Yehudith, how exciting! I know some of those vendors have special "deals" going in conjunction with the show. Hope it works out!
I haven't totally given up the idea of going this year... thinking if I can get away by 1 or 2 on Friday, I can be there from 4 or 5 until 9 Friday evening (usually the worst crowds are between 1 & 4), stay overnight, then return Saturday morning at 8 and stay until the crowds get awful again.
In the past, Terri (Aspenhill) and I have cut out for lunch in the middle of the day, then either shopped at the vendors (can pick things up at the end of the day if you ask sweetly... beats carrying stuff all around the show) or checked out the less populated smaller exhibits around the perimeter. The last time we went, though ,they had changed up the layout and alternated big & small exhibit areas instead of putting all the big stuff near the center, so our plan wasn't quite as organized... we just wandered around! I haven't looked at the map for this year...
SSG - take the afternoon off on Friday and come with me!
Maybe Aspenhill will be recovered enough by then to come, also. Splitting it into an evening and the following morning does cost another show ticket, but I think it'll be less crowded and easier...
