I am looking for a sturdy tent for art shows, preferably with
zippers. One that can be set up by one or two people.
Thanks,
Nancy Helmer
Hi Nancy,
You will find Orchid members have a lot of advice to give on tents.
Try searching the archives at:
http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Look in 2003 and 2002 under “tents” and you will find a wealth of
I do shows alone and use a craft dome myself.
Karen
Try:
Flourish Company
Rt. 1 Brashears Junction
Combs AR, 72721
800-296-0049
http://www.flourish.com
Look at their Trimline or Archtop tents. We have a Trimline (4
years+) and have been VERY HAPPY with it. VERY sturdy, zippers all
around, one person setup (2 is easier), expandable and adjustable.
Tell them Cynthia Thomas (my wife) sent you. Great folks to work
with and quick delivery of tent or needed parts. A bit pricey but
more than worth is. Withstood a La Quinta, CA wind storm when most
all other brands of tent sailed away (with art attached or in
them… lots of damage for many artists).
Good luck,
John Dach
Try:
Flourish Company
Rt. 1 Brashears Junction
Combs AR, 72721
800-296-0049
http://www.flourish.com
Look at their Trimline or Archtop tents. We have a Trimline (4
years+) and have been VERY HAPPY with it. VERY sturdy, zippers all
around, one person setup (2 is easier), expandable and adjustable.
Tell them Cynthia Thomas (my wife) sent you. Great folks to work
with and quick delivery of tent or needed parts. A bit pricey but
more than worth is. Withstood a La Quinta, CA wind storm when most
all other brands of tent sailed away (with art attached or in
them… lots of damage for many artists).
Good luck,
John Dach
We also have a Trimline Canopy purchased from the Flourish Company.
The Flourish staff are great folks to work with. The tent has gotten
a lot of positive attention from other vendors at shows. Comments
such as: ‘Wow, now that’s the Cadillac of canopy tents’. It does
look good. If you decide you are interested, I recommend getting the
vinyl skylight. It makes a huge difference in lighting for jewelry.
The optional canopy extensions provide wonderful shade for customers
and for us as the sun comes up/goes down. Overall, the construction
is very sturdy and typically doesn’t bow down to the winds like other
tents do.
On the down side, there is no way I could ever put that tent up
myself. I can’t even lift the numerous bags that hold the pieces.
Thank goodness for my male companion. There are a lot of little
pieces for joints etc. that take practice figuring out which goes
where. God forbid you forget one of the bags, then you have to go
home to get it (based on personal experience). Definitely set the
tent up at home first a couple of different times. The first few
times we set it up it took us hours. It’s a complex tent. We are
still one of the last to finish tearing down at the end of a show.
Diana
Desert Canyon Jewelry
Hi Nancy, I have a very sturdy shoe tent that is just a little too
heavy for me alone, and would be willing to sell it. You can email
me at seametal@aol.com Alexis
have a very sturdy shoe tent that is just a little too heavy for me
alone, and would be willing to sel My guess, is that your tent is a
crafthut!?!
We purchased a light dome a couple of years ago and are very pleased
with it. In the fall, they run them $100 off I think in Sept or so
I own a Light Dome and a Craft Hut. The Light Dome is only used for
one day shows with hopefully good weather since I don’t like it if
there is any wind. The Craft Hut takes longer to set up and is harder
to set up but I still love it. It would help if I were a little
taller (5’2") but I do set it up by myself. It’s secure in most
normal weather conditions, skylight gives good light, vents give good
ventilation. Last year I got a new top for it after many, many years
so it’s like new again. If you’re serious about doing shows, I would
highly recommend a Craft Hut.
My tent is an Archtop. They have steel poles, have lots of parts,
and are heavy, but are great in wind. It is just too much for me to
set up all the time. It is a trade off with an easy set up with
aluminium poles, but useless in wind and storms. Alexis