2019 Food Vendor applications are now open
Salisbury, MD – The 79th National Folk Festival, returning to Salisbury, Maryland, is now accepting food vendor applications for the 2019 festival to be held on September 6-8. Applications may be submitted through the festival portal on SlideRoom (https://nationalfolkfestival.slideroom.com/)
Application Deadline: Monday, April 1, 2019
The National Folk Festival seeks the top food and handcrafted beverage vendors in the region that can provide high quality, diverse, efficient, friendly service to thousands of festival-goers. The Festival will feature a variety of regional and ethnic foods, as well as classic festival fare that will take diners on a culinary journey around Maryland, the United States, and the world.
Food vendors will be chosen for the following food vendor categories*:
- Ethnic Foods
- “Fair” Foods
- Maryland / Delmarva Regional Foods
- Other Main Dishes
- Snacks / Desserts
- Specialty Beverages
*Note: All vendors will be given an opportunity to tell the committee about any specialty items on their menu. This is your opportunity to tell us what you do really well. This is especially important for vendors who have large menus that may cover multiple categories. We want to know what your specialty is!
Applicants MUST read through the Festival Marketplace Guidelines BEFORE they consider applying. The guidelines may be found and downloaded in the link below:
The application must be submitted with a non-refundable $35 application fee.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Applying vendors are required to submit the following by April 1, 2019:
- A completed and successfully submitted food vendor application.
- At least one (1) current photograph of their food vending operation.
- At least one (1) current photograph of their food and/or specialty beverage.
- A non-refundable $35 application fee must be submitted with the online application by credit card.
Additional Application Information
- Application does not guarantee acceptance.
- Restaurants and food vendors based in Downtown Salisbury are eligible for a 15% off the food vendor space fee. This discount does not apply to other costs, including but not limited to electricity, tent rental, refrigeration, and beverage purchase.
- Vendors must apply each year in order to be considered. Acceptance in prior years does not guarantee acceptance in future years.
- Failure to meet application deadline may result in rejection of application.
Selection Process
The number of food vendors selected for the 2019 National Folk Festival will depend on the final site design layout. The Festival anticipates that with good weather, between 100,000 – 132,000 individuals will attend over the course of the weekend and that between 30 and 35 vendor spots will be available to meet the demands of this crowd size.
All food vendors are reviewed by a committee. Applications are rated on product quality and uniqueness, previous vending experience serving festivals/large crowds, overall presentation, and business location (local/regional vendor). Please provide clear photos of your product and vending space so that your foods and business are represented to our committee accurately.
- Food vendors will be chosen for the following food vendor categories: Ethnic Foods, Maryland/Delmarva Regional Foods, Snacks/Desserts, “Fair” Foods, Other Main Dishes, and Specialty Beverages.
- Preference will be given to vendors who use recyclable or compostable packaging, cups, and utensils.
- The Festival may limit specific types of food or beverage to ensure a wide selection of items for festival-goers.
- Applicants will receive notification by email regarding acceptance or rejection by April 15, 2019.
- The National Folk Festival reserves the right to deny any application without explanation.
