Food Vendor Applications are now closed.
Vendors applying after the deadline will automatically be placed on the waitlist.
The Downtown Festival & Art Show spotlights a dozen or more culinary booths and food trucks, as well as local brick and mortar cafes and restaurants on the festival map. To apply to be a food vendor at the Downtown Festival & Art Show, follow the rules below and apply at the link below.
1. Application deadline is July 1st. Only applications that are complete and meet the deadline will be considered.
2. You will be notified by email if you have been accepted into the show by July 15th. Status information will not be given in person or over the telephone.
3. Booth fees are due by August 1st and the check should be made payable to the City of Gainesville.
4. Vendor Certificate of Insurance naming City of Gainesville (200 East University Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601) as additional insured must be provided.
5. Acceptance is a commitment to show. Fees are non-refundable for cancellation; no rain/weather refunds will be granted.
6. The Festival Committee reserves the right to prohibit sales of certain items.
7. Fire safety requirements must be followed (see GFR Food Truck safety requirements). A fire inspector will visit each booth before the festival opens on Saturday. Booths that do not pass inspection will not be permitted to open and will lose their booth fee.
8. All booths must have a temporary food special event license. Inspectors will be on-site Saturday morning to ensure food safe handling practices and collect fees for a temporary 2-3 day license. Vendors with a Florida annual special event license will need to present their license to avoid the fee.
9. Direct water access is not available. Vendors will need to be prepared to transport water from the access points to their booth.
10. Gray water must be disposed of in the provided tank. Vendors will need to be prepared to transport gray water to the tank location.
11. The Downtown Festival & Art Show supports sustainable practices and requires all participating food vendors to find sustainable alternatives to plastic straws/stirrers and polystyrene (commonly known as “Styrofoam”) containers. Participating food vendors are not allowed to distribute any of these items to customers or others at the festival unless requested by a person with disabilities.
12. Collection and remittance of Florida sales tax is the responsibility of each vendor. The Department of Revenue is given participants’ information.
13. A vendor packet with booth assignment and set-up information will be emailed by October 31.
14. Vendors set up Friday evening 6:00-9:00 p.m. before the festival.
15. Vendors are responsible for keeping their area clean and orderly during the show.
16. Exhibiting is limited to your assigned area and roving is not allowed.
17. Booths must be staffed at all times during the Festival. Vendors who fail to show on either day will be ineligible for future shows.
18. Roaming security will be provided overnight. The City is not responsible for items left overnight in booths.
19. The festival is completely outdoors. The festival organizers and participants accept the risk that poor weather may occur. No partial refunds will be granted due to postponement or early closure due to rain/weather.
20. Vehicles (not vending food trucks) must be out of the festival area by 9:00 a.m. Saturday. Vendors may drive onto the festival streets after 5:30 pm both Saturday and Sunday (no vehicles are allowed before this time) by showing their festival pass to the officer. The streets will reopen to the public at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday evening, and all booths must be dismantled and removed by this time.
21. Show Committee reserves the right to make final interpretation of the rules.
22. Compliance with the festival rules is a condition for participation with the Downtown Festival & Art Show. Failure to comply with festival rules will result in the vendor being unable to open and operate during the festival (no booth fee refunds are provided) and may render the vendor ineligible for future shows.
1. Application deadline is July 1st. Only applications that are complete and meet the deadline will be considered.
2. You will be notified by email if you have been accepted into the show by July 15th. Status information will not be given in person or over the telephone.
3. Booth fees are due by August 1st and the check should be made payable to the City of Gainesville.
4. Vendor Certificate of Insurance naming City of Gainesville (200 East University Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601) as additional insured must be provided.
5. Acceptance is a commitment to show. Fees are non-refundable for cancellation; no rain/weather refunds will be granted.
6. The Festival Committee reserves the right to prohibit sales of certain items.
7. Fire safety requirements must be followed (see GFR Food Truck safety requirements). A fire inspector will visit each booth before the festival opens on Saturday. Booths that do not pass inspection will not be permitted to open and will lose their booth fee.
8. All booths must have a temporary food special event license. Inspectors will be on-site Saturday morning to ensure food safe handling practices and collect fees for a temporary 2-3 day license. Vendors with a Florida annual special event license will need to present their license to avoid the fee.
9. Direct water access is not available. Vendors will need to be prepared to transport water from the access points to their booth.
10. Gray water must be disposed of in the provided tank. Vendors will need to be prepared to transport gray water to the tank location.
11. The Downtown Festival & Art Show supports sustainable practices and requires all participating food vendors to find sustainable alternatives to plastic straws/stirrers and polystyrene (commonly known as “Styrofoam”) containers. Participating food vendors are not allowed to distribute any of these items to customers or others at the festival unless requested by a person with disabilities.
12. Collection and remittance of Florida sales tax is the responsibility of each vendor. The Department of Revenue is given participants’ information.
13. A vendor packet with booth assignment and set-up information will be emailed by October 31.
14. Vendors set up Friday evening 6:00-9:00 p.m. before the festival.
15. Vendors are responsible for keeping their area clean and orderly during the show.
16. Exhibiting is limited to your assigned area and roving is not allowed.
17. Booths must be staffed at all times during the Festival. Vendors who fail to show on either day will be ineligible for future shows.
18. Roaming security will be provided overnight. The City is not responsible for items left overnight in booths.
19. The festival is completely outdoors. The festival organizers and participants accept the risk that poor weather may occur. No partial refunds will be granted due to postponement or early closure due to rain/weather.
20. Vehicles (not vending food trucks) must be out of the festival area by 9:00 a.m. Saturday. Vendors may drive onto the festival streets after 5:30 pm both Saturday and Sunday (no vehicles are allowed before this time) by showing their festival pass to the officer. The streets will reopen to the public at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday evening, and all booths must be dismantled and removed by this time.
21. Show Committee reserves the right to make final interpretation of the rules.
22. Compliance with the festival rules is a condition for participation with the Downtown Festival & Art Show. Failure to comply with festival rules will result in the vendor being unable to open and operate during the festival (no booth fee refunds are provided) and may render the vendor ineligible for future shows.
