June 14th & June 15th, 2025
32nd Annual Downtown Venice Craft Festival (Venice, FL)
Saturday & Sunday 10 am –4 pm
Welcome to the 32nd Annual Downtown Venice Craft Festival (Venice, FL). Please read all information below to help the show run as smoothly as possible.
Set Up
Check in location is at Miami and Nokomis. Set-up will begin on Saturday at 5:30 a.m. Please unload your work and display as quickly as possible and move your vehicle to artist parking and out of the show site. All vehicles must be out of the show area by 8:30 a.m. Set-up must be completed by 9:15 a.m. Please be open by Saturday & Sunday by 9:30 AM. You must have your vehicle come into the show site THE LEGAL WAY OF TRAFFIC! You should bring a dolly to facilitate set up. If you or your work are not in your booth by 7:45 a.m. on Saturday, we will consider you a “no show” and you will be at risk of losing your space. Please do not screw, drill, or stake into the ground. Please refrain from smoking in or around your booth or others. If you must smoke, please leave the show area. If you are assigned a corner space, you must use your outside wall. If you do not have enough large work to fill the outside wall, please let us know prior to the festival.
We have received several complaints regarding the amount of on-site storage at many of our event locations. Cities, police, fire and merchants are all complaining of obstruction and safety. It is essential to minimize your storage space for this show and all future shows. Please place any empty packing materials, as well as “extra” back stock in your vehicle. If you require additional storage, consider configuring your booth to accommodate what you need. The properties are no longer allowing storage items, boxes, and bins scattered around. Smaller carts with fitted covers are permitted but may need to be stored away from your booth. Additionally, boxes and crates cannot have tarps or other materials draped over them. Some crafters have used high quality grill covers, however be sure to measure prior to ordering. Our events take place in upscale areas, and both properties and merchants expect a tidy appearance. Please keep this in mind while setting up and only retain what is necessary for the duration of the show. For you and your neighbors’ safety, your booth, display and art must be properly weighted and secured (40lbs per leg required).
The property will not allow exhibitors to put anything (i.e., extra stock, packing materials, etc.) on the grass or sidewalk behind your booth. You may set up your tent about a foot off the curb and use that space for storage. People from the property will be walking the show with Phil on Saturday and Sunday to make sure that nothing is on the grass or sidewalk behind the booths.
Show Coordinators
Phil and Sindi Karman (booth #26)
Staff
Jeff Godfrey (booth #49), Sean Curran (booth #7), Paul Cross (booth #35)
American Craft Endeavors Emergency
For all emergencies, please email Emergency@ArtFestival.com (monitored 24 hours a day). If you do not have access to email, please text 833-694-0388. DO NOT TEXT THIS NUMBER ASKING FOR YOUR SPACE NUMBER.
During the weekend, we communicate via text. Please be sure we have your current cell phone number on file. You will receive a text prior to the show, and you may respond with any questions or emergencies.
Port O Lets
Located in Centennial Park - at Nokomis and Venice and in the city parking lot next to Abby’s (220 Miami Ave W, Venice).
Navigational address
200 W. Miami Avenue Venice, FL 34285
Tent Rentals
The Tent Guys
James LeBlanc
561-374-1783
The Tent Guys is a full-service tent rental company specializing in art tents and Pro Panel rentals. They eliminate the hard part of set up by taking care of the set up and break down of tents.
Breakdown
Breakdown will begin at 4 p.m. on Sunday, but vehicles will not be allowed in until the show coordinator gives the O.K.. Tents will stay up overnight on Saturday. You must be completely broken down to the ground to bring your vehicles in to the show site. Although security will be provided, we strongly urge you to take your items out of your booth on Saturday night. Everyone is responsible for cleaning up their space at breakdown (i.e., cable ties, cigarette butts and garbage).
NEW PARKING FOR THIS SHOW ONLY
All Parking:
Venice Community Center
Please park in the lots in the back and side of the building (lot on the corner of Turin and Nassau). No parking in the LIBRARY or ART CENTER parking lots.
RV & Overnighter Etiquette
No outdoor cooking, no dumping of any kind, no parking until after 6 p.m. Friday, and absolutely no Sunday night overnight parking. These rules will be strictly adhered to. Because parking space is at a premium, all trailers should be detached from your vehicles and placed in a parking stall. All RVs must be stacked into a parking spot as tightly as possible. Our properties do not want RVs that are loosely packed across 5-6 parking spots, taking up all the room.
Parking Pass
A parking permit (included in your email confirmation) must be displayed in the vehicle’s front windshield, identifying the artist. Failure to do this can result in the towing of your vehicle.
License plates
Please be sure we have your current license plate information. If you are renting a vehicle this weekend, please email us the plate number and state. We keep license plate information on file in the event we need to ask you to move your vehicle before it will be towed. If you have someone helping you with set up and breakdown and they have their own vehicle, they must abide by our rules and park in exhibitor parking. Please be sure to inform us of their license plate information as well.