I have a big event where I need to make 3500 cupcakes. Its a big expo and they usually have anywhere between 8000-10,000 visitors. Its a two day event and I am the only vendor that is selling bake goods.

Its great exposure for me since I am trying to start my own bakery.

I am doing alot of fondant items

Cupcake
700 flat lady bugs (covers whole cupcake)
1400 flowers

cookies
1750 butterflies
1750 flowers

How far in advance can I do all the fondant items?

the expo is may 14-15

Thanks in advance.

Oh and how do you suggest me transporting all these cupcakes?
The cupcakes will not be iced, we are getting to the campground the night before and we will ice and bag all the cupcakes then but I'm trying to get as much as i can in less carrying cases.

I would say that you can make the fondant pieces well in advance because fondant usually dries nicely. Just make sure you keep the pieces out of the light until then. I've noticed that the colors can fade over time.

When I first received my baby mold my mother was so in love with it that she had me make her a fondant baby. 7 months later, she still has it in the plastic bag I gave it to her. Looks just like it did the day I made it! Makes you wonder how many preservatives are in fondant.

Wow, that's a lot of cupcakes!!

Get crackin' hon Start those flowers and ladybugs NOW. They will keep well if you store them in plastic - in a dark corner/on shelf.
What I did was have some flat, pie carriers - Tubberwear I think - I kept all of my fondant and b'cream decos in there. The ones I used were divided so one would put one slice of pie in each section then put the lid on. I'd puci them up at thrift shops - Goodwill etc. They were only about 1 1/2" deep. Or you could put them in any box, cover well/tightly w/cling wrap, then put whole box into plastic bag. Can store in fzr or not - where ever you have room.

thanks for the comments but is fondant edible after freezing?

http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1342540

As an experiment after reading the forums on here at CC, I stored these flowers in a plastic container with a lid in a dark cool room on a shelf. They can be individually wrapped in bubble wrap as well. One year later I put them on a dummy cake.
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1577248.

I have kept fondant cakes with flowers in the refrigerator on a high setting loosely wrapped in plastic or with no covering and so far nothing has happened. I did a ice cream cake for my DH's birthday 2/2011 with bettercream and fondant roses and callas, kept it in the freezer, nothing happened to the flowers, boy was I surprised. My DH really enjoyed that cake. Only one time when I wrapped it in plastic real tight where the air couldn't get to it, it started melting. HTH