May 2015
MAKERS: The National Folk Festival is coming to North Carolina for the first time in its history!
Dear Friends,
In September 2015, the National Folk Festival will be celebrating its 75th anniversary and will begin its
first-ever three-year residency in North Carolina! Greensboro will come alive for three days of FREE
outdoor music, non-stop dancing, family activities, storytelling, craft demonstrations, parades, regional
and ethnic foods, and so much more!
We anticipate the National Folk Festival (Festival) will attract 60-100K individuals to downtown
Greensboro to enjoy first class music, crafts, traditional art and food. For an overview of the history,
scope and potential economic impact of the Festival, please visit www.nationalfolkfestival.com.
We are accepting applications from vendors for the North Carolina Marketplace at the 75th National
Folk Festival, which will take place September 11, 12 & 13, 2015. We are seeking Marketplace vendors
that can offer a unique shopping experience to thousands of festival-goers.
The Festival Marketplace will feature the juried, handmade creations of the finest artists and
craftspeople from the North Carolina region. It will include both deeply traditional crafts and more
contemporary artistic expressions rooted in the region’s experience.
Application Deadline: June 12, 2015 Extended to June 29, 2015
Accompanying this letter, you will find the Marketplace Vendor Guidelines and an application form.
Please thoroughly read the guidelines and fully complete the application. The application must be
submitted with four (4) to six (6) color images of the work the applicant intends to sell and one (1) booth
image, if available, along with a non-refundable $30 application fee.
The application and supplemental materials must be postmarked by the application deadline and mailed
to: National Folk Festival, Attn: Marketplace Vendor Selection Committee, PO Box 877, Greensboro, NC
27402.
Please contact the Festival at [email protected] if you have any questions. We look forward
to reviewing your application!
Sincerely,
Amy Grossmann
Local Director
National Folk Festival
Enc.: application, guidelines
2015 National Folk Festival Marketplace Vendor Application Package
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National Folk Festival
2015 Marketplace Vendor Application
This application must be filled out COMPLETELY. Incomplete applications will NOT be considered. This
application is not an offer or guarantee of space. If you are applying for more than one vending space,
submit an application and a $30 application processing fee for each space for which you are applying.
Contact Information
Business Name:
Contact Name:
Mailing Address:
City:
Day Phone:
Email:
State:
Zip Code:
Evening Phone:
Cell:
Website:
The Festival receives inquiries from others in need of vendors for various events. May we share your
contact information with these event organizers?
Yes
No
Artistic Category
Please select the category that best describes your work. The Selection Committee reserves the right to
reassign the artist’s category as deemed appropriate.
Ceramics & Pottery
Packaged, Made-In-North-Carolina food
products
Drawing, Printmaking & Graphics
Fiber Art
Painting
Glass
Paper
Herbal/Personal Care
Photography
Jewelry
Sculpture
Leather
Tribal
Metal
Weaving & Textile Design
Mixed Media
Woodworking
Musical Instruments
Other:
Are all items designed and hand made by you?
Yes
No
If persons other than the applicant are involved, please explain who is involved, and how he/she is
involved in the design and production of the items you wish to sell.
2015 National Folk Festival Marketplace Vendor Application Package
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List and Pricing of Items
REQUIRED: Please attach to this application a list of ALL items you wish to sell and you must include the
price or price range of each item. Please be as specific as possible. Consideration will only be given to
the items included with this application. Items not listed, and not approved will NOT be allowed.
Made-In-North-Carolina packaged food vendors ONLY
Is your product made in North Carolina?
Yes
No
Please tell us if any product ingredients are grown or harvested in North Carolina. (Our reviewers are
interested in this information. Products need not be 100% North Carolina grown to qualify.)
Set-Up / Unloading at Festival
Vehicle unloading space will be near but not necessarily directly in front of an assigned booth in the
Marketplace. Vendors will be permitted twenty (20) minutes for unloading. Vendor vehicles will need
to be removed from the designated unloading area before vendor begins booth setup. In order to
efficiently and equitably accommodate all Marketplace vendor load-in needs, these rules (along with
additional procedures specified in the contracts of artists selected to participate) will be strictly
enforced.
If the nature of your booth design and/or setup process is incompatible with these time and space
regulations, and if special accommodations are needed, please clearly describe these accommodations
in order for an exception to be considered.
Additional Information
Is there any other information about your business and/or products that you would like the review
committee to know?
2015 National Folk Festival Marketplace Vendor Application Package
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 Please initial each item.
Handwritten initials REQUIRED. Typed or electronic initials NOT accepted.
