Vendor Interest

EAT STREET VENDORS

Food Vendors provide freshly prepared food, beverages, snacks, and specialty treats for festival attendees. Vendors may operate from food trucks, trailers, tents, or mobile kitchens and are expected to comply with all applicable health department regulations and permitting requirements.

Examples include:

  • Food trucks and mobile kitchens

  • Barbecue and specialty food vendors

  • Ethnic and international cuisine

  • Desserts and sweet treats

  • Ice cream and frozen treats

  • Kettle corn and snack vendors

  • Coffee, lemonade, and specialty beverages

  • Festival favorites

Food vendors are selected to provide a diverse variety of menu options and enhance the overall festival experience for guests.

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RETAIL & EXHIBITOR VENDORS

Artisan Village

The Artisan Village is a juried marketplace featuring artists, makers, and craftspeople who create original, handmade products. Artisan vendors should be directly involved in the design and creation of the items they sell.

Examples include:

  • Fine art and paintings

  • Pottery and ceramics

  • Handmade jewelry

  • Woodworking

  • Fiber arts and textiles

  • Glass art

  • Leather goods

  • Handmade home décor

  • Photography

  • Specialty handcrafted products

Preference is given to vendors offering unique, original, handcrafted items that are not widely available through traditional retail channels.

Commercially manufactured products, resale merchandise, and corporate marketing exhibits generally do not qualify for Artisan Village placement.

Marketplace Vendors

The Marketplace is designed for independent retailers, specialty merchants, direct-sales businesses, and small businesses selling products directly to festival attendees.

Marketplace vendors typically focus on retail sales and customer engagement rather than brand promotion alone.

Examples include:

  • Boutique retailers

  • Specialty food products

  • Gourmet and packaged foods

  • Home décor retailers

  • Clothing and accessories

  • Specialty gift items

  • Books and educational products

  • Direct-sales businesses (MLMs)

  • Small businesses selling commercial products

Marketplace vendors are expected to offer products available for immediate purchase and take-home by festival attendees.

Corporate Exhibitors

Corporate Exhibitors are businesses, organizations, institutions, and sponsors primarily focused on brand awareness, lead generation, customer acquisition, community outreach, product demonstrations, or service promotion.

Corporate exhibitors may sell products or services but are not required to have retail inventory available for purchase.

Examples include:

  • Financial institutions

  • Insurance agencies

  • Automotive dealerships

  • Home improvement companies

  • Healthcare providers

  • Colleges and universities

  • Tourism organizations

  • Utilities and telecommunications companies

  • Real estate agencies

  • Government agencies

  • Event sponsors

Corporate exhibitors are encouraged to create interactive displays, demonstrations, giveaways, contests, and experiences that engage festival attendees.

Carolina BalloonFest reserves the right to determine the appropriate category and placement for all applicants. Placement decisions are based on product type, exhibitor objectives, overall event balance, sponsorship relationships, space availability, and the goal of providing attendees with a diverse and high-quality festival experience.

Submission of an application does not guarantee acceptance into a specific category or location.

Carolina BalloonFest may reclassify applicants into a different category based on products, services, or event needs.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • Food Vendors

    Food vendor fees are based on the frontage (length) of your unit. If your setup falls between sizes, you must round up to the next largest space.

    • 10' Frontage/Length: $1,150

    • 20' Frontage/Length: $2,300

    • 25' Frontage/Length: $2,875

    • 30' Frontage/Length: $3,450

    • 35' Frontage/Length: $4,025

    • 40' Frontage/Length: $4,600

    • 50' Frontage/Length: $6,000

    Retail and Exhibitor Vendors

    All non-food vendor spaces are 10' x 10'.

    • Artisan Village: $350

    • Marketplace Vendor: $650

    • Corporate Exhibitor: $1,000

  • All vendors must remain open, staffed, and operational during the required operating hours listed below.

    Friday, October 16, 2026

    • Festival Hours: 3:00 PM – 8:30 PM

    • Required Operating Hours: 3:00 PM – 6:30 PM

    Saturday, October 17, 2026

    • Festival Hours: 6:30 AM – 8:30 PM

    • Required Operating Hours: 8:30 AM – 6:30 PM

    Sunday, October 18, 2026

    • Festival Hours: 6:30 AM – 6:00 PM

    • Required Operating Hours: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM

    Vendors may remain open beyond the required operating hours if desired.

  • Food Vendors

    • Application Deadline: July 30, 2026

    • Notification of Acceptance: August 15, 2026

    Retail & Exhibitor Vendors

    (Artisan Village, Marketplace Vendors, and Corporate Exhibitors)

    • Application Deadline: August 15, 2026

    • Notification of Acceptance: August 31, 2026

  • Vendors are expected to participate for the full duration of the festival and remain open during all required operating hours.

    Late arrivals, early departures, unauthorized booth breakdowns during festival hours, or unauthorized vehicle access may result in removal from the event and may affect eligibility for future participation in Carolina BalloonFest.