Please read to the bottom of the page.
Applicant Age: Must be 18 and over.
Acceptance:
Vendors will be accepted according to various factors including, but not limited to, variety of offering, date of application submission, new or returning vendor and at the sole discretion of the Old Takoma Business Association (OTBA). Past participation at the festival does not guarantee acceptance.
Withdrawals/Refunds:
After you have been accepted and paid, August 15th is the deadline for cancellations with 50% refund. After this date, refunds are not offered. Booth spaces are non-transferable. Should you cancel, you may not sell or trade your booth space; it will be reassigned by the event organizers. Vendors who withdraw cannot apply their booth fee to a future festival.
Booth Spaces:
Non-food booth spaces are 10×10 ft. Food booth spaces are 10×15 ft. Vendors agree to keep all of their goods, services and activities within the assigned space. Any items outside of the assigned space are subject to removal.
Booth Assignments:
Booth space numbers will be assigned the week of the festival. Requested locations will be reviewed but cannot be guaranteed. Booths will be assigned according to various factors including, but not limited to, the order applications are received, preference for previous participation, variety of offerings and at the sole discretion of the OTBA.
Booth Supplies:
All vendors must bring a tent. In addition, vendors must provide all their own equipment: tables, chairs, power and cell/WIFI service to run charges. The OTBA provides ONLY booth space. No power supply or WIFI is provided. It is recommended that all vendors have sandbag weights of at least 40lbs (each) secured at the base of each of the four corners of their tent. If it is windy on the day of the festival, a tent flying through the air can be very dangerous.
Generators:
If power is needed and you wish to bring a generator, this must be requested in your application; generators must be preapproved. Only quiet generators are permitted, such as the Honda 3000. If a vendor brings a generator that is deemed too loud and/or foul smelling, festival organizers reserve the right to shut it down. Additionally, all electrical cords must be covered with cable protectors (aka “yellow jackets”), provided by the vendor.
APPLICATION CATEGORY DEFINITIONS
Artist Category:
To qualify for this rate, only original, hand-produced work made by the artist may be sold at the festival. Excluded from this category are commercially produced merchandise, items assembled from plans, kits or molds, or objects composed primarily of pre-manufactured components. Applicants who design work that others hand-produce may apply in this category, but spaces will be limited for such applicants. Artist Mediums: Once a category of artist mediums reaches its capacity, it will be closed and any new applicants in that category will be notified of their placement on a waitlist. Any application that includes jewelry will be evaluated in the jewelry category and subject to the limits on numbers of participating jewelers.
Community Group Category:
Spaces are available to nonprofit and community-based organizations. Elected officials may apply in this category. Leafleting outside of the booth is not permitted.
Small Business Category:
Start-ups businesses (12 months or less in business) and small businesses (with 5 or fewer employees) are eligible for this category.
Company Category:
Local, regional or national companies may sell, display or provide products or services. All activity must be confined to the booth space unless special arrangements have been made beforehand.
Food Vendor:
Both food trucks and tented food services businesses may apply in this category.
National Food Vendor:
Food vendors that have a national presence may apply in this category.
OTBA Member Category, Non- Food:
Takoma business with an active (the current year) membership in the Old Takoma Business Association may apply in this category.
OTBA Member Category, Food:
Takoma restaurants or food truck business with an active (the current year) membership in the Old Takoma Business Association may apply in this category.
Takoma Business Category:
Brick and mortar businesses located in Takoma Park, MD or Takoma, DC without active OTBA Memberships may apply in this category. (Takoma food vendors, please apply as a food vendor).
Vendor Set Up:
All vendors must arrive before 9:00 am for set-up following the booth number arrival schedule that will be sent prior to the festival. Vendors must drive to their assigned booth space (marked in green on the curb – see map, unload car (volunteers will be available to assist), then move car out of festival route as quickly as possible. If a vendor arrives after 9:00 am, they will not be allowed to enter festival and must find a nearby side street to unload and walk items to the assigned booth space.
Vendor Breakdown:
All vendors must be completely packed up and vehicles off the street by 6:45 pm. Vendors need to completely clear space and take all trash. Failure to properly clean space may result in not being invited to participate in future festivals. Vendors must stay for the duration of the festival. Those who leave early will not be invited back to future festivals.
Taxes:
Taxes are the responsibility of each vendor. As required by law, the OTBA will submit the final list of festival vendors to the Office of the Maryland Comptroller after the festival. Maryland sales tax is 6%.
Event Cancellation/Rescheduling/Refunds:
The Takoma Park Street Festival occurs rain or shine. In the case of an extreme weather event or any other extreme unforeseen circumstances, it is at the sole discretion of the Old Takoma Business Association to determine if the festival will be cancelled and, if cancellation occurs, the Old Takoma Business Association, will make best efforts to reschedule the event. In the event that the festival reschedule and space allows, all previously accepted vendors will be offered a space on the new date. If accepted vendor is unable to attend on the new date offered, no refunds or credits for future festivals will be offered.
Additional Terms and Conditions for Food Vendors:
Green Disposables:
Polystyrene food and Styrofoam service ware and packaging is not allowed per the City of Takoma Park. All vendors using this will be given a non-monetary citation and risk not being offered a space in future festivals. FAQs and suggested alternatives can be found at http://www.takomaparkmd.gov/polystyrene-ban
Insurance:
All vendors must provide proof of insurance and name the Old Takoma Business Association as insured on their policy. Submit upon acceptance and emailed to [email protected] or mailed to:
OTBA, 6909 Laurel Ave, Suite A, Takoma Park, MD 20912
Permits:
All food vendors (including Takoma, DC and Takoma Park restaurants) must have a Montgomery County Health Department Permit – one-day special event/temporary license. No food vendor will be allowed on site without this permit and will be checked on the morning of the festival by the MD Health Inspector. Please call 240-777-3986 for permit information or follow this link: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/HHS-Special/LandRLicensingSpecialFood.html
The Health Department requires that all food preparation be done on-site unless vendor utilizes an approved kitchen. If prep kitchen is outside Montgomery County, it still must be approved by the Montgomery County Health Department. If you have questions, call the Health Department at 240-777-3986.
Set Up and Protection of the Street:
All vendors must arrive at the festival before 9:00 am for setup. Event starts promptly at 10 am. If you use a deep fryer, you must put a protective covering (such as cardboard) under the area of the fryer to protect the street from the grease.