Soft Flex Company Glass Art & Bead Festival - New York, NY
It will be the Most Spectacular Beading Event of the year on the East Coast. Join us this year at a new location! Fashion Institute of Technology Campus on October 16-18, 2009.

NEW LOCATION
Fashion Institute of Technology Campus
Campus Conference Center / John E. Reeves Great Hall
Entrance on West 28th Street between 7th & 8th Ave
New York, NY 10001

SHOW TIMES
Friday, 10 am - 6 pm
Saturday, 10 am - 6 pm
Sunday, 11 am - 5 pm

SHOPPING
October 16 - 18, 2009
Juried Show of 45+ Exhibitor Spaces
Beads, gemstones, findings, collectible glass art & jewelry
A truly exciting EAST COAST shopping Extravaganza

An Entrance Fee of $5.00 will be donated to The Bead Society of Greater New York.
This donation will help the BSGNY maintain and expand their educational & informational programs for their members and their surrounding community. Their assistance in this endeavor has left us forever grateful.

From BSGNY, Oct 2008:

Once again, festival attendees came from all over to join the fun - from the Dominican Republic, Barbados and Canada; Hawaii, Texas, Oklahoma, Delaware, North Carolina and Florida were also represented. Our invitation to our fellow bead societies and craft guilds across the country attracted many visitors to the show - a group of Baltimore Bead Society members organized a day trip into the city to attend the Festival; members of Empire Quilters (NYC), Bead Society of Greater Chicago, Boston Bead Society, Bead Society of Eastern Pennsylvania and the Connecticut Bead Society also came to enjoy the show. Our placement of Festival fliers at NYC visitors' kiosks and hotels throughout the city attracted many tourists visiting NYC - a guest from Montreal was here because her husband was attending a business-related Convention. She was thrilled when she saw the Festival flier at her hotel - and knew exactly where she would be spending her free time. Fliers in local coffee shops and other businesses in the area also attracted a new set of shoppers to the festival. Several visitors took the time to sign the BSGNY/Festival Mailing List leaving comments such as "Wonderful show","A step above the rest", "Looking forward to next year", and the list goes on and on.

We hope that Soft Flex and the other vendors did well at the Festival. As always, the variety and quality of the vendor group was exceptional. We were also very impressed with the new layout of the Soft Flex space which included a wirework demo-table in the back. What a great idea! Coupled with the Make-It-Take-Its, this added a wonderful learning experience at the Festival for many crafters who may not be so familiar with new wire techniques and innovations in the market today. It created a warm, fun-filled atmosphere to the whole shopping experience. The personal interaction between all levels of beaders, other craftspeople and a few non-beaders attending and participating in the Show created a joyful feeling of camaraderie, even if it was only for the few hours that people spent at the show. This experience is rare in events of this nature. In our opinion, all of these special aspects of the show are what make the Soft Flex Festival so much more special and unique from "that other" bead show that comes to town - and a favorite of many who look forward to the event each and every year.

EDUCATION
October 16 - 18, 2009
No paid classes available
Free Make-It-Take-Its. No experience is necessary. A designer can make a beaded project and take it home with them in 30 minutes. Beginners as well as advanced designers are welcome! The Make-It-Take-Its are a great way to learn a new technique with hands on assistance.

Make-It-Take-It projects from Sonoma 2007 and 2008 shown below.

EXPERIENCE THE BIG APPLE
New York City is an adrenaline-charged, history-laden place that holds immense romantic appeal for visitors. Take in a Broadway Show or take a Walking Tour from Times Square to Central Park. Let the Festival's ambiance captivate all of your bead dreams.

If planning a trip be sure to check out Vacation Rentals by Owner- www.vrbo.com. On this site, you select a state, then a city or town within that state. You'll find rooms, cottages and houses as options to stay in close proximity to the town of Sonoma. These towns are still in Sonoma, just on the outskirts: (10 to 15 minute drive) - Glen Ellen - Boyes Hot Springs - Fetters Hot Springs - Kenwood - Schellville - El Verano - Vineburg - Eldridge.

See our Travel and Accommodations page to find out more!

SHOP LOCAL BEAD STORES
After visiting the Glass Art & Bead Festival, shop from local bead stores too!  Use our bead store finder to locate stores in the area, for New York City, use zip code: 10001