I have included a completed and signed application. (pages 2-4)
I have included a NON-REFUNDABLE application fee of $30, paid by credit card (credit card form
on page 5), by money order, OR by certified, cashiers or bank check made payable to “NC Folk
Festival, LLC.”
I have attached a list, with pricing, of all the items I wish to sell.
I have included four (4) to six (6) color images of my work and one (1) booth image, if available.
I understand that images will not be returned.
If I am accepted as a festival marketplace vendor,
I understand that, as an independent contractor, I will be responsible for reporting sales tax
directly to the State of North Carolina.
I understand that artists must supervise and be responsible for booth operations for the
duration of the Festival. Marketplace hours are: Friday, September 11, 5pm – 10:30pm;
Saturday, September 12, 11am – 10:30pm; and Sunday, September 13, 11am – 6:30pm.
I understand that the festival makes no sales guarantees.
I understand that the producers of the festival will determine my booth's location.
I have read the Marketplace Vendor Guidelines and agree to abide by them.
Risk and Liability
I, the undersigned, hereby release and agree to hold harmless all indemnified parties from any damage
to my property or any personal injury which I or my helpers may sustain while participating in the
National Folk Festival on September 11, 12 & 13, 2015. Further, I agree to abide by the guidelines for
participation, as listed in the Marketplace Vendor Guidelines, and all policies and guidelines developed
by the National Folk Festival planning committee. I understand that failure to follow these regulations
can mean expulsion from this year’s or future festivals.
Signature:
(Handwritten signature REQUIRED. Typed or electronic signatures NOT accepted)
Date:
Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Mail application package (postmarked by the application deadline of June 12, 2015 Extended to
June 29, 2015) to:
National Folk Festival
Attn: Marketplace Vendor Selection Committee
PO Box 877
Greensboro, NC 27402
If you have any questions, please email the Festival at [email protected].
2015 National Folk Festival Marketplace Vendor Application Package
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NATIONAL FOLK FESTIVAL
September 11, 12 & 13, 2015
Credit Card Payment Form for Marketplace Vendor Application Fee ($30.00)
If you wish to pay your application fee by credit card, please complete this form and submit with your
application.
Contact Information
Business Name:
Contact Name:
Street Address:
City, State, Zip:
Business Phone:
Business Email:
Payment Information
Card Number:
Expiration Date:
CVV:
Name on Card:
Signature:
(Handwritten signature REQUIRED. Typed or electronic signatures NOT accepted)
2015 National Folk Festival Marketplace Vendor Application Package
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NATIONAL FOLK FESTIVAL
2015 Marketplace Vendor Guidelines
September 11, 12 & 13, 2015
IMPORTANT DATES:
Application Deadline
Notification of Acceptance by U.S. mail
Deadline for Submission of Contract, Vendor
Fees, and Approved Guilford County Health
Permit
Cancellation for Refund
Participation Packets mailed to final Vendors
National Folk Festival
June 12, 2015
Extended to June 29, 2015
Early July 2015
July 31, 2015
July 31, 2015
Mid-August, 2015
September 11-13, 2015
Application Process
Applying vendors are required to submit the following by June 12, 2015 (postmark date):
• A completed and signed marketplace vendor application. Incomplete applications will not be
considered. Festival organizers may request clarification; failure to provide requested
clarification is grounds for rejection.
• Four (4) to six (6) color images of the work applicant intends to sell and at least one (1) booth
image, if available. Images will not be returned to the applicant.
• A NON-REFUNDABLE application fee of $30, paid by credit card (credit card form on page 5), by
money order, OR by certified, cashiers or bank check made payable to “NC Folk Festival, LLC.”
Please do not send vendor fees until you have received written notification your application was
accepted into the Marketplace.
Additional Application Information
• Application does not guarantee acceptance.
• Vendors must apply each year. Acceptance in 2015 does not guarantee acceptance in future
years.
• Failure to meet application deadline may result in rejection of application.
Selection Process
The Festival Marketplace features the juried, handmade creations of the finest artists and craftspeople
from the North Carolina region. It will include both deeply traditional crafts and more contemporary
artistic expressions rooted in the region’s experience. In order to ensure quality and integrity, a
committee selects Marketplace vendors based on a set of criteria that includes: quality, uniqueness,
2015 National Folk Festival Marketplace Vendor Application Package
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authenticity, connection to regional culture, and artist’s relationship with his or her community. The
committee reviews all applications and selects vendors who best meet these criteria.
The number of Marketplace vendors selected for the 2015 National Folk Festival will depend on the final
site design layout.
