Crossroads First Fridays - Art Garden KC

Where: 18th & 19th Street between Baltimore & Wyandotte (115 W 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108)

Official Market Hours: 5–9 p.m.*
Load-in: 3:30–4:45 p.m.
Load-out: 9–10 p.m.

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Booth Fees:
Canopy Space
10x10 ft Canopy Spot — $50 per date + 7.6% processing fee

Alley Space
10x5 ft Alley Spot — $25 per date + 7.6% processing fee

Applications are open to handcrafted artisans, fine artists, and art-related services (henna, face/body painters, caricature artists, etc.)
To support the local creative economy, all applicants must live within 50 miles of Kansas City.

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Booth Details:
10x10 Reserved Canopy Spaces
These spaces are curated due to limited availability.

Vendors are selected based on:

• Professionalism
• Experience
• Booth presentation
• Product or service quality
• Variety within the market

Vendors must provide their own:

• 10x10 canopy
• 20–30 lb weights per canopy leg (required)
• Tables
• Chairs
• Tablecloths
• Displays
• Battery operated lighting

Reserved Alley Spaces
Alley spaces are open to ALL handcrafted vendors.
Novice vendors are welcome and encouraged :)

Vendors must bring their own:

• Table
• Chairs
• Tablecloth
• Displays
• Battery operated lighting

To maintain safe pedestrian flow:

8x8 or 10x10 canopies are NOT allowed in alley or sidewalk spaces, unless rain conditions require temporary coverage.
Alley spaces measure:

10 ft wide × 5 ft deep

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Application Timeline:
Applications open monthly on the 1st of the month prior to each event.

Example:
June First Friday applications open May 1st.

Applications will be available for the following months:

April First Friday
May First Friday
June First Friday
August First Friday
September First Friday
October First Friday

Applications do not open for July due to the Crossroads Night Market event *(see important notice below)

Application approvals begin on the 14th of the month.

Once approved, your card on file will be charged in full to secure your space.

All approved vendors will receive a Vendor Instructions Email on the Wednesday before the event including:

• Booth number
• QR check-in code
• Vendor reminders
• Weather updates
    

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First Friday Day-Of Entry Option:
To help ensure inclusion of artists with limited internet access, digital funds, or uncertain schedules, we offer a limited Day-Of Vendor Entry option.

This option is also available if reserved spaces are already full.

No pre-registration required.

Simply arrive and select a space marked YELLOW on the event map.

Day-Of Booth Fee:
$35 collected by AGKC staff around 5:30pm (cash / Venmo / CashApp accepted)

Spaces are first-come, first-served.

Vendors may set up anytime between 10am–5pm.

Spaces accommodate an 8 ft table or smaller plus chairs.

Please share this option with artist friends who may not have internet access.
Please DO NOT block entry access to area businesses. 

 
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Load-In & Arrival Information:

Alley & Day-Of Vendors
You may set up anytime between 10am–5pm at your discretion.

Shopper traffic typically increases around 5pm.

Please note:

Staff will not be fully present until 3pm.

Street closures begin at 3:00pm, just before the official load-in window starts.

Once closures are in place, vendors cannot drive onto 18th or 19th Street.

Please do not occupy another vendor's reserved space or block entrances to surrounding businesses.

Canopy Vendors
Canopy vendors must arrive and set up between 3:30pm–4:45pm.

Street closures begin at 3:00pm, just before the load-in window.

Vehicles will not be allowed onto 18th or 19th Street once closures are active.

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Additional Notes:

ALL Vendors

We strongly recommend bringing:

• A cart or wagon
• Extra helpers to transport supplies

There is no designated vendor parking or loading dock.

All vendors must use public parking at their discretion.

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Special Requests:
Want a specific booth number or to be near a friend?

You may indicate requests in the Special Requests section of the application.

While we cannot guarantee placement, we will do our best to accommodate requests.

Live Art Encouraged 🎨:
Shoppers love engaging with artists creating work live!

Feel free to paint, sculpt, draw, or create on-site during the event.

Important Notice:
Art Garden KC vendor applications are hosted ONLY through Eventeny.com.

Please be aware of social media scams or impersonators claiming to sell vendor spots.

If you have questions please message us through Eventeny.

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⚠️ July First Friday Update – Crossroads Night Market

Please note that there will be no standard First Friday vendor market in July 2026.

Instead, the Crossroads District will host the Crossroads Night Market, a special multi-week activation happening Thursday through Sunday each week from June 11 through July 12, alongside the FIFA Fan Festival at Liberty Memorial.

Because this event will operate on multiple days each week with expanded visitor traffic and different vendor logistics, participation will be managed through a separate Crossroads Night Market vendor application.

This First Fridays application will NOT open for July.

Vendors interested in participating in the Night Market will receive email updates with additional details and a link to the dedicated application when it becomes available.

Please note: the Crossroads Night Market will be curated and include higher booth fees to support exapanded marketing, enetertainment and operational costs. 

Thank you for your interest in participating in the Crossroads First Fridays Food Truck Plaza located at 1907 Grand Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64108.

Crossroads First Fridays is one of Kansas City’s most well-attended monthly arts events, regularly welcoming 10,000+ visitors to the Crossroads Arts District each month. This year, we are opening Food Truck Plaza applications, as a curated part of the event, to provide visitors with a wide variety of high-quality local food options!

To keep the experience fresh for attendees and create opportunities for more vendors throughout the season, food trucks will be selected through a monthly curation process. We aim to maintain a balanced variety of cuisines and limit overlapping menu categories.

The Food Truck Plaza accommodates up to 20 food trucks per event.

Applications open on the 1st of the month prior to each event date and remain open until the 15th. Applications are reviewed on the 16th, and all applicants will receive a status update indicating whether they have been approved, waitlisted, or not selected.

2026 First Fridays Food Truck Dates
This application will open for the following Crossroads First Fridays events:

• April First Friday
• May First Friday
• June First Friday
• August First Friday
• September First Friday
• October First Friday
  
  

Please note:

This application is only for food trucks
Food stands, tents, and pop-up food booths are not permitted
No electricity is provided on site

Unless you are personally invited and hosted by a Crossroads gallery or business within the permitted festival boundary, you must complete this application to operate within the Food Truck Plaza.

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⚠️Special Event Notice – Crossroads Night Market

Please note that July First Fridays will not operate under the standard First Fridays format in 2026.

Instead, the Crossroads district will host the Crossroads Night Market, a special multi-week event happening Thursday through Sunday each week from June 11 through July 12, alongside the FIFA Fan Festival at Liberty Memorial.

Due to the larger scale, expanded event schedule, and different operational logistics, food truck participation during this period will be managed through a separate Crossroads Night Market application.

Food trucks cannot apply for June 11 – July 12 dates through this First Fridays application.

A dedicated Night Market Food Truck Application will open soon, and vendors on this list will receive email updates with additional details and instructions on how to apply.

➡️ To be added to our Food Truck Contact List, please email hello@artgardenkc.org 😊