fruit stands, festivals, garage sales, farmer's market......

Summer season will be here soon.

Along with summer season, there is always something traditional that you can take part in, and go attend....When these events happen you know it's Summer-Time!....I look forward to these events every year.... ;)

FRUIT STANDS/FARMER'S MARKET---I like to purchase fresh vegetables/fruits/honey from the local Fruit Stands/Farmer's Markets...I enjoy shopping at them in the Summer, it may be sweltering hot in them sometimes 112 degrees outdoors, but they are sheltered from the heat/hot sun with cooling fans, some may be air conditioned...Often they truck in fresh fruits that are ripe and that is nice they place them there.....It is very fun for me to pick Peaches at an orchard in Texas in summer too! They need to always be clean and safe, with good parking area off the roads/highways...Be careful!

FESTIVALS----Often many local small towns and maybe even cities have people who like to organize Festivals to celebrate a local thing, that is special to the area, a locally grown vegetable/fruit crop can be celebrated as well, or a local person that is historic they celebrate....I enjoy attending these! ;) Summertime is always a busy season and Festivals are traditional...It is hot weather season and people always have to have refreshments, tables to set at, cooling fans, carnival games, thrill rides, I LOVE the arts and crafts booths that are available!!!...They need to be monitored, inspected, days before the festivals/events, and vendors need to NEVER be nasty with the items they create for purchase!....

I wish the arts & crafts booths would have many more vendors at these Festivals, they have art & quilt shows sometimes, I like them!..Festivals can go on for a few days...(I just hope they are clean) Music needs to be auditioned a month before the Festival begins, and the stage equipment all needs to be inspected that it works properly!...How many times have you heard a local stage microphone shriek!....haha....I like to listen to local bands/talent that can perform well!...water-misting systems are good ideas for the crowds to cool off in at these festivals...Parking can be terrible and difficult to find your way to park near the festival entrances, so that should be evaluated months before.....Food vendors need to be inspected and we need many more of those to be very clean and sanitary, as well as properly working thrill rides that the carnival brings in for entertainment.....And there always needs to be PLENTY of security there all day and all night!....It needs to have plenty of lights so everyone can see in the nighttime, and make sure everyone is safe.........

I think about the local RattleSnake Festival that is going on in a few days in Apache Oklahoma, I am excited for the Comanche Nation to be having their Pow-wow and other events...it makes it that much more special for them to be performing there, I have always enjoyed the RattleSnake Festival, maybe it is going to become much better every year now!.....

SNOW-CONE STANDS---These are out there near the roads/businesses/streets every summer and they are a favorite Summer seasonal tradition of mine also, to walk right up to them and choose a snow-cone that I would like to purchase, they need all kinds to be available, and they also need Diabetic Snow cones for the Diabetics out there!..they should be able to enjoy a icy snow-cone!...I always hope these are cleaned/inspected by the Health Departments, for cleanliness!....You never know near here...lol....and they need to be affordable for everyone....

GARAGE SALES----Every summer they have those town/city-wide garage sales, and for a weekend all of the people will set up tables near their driveways and place items for purchase on the table for the ginormous garage sales all over town...I have been to some of these before and it is always fun to shop/look at these....

When the weekend is over they often take the items that weren't purchased to be donated to the GoodWill so someone will find the items there for purchase..I always think that something you may not want anymore, someone else will enjoy or could be put to good use for them in their life....People love garage sales and bargains....these need to be washed, priced reasonably, and I like to place pre-priced garage sale stickers on them that are in bright colorful hues!....Something you want to get rid of?...Just place a 50/cent sticker on it or a 25/cent sticker on it, or a 10/cent sticker on it!!!....haha....it will all sell usually priced that cheap!...that's what we do at garage sales at church...works just fine...These garage sales in Summer need to start early in the day probably seven 7am-7pm....on certain weekends in the small towns/cities....be careful parking, and watch the roads/highways for cars driving past you!

ADVERTISE COLORFULLY/BRIGHTLY AND EARLY ALWAYS---Advertising in the newspapers, tv stations, radio stations, and local magazines a few weeks before these festivals, garage sales, farmer's markets/fruit stands begin/take place is a good way to get the word out there to everyone so they will know about it earlier before it starts....good for the local economy....Gives people something to look forward to, work on, and expect to have a day of fun at with friends/family!!! and carry on new and old traditions...

Cute, colorful, bright ads/stories in newspapers are wonderful so everyone will see them about the events...AND brightly painted colorful signs all over towns or on highways/roads are needed to be seen there to get people's attention about these events/fruit stands/snowcone stands/farmer's markets/festivals----all need to be seen and advertised brightly and get attention early for all these events...advertising early will let people know in advance about the events taking place....these events always need to be safe, clean, affordable, and fun!

julie