• All packaged food items sold must be made-in-North-Carolina.
• Eligible items include, but are not limited to: pottery, jewelry, paintings*, quilts, custom
furniture, textile art, stained and blown glass, photography, woodwork, sculpture,
herbal/personal care, mixed media*, and packaged made-in-NC food products. *For vendors
interested in selling paintings or mixed media, the artist may sell prints of an original work as
long as the original work is displayed at the Festival.
• Ineligible items include, but are not limited to: crafts made from store-bought kits or molds,
commercial reproductions, manufactured items that have been assembled.
• The Festival strives to present a well-rounded Marketplace, therefore we may limit multiple
vendors showcasing similar items.
• Applicants will receive notification by U.S. mail regarding acceptance or rejection by early July
2015.
• The National Folk Festival reserves the right to deny any application without explanation.
VENDING AT THE NATIONAL FOLK FESTIVAL MARKETPLACE
Vendors selected to participate in the National Folk Festival will receive an acceptance packet in early
July 2015. This packet will contain:
• Contract
• Map of Festival
Instructions for processing the paperwork in the acceptance packet will be included. All necessary
contracts, forms, and vendor fees must be submitted back to Festival offices by July 31, 2015. Failure to
meet this deadline could result in forfeiture of booth space.
Marketplace Hours of Operation
• Friday:
5pm to 10:30pm
• Saturday:
11am to 10:30pm
• Sunday :
11am to 6:30pm
• Booths must be staffed for all contracted hours.
• The festival goes on rain or shine unless extraordinary weather presents a safety issue. All
vendors are expected to be open during the hours listed above unless they are notified by
Festival personnel. Vendors should bring someone to help watch their booth when crowds
increase. Vendors will be under a tent, provided by the Festival.
Booth Pricing & Payment
• Booth fee is $300. The booth fee covers all three days of the Festival.
• Booth fee includes 10’x10’ tented space, two chairs, a 20 Amp (2000 Watt 120 Volt) single outlet
electrical service, and security for Friday and Saturday night. Several booths will be housed in
each marketplace tent.
• The Festival reserves space upon receipt of payment.
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•
Full payment of all vendor fees must be submitted by July 31, 2015 and paid by credit card, OR
by money order, certified, cashiers or bank check made payable to “NC Folk Festival, LLC.”
Vendors forfeit space if payment is not received by the July 31, 2015 deadline.
Refunds
• No refunds for cancellations after July 31, 2015.
• No refunds for inclement weather.
Vendor Placement
• The Festival will assign booth locations to each vendor. Please understand that Marketplace
vendor placement is subject to change if there are changes to the Festival site.
• The Festival provides tented space. Typically a Marketplace tent will accommodate two to six
10’x10’ booth spaces. Each booth space will be fronted by a 10’x10’ public space also covered
by the Marketplace tent. Venders can apply for one (1) or two (2) contiguous spaces. Booth
spaces will come in ten foot increments only.
• Vendors may not trade, switch, or set up in another area.
• No holes may be dug.
• Water service is not available in the Marketplace.
• Phone lines are not available in the Marketplace.
• Dedicated WiFi service is not available in the Marketplace. Vendors needing a reliable internet
connection should plan to provide their own hotspot service.
• No space will be held without a completed contract and full payment of the contract fee.
• The following factors impact food vendor placement on the festival site:
o Product type (goal is to limit the number of vendors who sell the same type of product
and to place vendors who sell similar products in different areas of the Marketplace).
o Made-in-North-Carolina packaged food vendors offering food samples will not be placed
next to vendors selling fiber art.
• Any special needs requests must be included on the vendor application. The Festival
accommodates special needs on a case-by-case basis; charges may apply.
Set up
• Marketplace vendors must arrive to set up their booths on Friday, September 11, 2015 between
8am and 2pm.
• Vehicle unloading space will be near but not necessarily directly in front of an assigned booth in
the Marketplace.
• Vendors will be permitted twenty (20) minutes for unloading.
• Vendor vehicles will need to be removed from the designated unloading area before vendor
begins booth setup.
• In order to efficiently and equitably accommodate all Marketplace vendor load-in needs, these
rules (along with additional procedures specified in the contracts of artists selected to
participate) will be strictly enforced.
• If the nature of your booth design and/or setup processes is incompatible with these
procedures, and if special accommodations are needed, these accommodations must be clearly
described in your initial application for an exception to be considered.
• Booths must be set up and operational by 5pm on Friday, September 11, 2015.
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Booth Operations Guidelines
• Vendors must restrict activities to their booth space.
