When you go to a farmers market, you’ll see an array of different displays. Some vendors will have plain-colored pop up tents over their wares while others will be selling straight from the bed of their pickup truck.
Imagine, for a moment, a vendor going above and beyond the norms of farmers market advertising. A colorful custom tent advertising their wares would draw eyes to their table. Customers wouldn’t be able to help themselves: they’d need to see what that vendor had for sale. That’s the power behind investing in a custom farmers market tent.
Choosing a Custom Tent for Farmers Markets
Choosing to invest in a custom farmers market tent means choosing to invest in eye-catching branding for your wares. People are more likely to remember a brand if they use a customized tent than if they use a plain-colored pop up tent. So, not only will you draw customers to your table at today’s farmers market, but next week or next month they’re more likely to seek you out from memory.
Selecting a custom tent also means choosing to be different. Since the majority of vendors at farmers markets still aren’t using customized marketing tents, you’re setting yourself apart from your competition. After all, just because you’re participating in a local farmers market doesn’t mean you’re not a professional. Your business matters just as much as the businesses that attend larger trade shows and festivals. Investing in a custom pop up tent shows your customers that you take your business seriously.
And what about those larger trade shows and festivals? Once you have a custom pop up tent, you open the door for yourself to attend these other events down the road. You may not want or need to attend trade shows now, but if you ever choose to scale your business, you’ll already have the marketing tools you need to do so.
What Makes a Good Custom Farmers Market Tent?
If your goal is to bring your custom tent to a farmers market, you have unique needs that other brands may not have. Depending on your community, your local farmers market may take place in any available public space. You may be setting up in a parking lot or in a grassy park. If you participate in more than one local farmers market, you may even need a pop up tent that’s equipped for different types of locations.
A good farmers market tent has three main qualities: it’s easy to use, it’s durable, and it holds up well in the rain. Let’s take a look at each of these factors individually.
Ease of Use
No one wants to battle their pop up tent when setting up their farmers market booth. You may only have one other person with you to help, so you need a pop up tent that is lightweight to transport and can be set up with just a couple of people. Smaller 10’x10’ pop up tents may be a good choice for farmers markets because they are so portable and easy to set up.
Consider investing in a custom canopy tent with a deluxe roller bag. When your hands are full of produce, it’s nice to be able to drag your tent behind you without damaging your bag. You can make fewer trips from your vehicle to your table, making set up even quicker and more seamless.
Durability
If you’re investing money in a custom pop up tent, you want to know that you’re getting the best bang for your buck. 600 Denier polyester fabric offers a thicker, sturdier canopy than 300 Denier polyester fabric. It also offers a sharper print job, meaning that when you invest a little more money in a 600 Denier canopy for your pop up tent, you’re investing more years of usability.
When it comes to your pop up tent frame, the choice may be a little less clear. Frames come in two standard shapes: square legged frames and hexagon legged frames.
Hexagon legged frames are more durable than square legged frames. Available in steel or aluminum, they tend to have longer warranties than square legged frames and premium accessories. If you have a little extra room in your budget or if you plan to take your custom tent to events in addition to your weekly farmers market, they may be worth the extra investment.
However, if you only use your event tent once a week for a few hours at a time, a square legged frame may be all you need to get the job done. Though they’re not as durable as hexagon legged frames, they’re still plenty strong enough for the needs of a typical farmers market tent, and you’ll save yourself some money by choosing a square legged frame rather than a hexagon legged frame.
Water Repellent Custom Canopy
Rain or shine, your produce and handmade goods need to be sold. So, rain or shine, you’ll be at your weekend farmers market.
If that’s the case, you’ll want to invest in a farmers market tent with a water repellent coating on the canopy. Though even a water repellent tent won’t completely stave off the effects of a downpour, both you and your customers will be more comfortable if you can stay largely dry. Water repellent canopies also keep your wares from getting soaked on a rainy day, meaning fewer wasted products due to the weather.
Designing Your Custom Canopy Tent
It’s one thing to know you want a custom pop up tent and another thing to put together a beautiful, captivating tent design. Luckily, many manufacturers are equipped to help you design your custom pop up tent.
Your manufacturer specializes in custom tent design and is often your best resource when designing your custom pop up tent. They may even have samples of other farmers market tents they’ve done in the past that you can use as inspiration or pop up tent design templates you can use to get started.
Though you may lean heavily on your tent manufacturer when buying your custom pop up tent, having an idea of farmers market tent design best practices can help you make smart, efficient decisions throughout the design process.
Best Practices in Custom Tent Design
Although no two brands are exactly the same, and no two tents should be exactly the same, there are some best practices to keep in mind when designing your custom pop up tent.
The first thing to consider is your use of color. Pantone colors print most reliably, meaning that if you plan to have multiple marketing materials for customers to look at, printing in Pantones rather than CMYK will ensure your colors look the same across all your marketing products. The use of Pantone colors also helps to ensure the best possible color match from your tent's digital design, to the physical finished product.
We also recommend you print a background color other than white for your custom canopy. White canopies are hard to keep clean and can quickly become dingy-looking, negating the air of professionalism you get by investing in a custom pop up tent.
Finally, consider your use of space. Anything you print on the peak of your custom pop-up tent will be seen from across the farmers market. This is the space you use to attract customers to your stall and is a great spot for things like your logo, your brand name, or a picture of what you sell.
The valance is only seen by customers who are standing close to your stall. This is where many brands print things like their phone numbers, their websites, or their social media information.
Saving Money on a Pop Up Tent with Logo
If you have extra room in your budget, it can be nice to go all out on a canopy design that shows off your products, your business name, your logo, and more. However, if you’re working with a tight budget, keep in mind that just by investing in a custom pop up tent, you’re already doing more than most of your competition.
One way to save money is to just print your logo on your pop up tent. Many manufacturers will offer your tent customization at a discounted rate if you can limit your printing space or limit yourself to just one printing color. Your logo was designed to be eye-catching and help with brand recognition, making it the perfect solution for a more budget-conscious pop up tent design.
Custom Tent Packages
If you’re looking for some extra branding for your farmers market booth, consider investing in a custom tent package or kit rather than just buying the custom pop up tent.
Custom tent packages often come with sidewalls, which can be a great way to separate you from other vendors at a crowded farmers market. They may also come with additional accessories such as customized tablecloths or printed advertising flags. Not only do these items serve a purpose, but they also elevate your table that much more.
Choosing the Right Custom Pop Up Canopy Tent for You
Ultimately, the right custom pop up canopy tent for your brand will be decided by your budget, your location, and your frequency of use. No matter what pop up tent you decide to buy, be sure to research your tent manufacturer. Ensure that they’ve helped design other farmers market tents and have a track record for success. Most importantly, make sure you feel comfortable talking to them. When you call their customer service line, they should be warm and inviting. Your custom farmers market tent design is highly personal, and you want to work on it with someone you can trust.
Here at MVP Visuals, we’re trusted by hundreds of brands across the country for great service and high-quality custom canopy tents. Our customer service team is happy to work with you over the phone, via email, or on Live Chat to help find the best custom tent for your needs - and you can always shop our Custom Tents collection online anytime!
