Nashville Accommodations Guide Other Alternatives

Nashville Accommodations Guide
Spring 2014
The hotel/motel occupancy rate in Nashville is always high. We have identified a few nearby hotel/motel options
below you may wish to explore, as well as a few alternative accommodations, such as the increasingly popular
AirBnB.
Note: Prices listed below do not include Tennessee sales tax and hotel tax.
ALEXIS INN & SUITES
615-889-4466
600 Ermac Drive, Nashville, TN 37214
(Adjacent to the Nashville Intl. Airport)
http://www.alexisinnnashville.com/
HAMPTON INN & SUITES
1-888-880-5395
2330 Elliston Place, Nashville, TN 37203
(1 block east of Centennial Park)
www.hamptoninnnashville.com
BAYMONT INN & SUITES
615-353-0700
5612 Lenox Avenue, Nashville, TN 37209
(10 minutes west of Centennial Park)
www.baymontinns.com
HOLIDAY INN SELECT VANDERBILT
615-327-4707
2613 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN 37203
(directly across street from Centennial Park)
www.holidayinn.com
COMFORT INN DOWNTOWN (Music Row)
615-255-9977
1501 Demonbreun, Nashville, TN 37203
(5 minutes east of Centennial Park)
Note: Pet-friendly
www.comfortinn.com
COMFORT INN WEST
615-356-0888
412 White Bridge Place, Nashville, TN 37209
(10 minutes west of Centennial Park)
www.comfortinn.com
GUESTHOUSE INN AND SUITES
Group rate: $109.95 / use code: TNCR05
1-800-777-4904 or 615-329-1000
1909 Hayes Street, Nashville, TN 37203
(6 blocks east of Centennial Park & free shuttle
service available to all guests)
www.nashvilleguesthouseinn.com
Note: Unable to book group rate this spring,
but please contact Pam Moore directly at 615320-4854 or [email protected] to identify
yourself as being w/ Tennessee Craft as she’s
offered to attempt to help secure a good rate.
PARKING: Free
MICROTEL
615-662-0004
100 Coley Davis Court, Nashville, TN 37221
(15 minutes southwest of Centennial Park)
www.microtel-inns.com
SCARRITT-BENNETT CENTER
615-340-7500
1008 19th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37212
(5 minutes east of Centennial Park)
RATES: $50-$75 plus tax. PARKING: Free
www. scarrittbennett.org
Other Alternatives
Airbnb, which is a website to find homes & rooms that people rent out just like a hotel room, but for
often deeply discounted prices. As of February 27, 2014, there were many good options in Nashville, at
a range of price points—some in the $50/night range!
http://www.airbnb.com/
A complete list of area hotels and motels is available from the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce,
615-259-4755 or at www.nashvillechamber.com
GENERAL FAIR INFORMATION
43rd Annual Tennessee Craft Fair, May 2, 3 & 4, 2014
LOCATION: Centennial Park, Nashville, in the 2600 block of West End Ave., across from Holiday
Inn Vanderbilt. Exit #1 from I-440 (Hwy 70 S/West End Ave). Proceed EAST on West End. Park
is on the left, approximately 7 blocks (or take Broadway exit from I-40 and go WEST on
Broadway, staying in the right lane, which becomes West End).
HOURS: 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. Friday and Saturday / 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Sunday
Note: Fair hours are in Central Standard Time (CST).
CHECK-IN: All exhibitors must check-in upon arrival. Check-in is Thursday, May 1st from
NOON to 7 P.M. CST at the Check-In Tent. Once check-in closes at 7 P.M., the fairgrounds
will be closed to exhibitors until 7 A.M. Friday. (Grounds will be open daily at 7 A.M. Exhibitors
arriving earlier than 7 A.M. each day need to sign the Early Arrival sheet in the Info Tent to be
allowed in earlier.) We must be notified in advance if you plan to check-in Friday rather than
Thursday.
SET-UP/BREAK-DOWN: No set-up will be allowed during SHOW HOURS. This also means that
NO vehicles may enter the show area during show hours. NOTE: If it is raining during set-up,
vehicles WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO DRIVE ONTO THE GROUNDS, so be prepared to dolly in.