• No space-sharing or subletting will be permitted, nor can the vendor assign the contract to
another party.
• Vender booths must be fully operational at the time the Marketplace officially opens each day
and remain fully operational until the Marketplace closes each day.
• Vendors may not advertise outside of their booth space (this includes but is not limited to: the
use of rovers, fliers and sandwich boards.)
• Raffles are not allowed.
• Camping is not allowed on the festival site.
• Generators are not allowed.
• Artists may not sell commercial reproductions or items made from molds or kits.
• Although there will be security on Friday and Saturday nights, fixtures and materials are left
overnight at the vendors’ risk. The Festival’s insurance will not cover personal property, so
vendors should obtain their own insurance.
• Playing music from your booth is prohibited.
• Vendor is responsible for a clean booth area, free of debris.
• Vendors may sell ONLY the type of work the Festival has invited them to sell (indicated on
contract).
• The Festival encourages vendors to perform ongoing demonstrations within their booths.
• Vendors should furnish sufficient change for their sales transactions. The Festival cannot
provide change to vendors.
• The Festival provides basic lighting. Vendors are encouraged to bring their own display lighting.
• Vendors must comply with all logistical regulations.
• In the event of a dispute, the decision of the Festival Operating Team will be accepted as final.
Made-In-North-Carolina Packaged Food Products
• Only packaged food products intended for take-home or gift use will be approved.
• Those vendors offering samples must adhere to the following:
o Samples must be no more than ¼ of a normal service size.
o Only samples that can be served at room temperature will be allowed.
o Cooking or heating of samples must be approved through the Festival office.
• Vendor must adhere to Guilford County Department of Public Health guidelines pertaining to
food sampling.
• Vendor cannot offer samples outside their booth space.
Marketing
All Festival vendors will receive the following marketing benefits:
• A listing on the Festival’s website, with a link to the vendor’s website (if provided).
• A listing in the Festival’s Official Program Guide (100,000 copies printed and distributed).
• A listing in one of the Festival’s newsletters.
Vehicles on Site
• Vehicles are allowed on-site ONLY during the following times:
o Friday – until 4pm & after 11pm
o Saturday – until 10am & after 11pm
o Sunday – until 10am & after 7pm
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•
•
•
For the safety of the festival’s attendees, vehicles are not allowed to move onto or within the
site during operating hours or during a window before and after scheduled events when
attendees arrive and depart.
Vendors will receive one parking pass for the designated vendor parking lot. Vendors must park
their vehicle in this lot and may not remove the vehicle from the lot until after operating hours.
Only authorized vehicles may be parked on Festival grounds. Vehicles are NOT allowed to be
parked behind or near the Marketplace.
Electricity
• A 20 Amp (2000 Watt 120 Volt) single ground fault outlet electrical service is included at no
charge. Vendors requiring additional electrical service must contact the Festival office prior to
July 31, 2015.
• Vendors must place electrical plugs where the Festival directs them.
• Vendors should bring one 12-gauge grounded cord per circuit and other outlet strips as
needed. Cords should be labeled with the business name at both ends. All cords not of
acceptable gauge or nonfunctional grounds will be disconnected.
• Additional power may be available at some locations and will be charged on a time and
materials basis.
• The Festival will not be obligated to consider extra power requests received after July 31, 2015.
Booth Clean Up
• Vendors may not begin to dismantle or remove booths before 6:30pm on Sunday, September
13, 2015.
• Vehicles are NOT allowed on-site until 7pm on Sunday, September 13, 2015.
• Be aware that pedestrians will still be present on Festival grounds during tear-down.
• Vendors must take home their entire booths – including carpet, display racks, storage
containers, and decorations.
• All booths must be broken down by 10 p.m. Sunday.
• Any vendors failing to completely clean up their booth areas must pay a clean-up fee, as well as
a cleaning deposit for the following year’s festival.
Trash Disposal
• Vendors must properly dispose of trash and cardboard as directed by Festival personnel.
Taxes & Insurance
• Vendors are responsible for all local, state and federal taxes.
• The Festival disclaims any authority of control over the operation of vendors. Vendors assume
all rights and responsibilities for the conduct of their operations including, but not limited to:
obtaining liability and general coverage insurance for vendor-related activities adhering to all
local and state ordinances and regulations.
• The Festival does not have separate vendor coverage under any insurance it may maintain.
Vendors who fail to comply with or repeatedly violate these guidelines may be expelled and/or not
invited to apply in future years. The Festival reserves the right to amend these guidelines as needed.
In the event of a dispute, the decision of the National Folk Festival Operating Team will be accepted as
final.
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