A juried craft show is difficult to get into. Thousands apply for the limited booths but only a few hundred are accepted in some of the larger and more popular ones. But, this doesn't mean that you shouldn't get disheartened. If you hone your crafts as often as you can, and have a firm belief in your skills, there is no doubt that you will eventually get yourself featured in a juried craft show. You never know, maybe you can even win the category you're in.
However, do not be adamant against joining non-juried shows til then. While they may not draw as much attention as juried shows, all you really need to join is a ready set of crafted pieces and time to call them up and have a booth reserved for you. That's it! You're all set for the fair.
But keep in mind that not all non-juried shows are worth your time and effort to attend. Do your background checks and see if you can find reviews or feedbacks regarding that event in the past couple of years. If a fellow craftsperson says it's a bad place to display your goods, look into it a bit more carefully. You want to be cautious, but not so much as to pass up some good opportunities, as well.
One event that you should attend with great care is the untried and untested craft fairs that are only in their first year. The event organizers in general are going to have a lot on their hands for the first time, and they won't be able to adequately organize their event as much as the more seasoned ones. Simply put, you may just end up as their guinea pig if you go to these kinds of shows. It's not advisable.
So there: Even if you have great confidence in your talents, it is a good idea to have a portfolio built up first. Once you have an impressive collection of photos of your works and a decent resume of your past fair histories, then you can go play with the big fish. So start building up that portfolio!
