Kicking Off First Friday's in Press Plaza

This First Fridays was different because it was outdoors. It was the first one of the year, in a new area, and I was ready to make some sales. It was my first time having my full table set up since probably the November First Fridays. I made sure to have my car packed before work so I could drive directly from there and set up as early as possible.

Setting up still took some time, and the wind made everything difficult. At first I was nervous that I would not be able to put most of my items out. I had to get creative with the layout and use a lot of tape to keep things steady. I kept hoping the wind would calm down before the end of the night so I could put everything out, but that moment never came.

Since the event was early in May, it also got dark pretty quickly, and once the sun went down the temperature dropped fast. I was not prepared for how cold it got. The crowd was lighter than usual, partly because a lot of people still thought the event would be at the previous location. There was a long gap between the second band and the third, and the plaza emptied out during that break. A bunch of vendors decided to pack up early, which made the space feel even quieter.

I wanted to stick it out because you never know what could happen. But not long into the third set I decided to pack it in. There was also an event happening at AP Brewery nearby, and everyone I knew was over there. The promo for this First Fridays felt low, and I am part of that too. I did not advertise much that I would be there.

Regardless, a gig is a gig is a gig, and I walked away with a few notes for what I want to do differently next time.