
Even if you enter a show with 10' x 12' space, the smaller canopy can be used. What size booth do you need? The standard display space is usually 10' x 10', and canopies are usually available in this size. Although much less expensive, canopies designed for pole-by-pole assembly can take one or two people as long as 20 or 30 minutes. An added advantage of the E-Z Up canopy is evident in its name: the one-piece fold-up design is easily set up by one person in just a few minutes. If the weather in your area tends to be cool or rainy, consider the E-Z Up Canopy, available with optional zip-down sides that can be fully enclosed during bad weather or for overnight security during 2- and 3-day shows. (Not only will you be happier working in a cool tent, but your customers are likely to spend more time there, admiring your pots.) This type of canopy is designed with a gap of a few inches between the tarp and side bars, to allow for a roof-venting effect which further enhances cooling.

Some canopies come with a reflective silver tarp which keeps the tent cooler than most others. However you choose to secure your canopy, it's good to know that you can sometimes keep your display up and avoid wind damage by removing the tarp (which can act as a sort of uplifting kite) from the display poles.įor summer shows in areas where the weather is sunny and hot, it's important to obtain a display which remains as cool as possible. Additional ways to weigh down the canopy include suspending sand- or concrete-filled plastic milk jugs from the high corners of the display booth, or attaching concrete-filled cross-bars between the corner posts at a 180 degree level slightly above the ground. Others obtain even more protection by permanently setting the detachable feet of the display poles in large coffee cans filled with concrete.
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If you're setting up on concrete or pavement, however, the stakes obviously won't do you any good! Many professional vendors protect their displays from wind at such locations by setting the feet of the canopies into large coffee cans which are then filled with sand.


It's advisable to use at least two stakes per foot, pounded into the ground at a 45 degree angle in opposing directions. Each "foot" offers four holes for staking. Most canopies designed for commercial use can be staked through holes in the feet of the corner poles, with narrow metal stakes (widely available from stores like Wal Mart). You can reduce the likelihood of wind damage by obtaining (or building) a canopy which can be staked securely into the ground. Depending on how well your booth is secured, you may find yourself gasping in horror as your canopy sails away and your pots tumble to the ground!

Wind can be the worst enemy of a potter who's set up at an outdoor fair, where strong gusts can seemingly pop up out of nowhere to uproot entire canopies and send them flying past the neighbor's booths. Do you intend to set it up outside? If so, it's especially important to consider the weather conditions where you wish to set up your display. First, you'll need to define how your structure will be used. Before putting together the elements of a successful display booth, it's important to do some thoughtful planning.