 ALL VEHICLES MUST BE REMOVED FROM FAIR INTERIOR BY 9 A.M. EACH DAY.
Exhibitors should be ready and in their booths by 9:30 A.M. (There are lots of visitors already
in the park by then!)
 No exhibitor may begin packing or breaking down prior to 6 P.M. (5 P.M. on Sunday)
Compliance with this policy will be taken into consideration in offering invitations to future
shows.
 ON SUNDAY, DURING LOAD-OUT/BREAK DOWN, NO VEHICLES MAY BE DRIVEN ONTO
THE PARK UNTIL 5:30 P.M. We do this to ensure the safety of our visiting public.
 By city ordinance, NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES MAY BE BROUGHT INTO OR
CONSUMED IN THE PARK.
Be sure to plan for all kinds of weather, including wind. The Fair goes on rain or shine and you are
expected to remain with your booth at all times. All participants must provide their own means of
an attractive display sturdy enough to withstand crowds, wind, and weather conditions. Ribbons
from other shows, or previous Tennessee Craft Fairs should not be displayed. Rented tents are
set-up in assigned space in advance of Thursday.
Portable toilets are available on-site. A private port-a-let will be available in the courtyard
adjacent to the VIP area for exhibitor use. Public restrooms are also available in the Arts Activity
Center, near the playground, and in the Parthenon during its published operating hours.
TENT REGULATIONS
Good news! The Metropolitan Board of Parks and Recreation has agreed to allow the use of 9
inches or shorter hand- or foot-driven stakes to secure exhibitor tents. Alternatively, weights
may be used.
PARKING REGULATIONS
Exhibitors will be permitted to drive on the grass to load and unload each morning; however no
vehicles are allowed on the grounds after 9 A.M. All vehicles brought in for unloading must be
removed from this area by 9:00 A.M. each day. NO VEHICLE MAY DRIVE ACROSS THE
ASPHALT SIDEWALKS, EVER!
Exhibitors have reserved parking a short distance from the fair layout. Metro Parks has a parking
plan that should accommodate exhibitors’ needs as well as provide ample space for customers.
There will be NO PARKING of vehicles or trailers of any kind within the Fair area bounded by
exhibitors’ booths.
Page 1 of 2
GENERAL FAIR INFORMATION, cont.
43rd Annual Tennessee Craft Fair, May 2, 3 & 4, 2014
SECURITY: Park Police are hired by the Fair for continuous security beginning Thursday evening
through Sunday at 4 p.m. However, neither Tennessee Craft nor its employees will be held
responsible for damage, theft or loss of artwork, vehicles, or equipment in transit, or in exhibitors’
booths. Be sure to have your own adequate property coverage. We recommend taking special
precautions against shoplifting, and that at night you consolidate and cover any easily removable
items.
NO ONE, including exhibitors, will be allowed on the Fair site after closing each evening until
7 A.M. the next morning. You must coordinate with staff for any alternate arrangements to this
regulation. Camping for self-contained units may be arranged with the Park Police.
HOSPITALITY & BOOTH SITTERS: Breakfast will be provided daily from 8:00 to 9:30 A.M. in
the Hospitality tent. Throughout the day, booth sitters will be available, but on a limited basis,
especially between the hours of 12:30 and 2:30 P.M. daily for lunch breaks (15 MIN. MAXIMUM).
Sign up for booth sitting at the Information Tent and during breakfast each morning.
SALES TAX: Each exhibitor is responsible for collecting 9.25% sales tax for each item sold. Tax
forms will be in your check-in packet with instructions regarding how to mail your tax payments
after the Fair.
SALES REPORTS: Please fill out the sales report form that will be provided to you on Sunday
morning. It is used in evaluating each year’s efforts. All information remains confidential.
Someone will come by your booth late Sunday afternoon to collect your sales report.
ON-SITE EVALUATION: Members of the jury panel will evaluate each exhibitor’s work during
the Fair, using the scoring procedures used in screening applications on Zapp. Tennessee Craft
looks for work that is well-crafted and well-designed. Jurors will evaluate the work in each booth
using these criteria. The cumulative number of points received by each exhibitor is used in
identifying those pre-accepted into next spring’s Tennessee Craft Fair without need for further
jurying. Notifications will be emailed soon after the Fair, usually within 2 weeks.
