Vendors Sought for Venture Local Fair

venture fairThe Asheville Grown Business Alliance, in partnership with the Self Help Credit Union, Eagle Market Streets Development Corporation, and Prolific Consulting and Color of Asheville, will launch the first annual Venture Local Fair.

The fair takes place Friday & Saturday, September 25 & 26, 2015. Talented and creative, makers, food vendors, service providers, and collectors from WNC are sought to participate on Saturday, September 26. Vendor applications will be accepted until June 30. Apply online at www.venturelocalfair.com.

The mission of the event is to highlight the unique character of Asheville, to drive dialogue around the positive economic impact of thinking locally first, and to create value driven growth in a way that is dedicated to a triple bottom line.

The conference portion will be a ticketed event and will take place on Friday, September 25 from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. in the South Slope area of downtown Asheville. Stacy Mitchell of the Institute for Local Self Reliance and author of Big Box Swindle will be the keynote speaker.

Catawba Brewing will host the main portion of the conference, which will include thought-provoking breakout sessions and tours of local businesses throughout the South Slope. The event will expand on momentum from its sister event, the annual Bringing it Home Conference held this past March.

Sessions will cover Marketing and Branding Strategies, B-Corporations, Democratizing Ownership and Cooperatives, and Growing with Creative Financing. The program is designed as a complement to the conversations sparked at the Authentic Communities Summit, the Creative Sector Summit, and MEDWeek.

A street fair will take place Saturday, September 26 from noon until 6 p.m. This is a family-friendly event and free for all to attend. Both Buxton and Banks Streets will be closed to accommodate a festive celebration with more than 100 booths, food trucks, and local beer. Many businesses in the area will feature special programming including live music, tours, and tastings.

Venture Local WNC was begun in 2011 by Advantage West as one-day conference to “spotlight success stories, promote opportunities for new ventures, discuss best practices and connect entrepreneurs with each other, investors and the resources they need to succeed.” In 2015 Asheville Grown Business Alliance adopted the conference and expanded it in to a two-day affair.

Tickets for the conference go on sale early August. Check www.venturelocalfair.com for details.

To sign on as a sponsor, please email [email protected] for a sponsorship packet and information about aligning your business with the Local Movement.

Asheville Grown Business Alliance, 72 Lexington Avenue, Asheville. www.ashevillegrown.com