Festival prices

I usually only do events, but I'm thinking about adding in festivals this coming year. I know that it various greatly, but on average, how much do you typically need to make at a festival? How much do you hope to make for it to be worth the time?

Things to remember about Festivals:

Festivals are a great form of advertising for your services, but they are also a risk. There are going to be times where you lose money. Most of the time you'll make money but things happen at festivals.

Weather is your biggest adversary. If it's raining people don't want to pay for paint (because it'll wash off). If it's 110,000 Degrees, people don't want to pay for paint (because it'll sweat off) and you're not likely to want to paint their sticky, sweaty, overly excited children anyway.

You have to have a crowd to make money. Sometimes the festival organizers have done their best with planning, advertising and all the logistics that go into hosting a festival and the crowd still doesn't come. It's usually because of the weather.

***What do you need to make at a festival and how much to make it worth your time?***

Like I said Festivals are a great tool for advertising. If you've made your money back (vendor fee, supplies, gas, food, etc.) and you handed out a lot of business cards then it was worth your time.

The reality is festival face painting prices can go from $3 to $25. So what quality or how small or large a design may be varies by painter to region.

The best way to understand festivals is to go to some. Go make trips to festivals that you are interested in and to some small and large events where known painters are working. This way you can actually get a feel for what the demographic makeup of said events are willing to spend.

We do some events that can only bear $5 to $12 faces, another event we do those same $5 faces bring us $20 - so it is all about windshield time as part of your homework.

Kal is SO right. Some artists won't do PPF events, since you might not get a return on your time/supplies invested. Consider this:
A town pays $75/HR for a 3HR event........$225.00
           vs
School $5/face for 3HRS -10% to school...$202.50
(45*faces x $5-$22.50) *assuming you're that busy (usually NOT!)

Local Festival costs $295 for 10x10 space:
I bring tent, chairs, small table, lights, cord,fan, A-frame, signs, rack w/picture boards & Craft N Go.
I set up Friday & work Sat/Sun. (open-18-20 HRS)
PRO: Enjoy my Irish entertainment x 2 days
CON: Profit low as  $300 up to $800, depending on    
         weather - heat or wind in Florida.

Local 2 day Event: I bring 2 chairs & Craft n Go
          2 days at $65/HR Sat/Sun for 20Hrs..$1300.

One of the valuable lessons I learned from this Forum was when someone raised their prices to compete with those around her. The next year, she reported that she"...worked less, but made more." Similarly, listening to the advice of this Forum, I stopped cheek art for $3. It's tiny, time consuming & creates longer lines for less money. My less expensive faces are $5! Good Luck!!!