Where to park? Circle the block once. Nothing. Circle another block. Nothing. Try one more time. Circle five more blocks. Victory.

For many it is an annual tradition. Trying to find a parking spot in downtown Mandan during the Fourth of July weekend can be challenging, but once the vehicle is parked and the smells of food from Art in the Park enter the nose, visitors know it's worth the 20 minutes it took to find a parking spot.

This year 128 arts and crafts booths and 22 food vendors filled the downtown area. On the first day of the 2005 Art in the Park, hundreds of people came to eat, browse through the booths and, above all, shop.

Sarah Marchus, from Bismarck, and her sister Polly Davidson, from Plymouth, Minn., decided to have a girls' afternoon out while their guys were out golfing.

Marchus said she has been coming to the Art in the Park for the past 10 years, always looking for something new and for possible gifts.

Some people have traveled thousands of miles just so shoppers can find the perfect gift or decorative piece for their home. This year three couples from Texas, Arkansas and Washington are in the show and collectively have traveled close to 5,000 miles just to be here.

All of them heard about Art in the Park from friends. Opinions about trade shows from peers in the business are a key factor when planning next year's trade show stops.

Lonnie and Nora Schneider from Mabton, Wash., have been here four years, Tom and Pat Murdock from Mena, Ark., have been here two years, and this is the first year John and Judy Templeton from Palestine, Texas, have made the journey.

There are a few reasons why the couple from Washington keeps coming back. Nora Schneider thinks Mandan has the best parade ever. She also loves the way families gather for the holidays.

"It's nostalgic that we don't do more of that," Nora Schneider said. This year they are missing their son's birthday to be in Mandan.

Although time away from family is part of the business, all three couples did not plan to be in the trade show profession. It just kind of happened.

When Nora Schneider had her son, she quit her job, and started making wreaths for extra Christmas money. After two years the couple was spending so much time working for their extra holiday money that they decided to do this full time. Lonnie Schneider quit his job and the couple hit the road, baby in tow.

They have been in the business for 21 years and average 28 trade shows a year. They sell all types of floral arrangements and woodcrafts.

Tom and Pat Murdock have been packing their trailer loaded with crafts for 25 years. Tom started woodcrafts as a hobby after he injured his back. Now he is retired and Pat Murdock, who renews her registered nursing license every year, hasn't practiced in a while. She is keeping her license for backup, she said.

The Murdocks make aromatic cedar woodcrafts and harvest the cedar from trees on their property. They also make copper and glass yard art. One of their biggest sellers is key chains.

When they started a quarter of a century ago, they had key chains with 500 different names carved into them. Now they have over 7,000 names.

"We've had to add names like Maddie and Hailey because people are just asking for them," Pat Murdock said. They have a computer database to keep track of all the names they have on hand and to count the number of times each name is asked for.

Making their only appearance in North Dakota before they call it quits are John and Judy Templeton. John has been on the road for 18 years, and for the past three his wife has joined him.

John Templeton used to be a manager at a large grocery store chain before the store closed. While he was looking for other work, he started making wood crafts to bring in some money until he found another job. He never did.

When the Templetons started the business, they made larger woodcraft items such as shelves, shadow boxes and even shirts. Now they focus on smaller shadow boxes and specialized picture frames.

"Most of our ideas come from our customers," John Templeton said. He said they have found their niche in the trade shows and business has been doing well.

When John Templeton was on the road, he use to have his wife send him items as he needed them. Judy Templeton personalizes the items. Now she comes along for the ride and can paint names right onto the shadow boxes or picture frames. Shoppers can pick up the items in a few minutes.

All three couples don't plan on coming back to Mandan next year. They want to slow down, enjoy life and spend more time with family. However, shoppers can still see what they have to offer and what the other vendors and craft booths have.

Art in the Park is open today from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

(Reach Kayla Cogdill at 250-8251 or kaylacogdill@bismarcktribune.net.)