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING POLICIES:
 Only those people whose work has been screened and accepted may sell their work at the Fair,
and accepted artists must exhibit during all hours of the fair. No agents, proxies, or stand-ins will
be allowed to represent the artist. Tennessee Craft focuses on the work of the individual
craftsperson; individuals, not businesses are listed in the program. The interaction of the artist
and the customer is fundamental to the philosophy of fairs sponsored by Tennessee Craft.
 In an effort to pursue vigorously the highest quality possible, all work displayed must be
original work executed by the artist. Do not bring items to the Fair to sell that are not of the
medium in which you were accepted. (This includes non-craft items, such as books, cards,
flowers, honey, etc.) Also do not bring items that are in conflict with the stated policies, including
any commercially-produced objects or prints (including photographs not processed and printed by
the artist), digitally-produced images, objects composed predominantly of commercially-made
parts, work using copy-righted designs not owned by the artist, etc.). Exhibitors who bring
unacceptable items will be asked to remove them from display. Finally, in the interest of
maintaining standards of high quality, the sale of seconds, or advertising of close-out sales
or specially marked down items are inappropriate.
 Tennessee Craft reserves the right to ask any exhibitor, who does not comply with the stated
policies on work eligible to be shown, to leave without refund of fees. Any exhibitor who causes
undue disruption is in danger of losing his or her privilege to show.
Page 2 of 2
Fair Regulations
Both the Nashville Fire Department and the Metro Board of Parks have regulations in place
with which exhibitors must comply. Please read the following carefully to ensure that you
will have a safe, successful and worry-free experience at the upcoming Tennessee Craft
Fair:
1.) Tent permits are required for tents larger than 200 sq. ft. (tents larger than 10’ x 20’ or
equivalent). Tents 200 sq. ft. or smaller can be used without obtaining a permit from
the Fire Department. However, these tents are required to have a factory installed
label that states the fabric is flame retardant or flame resistant. Fire Department
inspectors will be on the grounds to inspect tents, and any tent not in compliance must
be removed from the premises. Please check to be sure that your tent has this label.
Note: some inexpensive and/or older tents may not have this certification. If you are
purchasing a tent, do not purchase one without this label!
o Exhibitors with tents exceeding 200 sq. ft. must purchase a permit from the
Nashville Fire Department and comply with more stringent requirements.
o If two smaller tents are set up to adjoin, and exceed 200 sq. ft., they are
considered to be one tent and will require a permit. This restriction would be
waived if one or both of the tents was rented from Tennessee Craft.
o Exhibitors renting tents through Tennessee Craft will not be required to purchase
a permit because our tent contractor has complied with all fire department
regulations and purchased required permits.
2.) There is a minimum 5-day notice required to process all tent permits. If you need a
permit, please start the process immediately so you have time to make other
arrangements if you cannot secure a permit for your tent.
3.) No exhibitor may have lit candles, smoking, or other sources of ignition within his or her
tent.
4.) Generators, boat batteries and other similar types of electricity sources are only
permitted if allowed by the Fire Dept. In addition, noisy or smelly generators may be
prohibited in the event they prove disruptive to one’s booth neighbors.
5.) Any tent that doesn't meet the requirements above is at risk for being removed by the
Fire Dept.
Tennessee Craft has worked diligently with the Fire Department and Parks to make the
upcoming Craft Fair comply with these regulations. We want this fair to be an enjoyable
experience for everyone, so please make sure you are in compliance before you arrive on
the grounds.
If you need additional inf., please contact the Nashville Fire Department at
615-862-5230.
Parking Policy
ATTENTION EXHIBITORS:
Due to a limited number of customer parking places bordering the fair within Centennial Park,
we ask ALL artists to abide by the parking policy, which limits exhibitor parking to the three
stripes parking areas indicated on the map below.
Parking areas shaded in a light yellow (or light gray if printed in black & white) are for your
buying public. Artists who park in these public parking areas tie up valuable customer
parking and lower everyone’s overall sales volume. Many customers will not stop to
shop if close parking isn’t available, so it is imperative to help your buying public find a
good parking space!
Artists will still be able to load and unload each morning and during set-up closer to one’s booth,
weather permitting, but MUST REMOVE their vehicles from the interior (and from all nonexhibitor parking spaces) by 9:00 a.m. daily.
