Canopy/Awning for shows

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soaplink

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Any suggestions where I might find a reasonably priced 3-sided canopy/awning for an outdoor event? Preferably one that might last more than 1 season! Thanks.
 
I've seen several vendors who have the standard canopies, and attached cheap $10 canvas painters' dropcloths from Lowes or Home Depot to three sides with simple bungee cords. One had the seams hidden with pretty curtains. Far less expensive than the ready-made 3-sided canopies, with the added advantage that they can easily be removed.
 
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Yow, those prices! I got a good basic 10' x 10' canopy for about $80 at Dicks Sporting Goods online. It's served me for three years with no problems.
 
I got an EZ Up for $200 at Sam's Club. It comes with a lot of accessories including a side wall with Velcro straps. I like that I can fit it in my little Toyota Corolla.

When I managed a farmers market, I told people to buy the EZ Up brand because replacement parts are easily available. The less expensive canopies often do not sell replacement pieces forcing the consumer to purchase a new canopy.
 
I bought the First Up tent at Walmart 2 years ago for about 85.00 and the 4 sidewall were another 50.00 but it's great because I can open the front and back and they just tie back. With my banner you really can't see much from the back but you still get a nice breeze when outdoors. Otherwise it can get pretty hot inside those things when all the walls are up.
 
The only bad thing to keep in mind when you're using all your walls, is that in crazy wind, it can act as a sail and take your tent with it, scoot it around at least! You'll find a ton of different kinds of tents, it's amazing how many there are now, when I bought my trusty Caravan 12 years ago it was mostly those and EZ Ups. My best advice is to get the best one you can afford, especially if you're going to do a lot of events. I have a friend that always buys the cheap ones and doesn't get much milage from them at all.
 
I have weights made out of PVC 24 inches long filled with cement with an eye bolt in the top and have never had my tent try to take off. Thank goodness. I just anchor them from the corners and stap them to the legs. I've done several shows on Lake Huron and the winds can get pretty hefty.
 
another thing to consider is how much tent do you need? if you have several large tables, then an 8-10' may be necessary...remember you have to pack in, erect, take down and pack out everything...I liked the small one because at the farmer's markets I sold at my little tent, a 5' folding table, a few displays, table covering and my products all fit in my little kia sportage...and after a little practice I could set up or take down in about 20 minutes.
 
A woman at my farmers market bought 2 cheap weighted shower curtains and a pack of rings for a sidewall for her tent. I thought that was pretty ingenious. I have the $200 EZ Up from Sam's, I need help getting it up (another woman at my market can get hers up by herself, so jealous of her tent skillz!) but I can take it down on my own.

Sent from my XT907 using Soap Making mobile app
 
I have the $200 EZUp also and I like it. The bag that came with it was crap, though - the zipper ripped the first time I tried to put the tent in it. I got the weight bags with it also and have had no issues with the tent trying to take off in wind. I can usually find someone to help me set it up, but I could get it up in a pinch by myself if I had to. Would just take a little more cursing.
 
Here's a tip to those with tents that have a center support; you can loosen the corner of the tarp, then get under the tent and push up until one of the corners "clicks", once you have one corner the others are easy peasy. You'll be able to do the tent by yourself pretty easily that way. The tents that don't have the center support are another animal altogether! LOL You can also use a child's size sleeping bag for a cover for your tent. I have an indoor sleeping bag that I use and it's perfect, got it on eBay pretty inexpensively. HTH's! :D
 

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