The American Folk Festival brings people from all over New England to Maine.
Whether it's the shopping or the food, people keep coming back. Recently, folk festival organizers made the shopping part much more convenient.
With dozens of vendors at the american folk festival, how can you possibly shop at each one? easy, you just shop and drop.
American Folk Festival Executive Director, Heather McCarthy, said "People don't want to buy an item and carry it around the festival, so we want to make it as easy as possible for festival goers to purchase some of these products."
A "Shop and Drop" section was added to the festival in 2011. It works like a coat check, except instead of coats, you check your purchases...
Owner of Finesse Jewlery, Nancy Marshall, said, "They can do shopping, they don't have to worry or lug it around. You just drop it off and it's safe."
The drop off section is right near the entrance to the marketplace. you simply drop your items off and receive a ticket. Just stop by before you leave to pick it all up.
Marshall said, "You know you can buy something and not have to carry it around, I would buy it."
It makes it easier to buy things like hand crafted furniture or a caricature, that you don't want to lift or damage.
"More candidates for shop and drop would be our furniture snow shoe this year and some other products. We have people do carvings in rock which might be heavy to carry around the dance floor," said McCarthy.
You can also drop off smaller items.
"Sometimes they want it packaged and they want it in a jewelry box and it's too big to carry around," the Finesse owner said.
It makes it easier to walk around the festival grounds.
Owner of Rose Whitehead Fiber Fabrics, Rose Whitehead, said, "It's a hassle to go ok where was that where I got such and such, several hours later."
It's a win-win situation for the vendors too
"Instead of having to ask the vendors to hold and then go back to each of the vendors again, they can pick it up in one spot," said Whitehead.
The "Shop and Drop" center is free and open to all festival goers.
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