17 Jun 12 Quick Pride Stall Tips for First-Time Stallholders

12 Quick Pride Stall Tips for First-Time Stallholders

Pride events can be brilliant opportunities for businesses, charities, and community groups, but they’re also very different from your average market or trade show.

If you’re preparing for your first Pride stall, here are 12 quick tips to help your day run more smoothly.

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1. Decide What Success Looks Like

Not every successful Pride event is about huge sales.

Your goal might be:

• growing your audience
• networking
• raising awareness
• collecting email signups
• building community connections

Knowing your priorities beforehand helps shape your entire day.

2. Don’t Assume What’s Included

Every Pride event is different.

Check exactly what organisers are providing before the day, including:

• tables and chairs
• pitch size
• power access
• parking
• setup times
• gazebo requirements

“Stall space included” can sometimes mean “a rectangle of grass and our best wishes”.

3. Prepare for Every Weather Possibility

This is the UK. You may experience all four seasons before lunch.

Bring:

• sunscreen
• waterproofs
• layers
• towels
• gazebo weights
• tape and zip ties

At one Pride event, I watched a nearby pizza tent literally float away in the wind like something out of Mary Poppins. Weather preparation matters.

4. Pack the Small Things Too

The tiny forgotten items usually become the biggest problems later.

Useful things to bring:

• snacks and water
• power banks
• toilet roll
• baby wipes
• painkillers
• hand sanitiser
• scissors
• bin bags

Every experienced stallholder has an increasingly chaotic “emergency supplies” bag.

5. If Possible, Don’t Run the Stall Alone

Pride events are long and exhausting.

Having another person there makes it much easier to:

• take breaks
• grab food
• manage queues
• step away briefly if overwhelmed
• handle setup and pack down

6. Don’t Assume Anyone’s Gender or Identity

One of the easiest ways to make your stall feel genuinely welcoming is to avoid making assumptions about the people visiting it.

At Pride events, you’ll meet people from a huge range of identities and backgrounds, and someone’s appearance doesn’t tell you their gender, pronouns, sexuality, or relationship dynamic.

Using gender-neutral language by default can make a big difference. Simple choices like:

• “folks” instead of “ladies and gentlemen”
• “partner” instead of “boyfriend” or “girlfriend”
• “everyone” instead of “guys”

help create a more inclusive environment from the moment someone approaches your stall.

If you’re working with staff or volunteers, make sure everyone understands this too. Small interactions can genuinely shape how welcome people feel at your stall.

7. Remember Pride Is About Community Too

Pride isn’t just a shopping event.

People may stop to:

• share personal stories
• ask questions
• connect with your message
• find community

Sometimes the most meaningful moments have nothing to do with sales.

8. Make Your Stall Easy to Understand

People should be able to quickly tell:

• who you are
• what you do
• what you sell
• how much things cost

Clear signage and simple displays usually work better than overcrowded tables.

9. Expect Technology Problems

Card readers fail. Signal disappears. QR codes stop working.

Bring:

• chargers
• power banks
• backup payment options
• printed information where possible

Technology will almost always betray you at least once.

10. Look After Yourself

Drink water. Eat properly. Sit down occasionally.

Pride events can be physically and emotionally exhausting, especially during long outdoor events.

Looking after yourself is just as important as looking after your stall.

11. Don’t Judge the Day Solely on Sales

Some Pride events lead to:

• future online orders
• networking opportunities
• collaborations
• social media growth
• long-term customers

Not every successful event ends with empty shelves.

12. Make Notes for Next Time

Once the event is over, write down:

• what sold well
• what you forgot
• setup improvements
• customer feedback
• lessons learned

Future You will be very grateful.

Final Thoughts

No Pride event ever goes completely perfectly.

Something will get forgotten, the weather will probably become dramatic, and there’s a strong chance someone nearby will spend part of the day chasing runaway signage across a field.

But Pride events are also some of the most joyful, community-driven spaces many businesses and organisations will ever experience.

And if this is your first Pride stall, remember: everyone starts somewhere.

Adam Holcroft: Founder of LGBTQ+ apparel brand Rainbow & Co