A road-ready festival vendor checklist covering applications, booth fees, insurance, permits, power, POS, load-in, camping, weather, inventory and settlement.
The application is only the first cost A festival vendor opportunity can look attractive until booth fees, insurance, permits, travel, labor, power and inventory are added together. Before applying, build the entire weekend on paper. What to verify in the application Look for: - Application deadline and non-refundable fees - Booth size and what structure is allowed - Vendor fee, commission or revenue-share terms - Required insurance and additional-insured language - Health, fire or temporary-vendor permits - Power availability, amperage and generator rules - Water access and wastewater requirements - Load-in and load-out windows - Vehicle and trailer parking - Staff credentials and extra-pass costs - Camping or lodging options If the organizer does not publish an answer, ask before paying. Treat load-in as its own event A booth that works at a local market can fail at a festival because the trailer cannot reach the site, the load-in window is too short or the vehicle has to leave after unloading. Know where inventory sleeps, whether overnight security exists and whether a vehicle can return during the event. Plan for payments without perfect service Bring a payment setup that can survive weak connectivity. Test offline behavior before leaving home, carry charging capacity and keep a manual fallback for situations your payment provider supports. Never assume public Wi-Fi is a business-critical network. Weather changes the booth Weights, stakes, rain protection, heat management, dust protection and food-safe storage should be part of the booth plan. Follow organizer rules for tents and ballast rather than improvising on site. Inventory and margin Estimate sales using a conservative attendance conversion, not the event's total attendance. Include spoilage, damaged stock, card fees, travel days and the cost of keeping enough inventory for the full run. After acceptance Save the contract, COI instructions, permit approvals, load-in map, vendor manager contact, credentials and settlement terms offline. Dryfters' Stalls help people keep finding makers after the weekend. Current sourced festival participation paths live in opportunities and the festival work hub.