Vendors Show Up Big for BBB

"We don't do a lot of advertising, but what we try to do is get in front of the target audience, so when you got 400,000 bikers coming through here, that's a no brainer," says Justin Vandevort, a motorcycle vendor from Nebraska -- in town for Bikes, Blues and Barbeque.

Bikes, Blues, and Barbeque.

A revved-up rally that screams opportunity for retail.

"We always get good numbers out here, love to come out here," says Matthew Price, an eyewear vendor from California.

Last year vendors filled 173 spaces.This year that number has surpassed 220.

It's a great growth, there's a lot of new vendors that are in town for everybody to check out," says event director Coleson Burns.

And just like the bikers, the vendors are visiting from all over the country.

"Well, I've been traveling different shows in Florida, and everybody I met said that this is a must do, so we loaded up the trailer and drove on out, about 19 hours," says Joe Vissicchio, another out-of-state vendor.

"We left Omaha at 3 in the morning on Tuesday. Tuesday morning," Vandevort says.

Indian motorcycles is throwing it's sales pitch in front of Baum Stadium, making their first appearance in Fayetteville.

"Back in Nebraska, we got a few customers that have been down to this, and they told us about it," Vandevort says. "I didn't realize how big it was really, I just thought it was just a little barbeque rally down here."

Well "little" is certainly not a synonym for this event.

And it seems that more and more merchants are making that discovery every year.

"As we keep growing, more of these vendors know about us and want to come play with us," Burns says.

So as motorcycles fill Fayetteville streets. Expect a few first-time vendors to take over the sidewalks.


And it's only Wednesday -- the party has just begun...

"From what I understand, Friday and Saturday is a madhouse, so we're looking forward to that."