FALL FOR RESCUE CRAFT & VENDOR EVENT

OCTOBER 14, 2023 10AM-BONFIRE TIME!

(NOTE THIS IS A NON-ANIMAL EVENT)

Birds and Beaks is excited to announce our first annual area rescue meetup event, which we’re calling the “Fall For Rescue” Craft and Vendor Event.

All local rescues - (dog/cat/wildlife/livestock/reptile/rodent - everyone!) are invited to come set up a vendor booth or table at Birds and Beaks in Battle Creek, to sell handmade crafts or items to raise money for their rescue. Vendor/Craft Booths will be open from 10am-7pm, rain or shine. If the weather is nice, we’ll set up around the grounds. If the weather is crappy, we’ll set up in the barn, and there should be plenty of space for everyone. If you have vendor tents you may set them up on the grounds - let us know what you’d like in your registration form.

Who qualifies? If you’re a rescue that houses, rehabs, sanctuaries and/or adopts out animals that are displaced - you qualify. For this event you do not have to be an established nonprofit - but you do have to be “not for profit”.

We are also inviting non-rescue crafters and vendors to set up, with the understanding that the fee to do so is to commit a percentage of sales to any present rescue. If you know of any talented, awesome humans who make cool stuff, have them send in a form submission.

The point of this (at least for us) is we want to know you. We want to at minimum become familiar with all the rescues in the area. When we bought our property, we always hoped it would benefit the rescue community as a whole. We believe together, we can accomplish anything, and this is our first step toward building alliances that ensure the rescue community is seen and utilized around West Michigan.

For this event, we are asking NOT to bring animals - but instead to bring an iPad or Tablet or Printouts of your applications for adoption to have on your tables.

There will be no animal adoptions on this day - but we encourage plenty of applications and networking to get your name/animals out there for finding homes.

If we get enough participation, we’ll try to get a couple of food trucks to come set up, and we’ll do some advertising on social media and with the news stations.

ACTIVITIES

CHILI COOK OFF

Vendors are encouraged to make a giant pot your best chili recipes to trade off with other vendors for lunch. Make sure to write up an ingredient list for anyone with allergies.

BIRDS AND BEAKS OPEN HOUSE

We’ll invite visitors into the rescue for a guided tour to see all the birds. We’ll be waiving admission fees for tours for this event, but we will still require all visitors wishing to walk through to sign liability waivers.

BONFIRE

After the sales for the day shut down, we’d love to hang out with all the rescues and have a bonfire and goof off and get to know each other, weather permitting. Hang out as long as you’d like after we pack everything up and put it all away.

RESCUE/VENDOR/CRAFTER FORM

Fill this form out to reserve your spot! We ask that if you commit, you come and set up. Even if you don’t have a bunch of stuff to sell - you can make baked goods or you can even just set up an information booth about your rescue, but any crafts qualify for this event. Anything you can make, you can sell (that’s legal of course!) to raise dollars for your rescue.

Name

First Name

Last Name

Phone

(###)

###

####

Email

What is the name of your organization or business?

What kind of organization are you?

Describe the items you'll be selling in your booth?

Describe the items and products you'll be selling in your booth?

RESCUES: What kind of animals do you work with?

Tell us about the animals you work with?

Online Links

Share any links to your social media, website, and accounts that show your online presence that we can share to advertise your participation.

Size requirements for booth?

Options for booths are as follows: For vendor tents - 10x10 or 10x20 - you provide your own tents/decor. For in the barn - 8 foot table or 2 8 foot tables - you provide your own tables/chairs and decor for your booth.

We will likely create a Facebook Group to keep this organized. Do you use Facebook?

If so - what is your name on Facebook so we might friend you and invite you to said group?

Liability Waiver

All participants will need to sign a liability waiver to set up on the property. Do you agree?

No Drama Zone

If you're involved in the animal world, you know that there is usually drama involved. Not here. When we bought this property, the dream was to connect with all the area rescues and figure out a way for us to work together, to create network and camaraderie to benefit animals needing homes. That is still our dream. We will not tolerate any backbiting, gossip, rumors, speculation or negative talk about any other rescues. If you have beef with other rescues - handle it outside of this event. This is not the place. We have all but eliminated it in the avian world in Michigan by becoming close friends with everyone and regularly helping each other whenever we can with transports, food, housing animals - whatever we can to help each other. We're a network. We believe we can do that with all the local rescues. By agreeing to participate, you agree to keep it civil and fun.