repeat customers and your audience for online sales.

Social media is useful but secondary. A person who gives you their email at a craft fair is 10x more likely to buy from you again than a random Instagram follower.

Track Your Numbers

Start tracking for every fair:

• Gross revenue
• Booth fee
• Cost of goods sold
• Travel costs (gas, food, hotel)
• Net profit

This is how you figure out which fairs are actually worth doing again. A $500 revenue day with a $200 booth fee, $80 in gas, and $150 in materials is only a $70 profit. Know your numbers.

The Summer Push: July – August

Summer is peak craft fair season in many parts of the country. If you're doing outdoor fairs, this is when weather becomes a real factor.

Dealing with Heat and Weather

Outdoor summer fairs mean heat, sun, and the occasional surprise thunderstorm. Invest in:

• A quality canopy with sidewalls
• Weights (not stakes — many venues have hard surfaces)
• A portable fan
• Plenty of water

Vendor Burnout Is Real

By mid-summer, many first-year vendors hit a wall. You're tired. Production is constant. Weekends are gone. This is normal.

The solution isn't to push harder — it's to be strategic. You don't need to do every fair. Review your numbers and only rebook the profitable ones. Quality over quantity.

Check the upcoming weekend fairs and be selective about which ones deserve your energy.

The Fall Gold Rush: September – November

Fall is where first-year vendors often see their best results. Holiday shopping starts earlier than you think, and fall festivals are some of the highest-traffic events of the year.

Holiday Prep Starts in September

If you sell anything gift-able, start building holiday inventory in September. By November, you should be focused on selling, not producing. Common holiday prep tasks:

• Create gift sets or bundles
• Design holiday-specific packaging
• Print gift tags or include gift wrapping options
• Stock up on your top 5 sellers — you'll need 3x your normal quantity

Apply for Holiday Markets

The biggest holiday craft fairs have application deadlines in August and September. These are often the most profitable events of the year, so competition is fierce.

Use TheCraftMap's monthly listings to find November and December markets in your area. Apply to more than you think you need — acceptance rates for holiday shows can be under 30%.

Your Biggest Revenue Months

October through December typically accounts for 40-60% of a craft vendor's annual revenue. This is the payoff for all those spring and summer learning experiences. The seasonal planning guide has detailed strategies for maximizing this window.

Wrapping Up: December

December is intense. Between holiday markets, online orders, and custom requests, you'll be busier than ever. But it's also when the math starts to make sense.

Year-End Review

After your last December fair, sit down and review your full year:

• Total revenue vs. total expenses: Did you actually make money?
• Best and worst fairs: Which ones will you rebook? Which ones are cut?
• Top products: What should you build your year-two lineup around?
• Customer data: How many emails did you collect? How many repeat customers?

Don't forget to set aside money for taxes. Our craft fair tax guide covers what you need to know about reporting craft fair income.

Planning Year Two

The best part about finishing your first year? You now have data. You know which fairs work, which products sell, and what your actual costs are. Year two is where you go from surviving to thriving.

Start applying to juried shows you weren't ready for in year one. Consider traveling to larger regional fairs. Think about wholesale or consignment to supplement fair income.

First-Year Mistakes to Avoid

Learn from the thousands of vendors who came before you:

1. Doing Too Many Fairs

More fairs ≠ more money. Between booth fees, travel, and production time, each fair has a break-even point. If you can't clear it, the fair costs you money. Start with 1-2 per month and increase only when you're consistently profitable.

2. Not Tracking Expenses

A $2,000 weekend sounds amazing until you realize you spent $400 on the booth, $200 on supplies, $150 on travel, and $800 on materials. Track everything from day one. Check out our inventory management guide for systems that work.

3. Underpricing Your Work

The formula is simple: Materials + Labor + Overhead + Profit = Price. Most beginners forget to include their own labor and overhead. Read our pricing formula guide to get this right.

4. Ignoring Your Booth Display

You have about 3 seconds to catch someone's attention as they walk by. A cluttered table with no height variation, no signage, and poor lighting will lose to the booth next door every time. Browse our 25 booth display ideas for inspiration.

5. Not Building an Online Presence

Craft fairs are your storefront, but you need a way for customers to find you between events. At minimum, have an Instagram page and a way to accept online orders (Etsy, Shopify, even a simple website). Our comparison of Etsy vs craft fairs can help you decide where to focus.

How Much Will You Make in Year One?

The honest answer: it varies wildly. Based on vendor surveys and industry data:

• Part-time vendors (1-2 fairs/month): $5,000 – $15,000 annual revenue
• Active vendors (3-4 fairs/month): $15,000 – $40,000 annual revenue
• Full-time vendors (weekly events): $40,000 – $80,000+ annual revenue

Remember, revenue isn't profit. After expenses, most first-year vendors net 30-50% of their gross revenue. For a deeper dive into the numbers, check our complete earnings breakdown.

You've Got This

Your first year as a craft fair vendor won't be perfect — and it shouldn't be. It's a year of learning, experimenting, and building the foundation for a business you love. The vendors who succeed aren't the ones who never make mistakes; they're the ones who learn from each fair and keep showing up.

Ready to find your first (or next) craft fair? Browse fairs near you on TheCraftMap and start planning your year.