Rodeo Mercantile

Article courtesy Guymon Daily Herald
by Heather Avey

The Mercantile Arts and Crafts is a western arts, crafts and products show during the traditional Pioneer Days Celebration.

In Pioneer Days, locals jumped in their covered wagons and headed to their local Mercantile where they traded and purchased items, like trading eggs for bags of sugar and flour. But in the early days trading points were sometimes sixty miles away and water had to be hauled long distances. Eventually, small stores soon found their way to these remote districts and wells were dug.

Jumping back to 2008, Guymon is going to host their annual Mercantile Arts and Crafts Fair at the Texas County Activity Center on May 3-4. According to Susan Seal, co-chairman of the event, there will be over 107 booths this year selling various items such as, wood work, saddles, western gifts, dip mixes, cosmetics, lots of different types of handmade jewelry, cowboy hats, western clothing, cookies and cookie bouquets, wrought iron arches and benches and lots more.

"You can almost name it and we've got it," Seal laughed.

There will be vendors from as far away Lubbock, Denver, Oklahoma City and many local vendors. Some of the vendors include: Seals of Approval, hand crafted jewelry by Chris Behne and Carol Green and Bobbi Stalls with rustic fur and western gifts. The Nazarene Youth group will open a concession stand and the Tator Twisters will be there during the event.

Saturday's show will be from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday's show will be from 11 a.m. till 5 p.m. The Activity Center is located at Fifth and Sunset on the Texas County Fair Grounds. There are still some 10 X10 booth spaces available. For crafters they are $75 a space and for commercial they are $100 a space. For more information on the Mercantile Show contact Susan Seal at (580) 339-3696.

Dates:         Saturday & Sunday May 3rd & 4th, 2008

Hours:        Saturday 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM     Sunday 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Where:       Texas County Activity Center, Guymon, OK. (North 5th St. & Sunset Lane)

Booth          10’ x 10’ craft booth is $75.00 each 
Fees:           10’ x 10’ commercial booth is $100.00 each

Assignment Space:    Space is assigned by the Mercantile Chairpersons, following your request as close as possible. Applications will be taken first come first serve. Exhibitor shall not assign, share or sublet any part of the space without written consent. All exhibitors are subject to approval.              
Account must be paid in full with the Application! Any leased space not occupied by 10:00 a.m., May 3rd, 2008 will be considered forfeited, unless prior arrangements have been made with the Mercantile Chairman, Mercantile Chairman may re-allot or sell such space immediately without further notice to exhibitor, with no obligation for refund.
Display must be completed by opening time. Construction is not allowed during show hours.

Set up:        Friday, May 2nd  – 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Saturday, May 3rd – 8:00 am – 10:00 am
Before setting up you will need to turn in your tax # OR your Social Security #

Move Out: Move-out time is 5:00 p.m., Sunday, no exceptions. Please do not begin to breakdown your booth until that time. Early packing of a booth is prohibited. Anyone doing so will not be invited to return. It is the height of disrespect to even those last few attendees and unfair to exhibitors.

Parking:     Short term parking near the Activity Center for loading & unloading only.

Liability:     Exhibitor may not hold the Guymon Chamber of Commerce, and any of its committee members, the Texas County Activity Center, or Texas County responsible in case of personal injury or damage to items on exhibit.

SECURITY WILL BE PROVIDED  from 8:00 am Sat. – 6:00 pm Sun.