I'm a huge supporter of indie, DIY, punk rock culture -- from food to fashion; from art to…read moreactivism. The swap meet seemed the perfect synergy, incorporating all those interests: a swap meet featuring designers and local boutiques, art and music, with the entrance fee benefiting the food truck movement in Atlanta. It was even billed a "Food Truck Festival."
These events were made for the likes of me.
Obviously, my disappointment is captured in the two star rating, but I'll take a moment to explain how word choice builds hype and influences perception and thusly, the ensuing letdown.
::: Poor word choice number 1: "swap meet." :::
I don't know what "swap meet" means 'round these parts, but this here Yankee has always known "swap meet" to mean a bazaar like atmosphere where you score cheap, unique and potentially secondhand goods so you can then lie when asked "oh, where'd you get this amazing __________ from? Is it designer?"
Not the case at the "Southern Swap Meet." Apparently, "Southern" means "rich, bitch." $275 jeans? Really? Nearly everything was geared towards men, ranging from tees, jeans to bow ties, boat shoes [for both the ironic and sincere wearer].
It's a pop up shop: expensive, quality goods thrown in a barn so you can feel all hip and gritty about it. Yay you.
I get that the allure of alliteration was too much to resist, but the name of this event was misleading.
::: Poor word choice number 2: "festival" :::
The word "festival" inherently implies numerous participants. The Atlanta Street Food Coalition participation was abysmal. There were three food trucks: Good Food Truck, Tamale Queen, and Westside Creamery.
King of Pops was doing his thing, as per usual. Yay for that, because I resorted to having a lemon and ricotta popsicle for lunch. There was also a guy slinging boiled peanuts that I hear are very tasty. That's cool and all, but c'mon: ongoing events like Street Food Thursdays and First Fridays at Sweet Auburn Curb Market see way more action than a "festival" purported to be raising money for the cause.
Aside from the nomenclature related shortcomings, the event didn't appear very well organized. There was confusion as to when the event started: I saw three different start times listed on websites and materials [2 pm, 4 pm, 5pm]. I was there from 3:30 to 4:30 and never felt like it "started."
Despite posted signage attempting to tell you where things were located, it was very easy to wander into someone's bedroom.
I know it's the first event and there's bound to be kinks and things don't always run smoothly. I get that. But even taking that into consideration, nah, yo. And hipster hell to boot? I can't.