Drumming up business in Syracuse!

I've written about craft shows, and people's sense of ownership of their little 10x10 ft. piece of real estate and the conflicts that can arise, but this weekend, ownership of the air space became an issue. One of the joys of outdoor shows in particular, is the presence of entertainment. Some shows have particular locations with stages, etc. to present music. In Syracuse, NY this weekend, there was a wide variety of musicians, including some wandering minstrels, bagpipers, Morris dancers, Native American Dancers, belly dancers, and the above group of African drummers. While there were a couple of static location performances (the Native American dancers stayed in the food area for example - see last paragraph below the video), most of these groups wandered around, stopping here and there for a 10-15 minute presentation! Along with sunny weather (mostly), children's activities, and a lot of very nice customers, these entertainers made for a wonderful weekend. One folk singer utilized our stool in front of the booth to seranade us for several songs!

The exhibitor below however, seemed to find the entertainment a distraction from her ability to sell her wares, and in "no uncertain terms" told the drummers to leave. The young man listened politely - a woman from the audience gently guided her away - and the drumming continued. Video below.

Another conversation overheard among performers - I guess they have air space issues too! One of the Morris Dancers commented about the distant sound of drums from the Native American folks disturbing their performance -- Quote - "I guess they didn't scout out a place where they wouldn't disturb other performances like we did!" Replied another Morris Dancer - "They have been in that location for about 2 hours".