During check-in, Tennessee Craft staff or volunteers will be verifying license plates
and/or recording plate
numbers in order to help
enforce the parking policy.
Your welcome packet (given
to each artist at check-in) will
include a parking map to help
you locate the striped exhibitor
parking areas once you arrive.
Parking Violators Will
Lose Their On-site
Scores!
To aid compliance with this
policy, artists will be asked to
move their vehicles
IMMEDIATELY if found in
non-exhibitor parking areas. In
addition, violators will lose
their on-site score, which
means an exhibitor loses the
ability to be pre-accepted to
the following year’s spring or
fall event.
Handicapped exhibitors –
Allowances will be made for
artists who have handicap
hang tags in, or license plates
on, their vehicle. Please note
that you must have a handicap
tag or license plate to park in
public, or handicapped,
parking areas.
Tennessee Craft Fair Survival Kit
A LIST TO HELP NEW EXHIBITORS PREPARE FOR THEIR FIRST TENNESSEE CRAFT FAIR
Absolute Must-Haves!
Don't leave home without…
 Plenty of inventory
 White Tent (You’ll need a permit from Metro Parks if your tent is larger than 10’x20’)
 Poles
 Walls
 Spiral Stakes (Hand and foot-driven stakes are the only stakes allowed in Centennial Park.
Exhibitors are NOT permitted to drive stakes in with mallets, hammers or other tools.)
Booth Set-Up & Display Materials
These items give your booth a cohesive, professional look and invite buyers in
Veteran Tip: Set your booth up before you leave and take a picture when you get it just right.
Pack up everything in an organized manner. Refer to the image during set up on Thursday!
 Pedestals and/or display cases
 Bamboo flooring/floorboards or rugs (place a tarp underneath to protect against soggy terrain)
 Banner with business name
 Chairs (Rest when you can, but stand and greet customers when they enter)
 Fan (You and your customers will appreciate a breeze)
Optional items
 Drapes
 Small hula hoops (Wedge these between tent top and poles to avoid collecting water if it rains)
 Brochures about your business/products
 Postcards with information about upcoming shows
 Generator - if you need power, be sure to supply your own (There are restrictions, be sure your
generator is not loud or you’ll have to shut it down)
Put Your Business Hat On
A few things to help your transactions run smoothly in the middle of Centennial Park
 Square or Intuit credit card processing devices
 Tablet or smartphone to process the transactions
 Battery back-ups/chargers in case these devices die
 Receipt books should the technology fail
 Order forms
 Price list
 Price tags
 Calculator
 Pens
 A sense of humor – After a long day, believe us… you’ll need it!
For Your Customers
A few things to make their experience the best it can possibly be
 Guestbook (Collect information for your mailing and email lists to stay connected to visitors.)
 Greeting cards (Send thank you notes to customers. A handwritten note goes a long way!)
 A demo project to keep your hands busy and connect your customers to your craft
 Plenty of change
 Color samples
 Bags and packing materials for each potential sale
 Say “thank you” – don’t forget your Ps and Qs!
For Your Suitcase
Customers are buying your craft and YOU. Look your best and be prepared for all types of weather.
 Plenty of clothes
 Hats
 Sunscreen
 Lip sunscreen
 Raincoat
 Rain boots
 Socks and shoes
 Hair bands
 Shower kit
 Towel
 Medication
 Money (For food and all the great craft you'll want to buy from fellow exhibitors!)
For Your Tummy
Stay nourished and hydrated to maintain your energy all day.
 Cooler/lunch box with ice and some of your favorite snacks
 Ice bottles
 Lots of water
 Food
 Lots of food
 Chocolate
 Towelettes for clean up
Hardware
We hate to tell you, but some things are beyond your control. This can wreak havoc to an unprepared
exhibitor. Have a few tools close by and be ready to play MacGyver.
 Pliers
 Hammer - just don't use on your stakes!
 Nails
 Tape gun
 Duct tape
 Velcro tape (If duct tape won’t work, Velcro tape can solve a TON of problems in your booth.)
 Bungee cords/zip ties
 Hole punch
 Garbage bags
 Sharpies
 Extra tarp(s)
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