Sheffield Garden Walk – Gates And Tickets

Location: Sheffield Garden Walk

Date: Saturday, July 20, 2013; 2:30-5:00 pm

I took the train to Fullerton and had something to eat before proceeding to this street festival.  It certainly was the season for street festivals and One Brick was participating in many of them.  The proceeds from the festival were going to provide funds for local schools, local charities, park renovations and other community projects.  One Brick would be helping out via ticket sales and the beer booth – same duties as last week’s burger festival.  I arrived to find our group was already assembled and some had in fact left for their stations.  I went to collect my t-shirt and wrist band from an extremely laid back volunteer who was as relaxed as I have seen anyone.  After collecting my stuff I came over and chatted with Kinga, who was the EM and LaShaone, who was the EC, as well as Anvi, whom I have seen at several projects.  Since most of the other stations were already staffed, the organizers asked if we would mind helping out in the kids section.  Apparently one block had been allocated for kid’s activities which included various games, a tiny Ferris wheel, petting zoo and also a tattoo station, which required our help.   From selling tickets to working with kids – why would I mind!  Thank you relaxed t-shirt lady for delaying me.

Tattoos!

We arrived at our station, which was in middle of all the festivities that were going on.  Next to us were a photo station and a group of girls who were speech therapists and promoting their institution.  Before the earlier duo of volunteers left, they gave Anvi and me a crash course on applying a tattoo.  First you peel off one side of the tattoo, apply it to the person and dab with a moist cloth.  Then you peel of the sticker and that should transfer the image on to the hand, face or wherever the tattoo is being applied.  We had a variety of designs on 4 strips of tattoos – two each that would appeal to boys and girls.  The entire festival operated on tickets in exchange for stuff; and we were to ask for two tickets per tattoo or it was free for anyone possessing a wristband.  It seemed like a fun way to spend an afternoon and Anvi and I took each end of our table and were ready to welcome our guests.

My pirate design

The kids started coming over for tattoos and I was asking the parents for tickets.  Many were unaware that this wasn’t complimentary and so had go get tickets.  I told Anvi that I did not like this since the child’s eyes usually lit up when the saw the tattoos and asking for tickets felt like an anti-climax.  Yes, I know the festival was to raise money for the community, but I’m sure they were making a lot of it through beer and food sales that they did not need to charge for something as trivial as a sticker tattoo – trivial to the organizers, not to the kids.  I was having fun helping the kids select and my hunch on which ones the boys would prefer as opposed to girls was proving to be spot on.  I had applied a tattoo of a pirate and an anchor on myself, and was trying to get boys to select a similar one; while the girls were going for something colorful or with glitter.  Everyone was getting tattoos, including Kinga and LaShaone who had stopped by.

Rubber Ducky's!

There was some down time and I chatted with the girls from the speech therapy booth.  They said that they coach everyone from birth to age 21.  I thought I had mis-heard them say birth, but apparently it was accurate, many kids need speech therapy right from infancy.  To entice people to come to their booth, they had soap bubble bottles and I asked if I could have one.  I mean, who doesn't like soap bubbles.  I have very vague recollections from a long time ago when I visited city fairs with my parents and they got me soap bubble bottles.  There are some memories which you hope time never erases and small things like these are priceless. The photo station guy on our other side was trying every trick in the book to get kids to laugh, including barking!  In fact, he was so good, that I thought there was an actual dog nearby when I heard a bark and saw that he was trying to get a perfect picture!  I went for a short walk and stopped by a station which had yellow rubber ducky’s going round and round the booth.  Next to it there was a jar of Swedish fish and a prize for whomever guessed the right number.  I am very poor at such activities and often am off by a big number.  I put my guess in nevertheless, not even knowing what the prize was for winning. 

Time was going by fast with the tattooing and one girl kept coming back with more tickets to get additional tattoos on her arms.  Many parents were happy to pay and always asked the kids to thank us before leaving.  At one point I told Anvi that I wouldn't even bother charging more tickets for additional tattoos, rules be damned.  A group of three little girls came over and it was apparent that they were best friends.  Only one of them – who looked like the leader – had a wristband and she refused to get a tattoo, even though in was included, if her friends had to pay.  Before I could tell them that I would let them have it for no charge, she had stormed off with her friends in tow! 

It was almost 5 pm and the children’s section was about to close.  LaShaone came to get us and we found the rest of One Brick crew enjoying their hard earned beer. We caught up about upcoming events and some other general stuff and while I left, they were going to stay back to enjoy the evening party.  I had a terrific time at the tattoo station working with the kids.  The trio of girls, who had left in a huff when they realized the tattoos weren't free, had returned later. This time I insisted that they get tattoos, at which all three got identical ones on the same spot on their arms.  When people talk about what real friendship means, show me a group like this and I will show you a bond for life.