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WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO RUN A FETE?
The best fetes are held mid afternoon to mid evening. It doesn’t seem to make much difference whether it’s Friday 3pm till 9pm, or Saturday 2pm till 10pm, both will give you a better return for your effort. Saturday morning might sound good - start at nine, all over by three, clean up and go home; BUT it doesn’t make money. Saturday morning is not socialising time.
1. The most important factor for a fete is that it provides a social outing for the community, from which people are reluctant to go home. To be successful, a fete needs to do two things - attract and keep a crowd. This is achieved by providing activities on which they will happily spend money, while socialising.
WHO WILL ATTEND YOUR FETE?
Teenagers, orparents with lots of little children? Grannies on low incomes, or two income families? Yuppies and DINKS with plenty of cash?
WHAT WILL ENTERTAIN THEM, ENCOURAGE THEM TO STAY LONGER AND SPEND MORE MONEY?
Mum may love the craft stalls, and the boys the hoopla, but if Dad gets bored, does the whole family have to go home? If so, how can we keep Dad amused?
Or are the toddlers going to get grizzly and drive Mum to despair, so that she packs everyone up and goes home?
Most important in planning a fete is knowing your crowd and ensuring that you provide something for everyone. It’s no good having lots of exciting games and toys as prizes, if your crowd will all be well-to-do middle-aged people who prefer quiet activities - perhaps you should run a gaming night instead.
WHAT WILL KEEP THEM ENTERTAINED, HAPPY AND SPENDING MONEY?
- FOOD is a must, plenty of it, and good enough for Mum not to have to worry about tea - BBQ, Sausage Sizzle, International Cuisine, Baked Potatoes, Devonshire teas, Fairy Floss, Ice creams and drinks. - and somewhere pleasant to sit and eat it!
- RIDES - bouncing castles, merry-go-rounds, giant slides
- HOOPLA - sell hoops at 3 for $2 - If hoop surrounds box, collect the prize.
- COIN TABLES - throw coins onto a marked table; collect prize if coin is completely within prize square.
- QUOITS, HOOKEY, DARTS - any game that requires some skill.
- LUCKY DIPS - pick a surprise from the box.
- LUCKY ENVELOPES - buy a ticket and see if you’ve won a prize.
- CRAZY GAMES - fun activities for teams of five people.
- SPINNING WHEELS offer a wide range of prizes, designed to attract everyone.
- COMPETITION - basketball throwing; gumboot tossing; three-legged races; name the doll; guess the number of jelly beans in the jar; best dressed bike or doll.
- SINGING - pick an appropriate era - or hire a Karaoke machine!
- DANCING - disco, line dancing, rock’n’roll, ballroom, or any other dance activity, to watch or participate.
- Give PRIZES for the Best Cowboy/Girl, the best Rapper, Jitterbugger, or whatever is appropriate
- STORY TIME in the fairy dell or Pirate’s den will give mum a break from the littlies
- WATER PISTOL STALL - sell the water pistols, provide tubs of water - and REMEMBER, IT'S A FUN DAY AND YOU WANT TO MAKE MONEY!
- FAIRY STALL - and sell all sorts of Fairy paraphernalia
- FACE PAINTING STALL
- TATTOO STALL (only temporary ones, obviously)
- STALLS - selling cakes, fresh produce, crafts, homemade jams and preserves, even a white elephant (stall, that is) - but make sure the White Elephant doesn’t overpower everything else.
- A current fad - HARRY POTTER, DINOSAURS, whatever’s in - and sell appropriate goodies
DO NOT
Run things that draw your customers away from moneymaking activities. For instance, if you have a concert with all the little kiddies in it, all the parents will go to watch. Who is left to buy all your goodies? Run the concert some other day
