Foothills Folk Art Festival

Thank you for your interest in applying to be a vendor at the Foothills Folk Art Festival in Downtown Newton, North Carolina!

• The vendor fee will be charged after your application is approved and is non-refundable.

• You will be asked to upload with your application one (1) photo of your booth set-up and three (3) photos of recent art you've created and plan to sell at this festival. 

• The festival is rain or shine. Please make a rain plan in case of inclement weather.  

Folk Art Categories:

Items/Mediums accepted will include:

• Carved Wood
• Clothing
• Custom Furniture
• Fiber
• Glass
• Jewelry
• Leather
• Metal
• Mixed Media
• Painting
• Photography
• Pottery/ceramics
• Printmaking
• Sculpture
• Textile Art/Quilts

Items/Mediums that will NOT be accepted:

• 3D Printing
• Direct sales/MLM
• Items made from store-bought kits
• Plants
• Resin pieces

Selection Process/Jury Information:

Art selected for Foothills Folk Art Festival is juried by a committee of 7 artists, staff, and curators.

They will view your submissions online from separate locations and use the criteria listed below. Art is scored on a scale of 1-5, with the middle number, 3, not being used. 

Art is evaluated by the following criteria: 

• Craftsmanship & Technique
• Cultural Authenticity
• Innovation within Tradition
• Originality
• Presentation

It is important for artists, when asked to describe their work during the application process, to highlight their style, process, and what makes their creations uniquely theirs. Make yourself stand out! 

Booths: 

• Each booth space is 10’ x 12’.  You may reserve a second booth space if needed at an additional fee.

• You may request a specific booth location in the special request section of the application, but requests are not guaranteed.

• Booth spaces are sold first-come, first-served.

• You will be emailed, through Eventeny, your booth number and a map of the event one week before market day. 

• Vendors are responsible for providing their own tents, tables, chairs, tent and stand weights, and extension cords, as well as set-up and clean-up.

• Amplified sound/music will not be allowed within booths. 

• Fundraising and soliciting of goods or services of any kind outside of your rented booth space is prohibited. 

Electricity: 

• Access to electricity is not guaranteed and must be requested as part of this application.  A limited number of booths with electric access are available first-come, first-served.

If you receive a booth space with access to electricity, you must furnish your own heavy-duty extension cord that is at least 50 feet long. You may need more than one cord to reach your designated outlet; if so, you will be notified in a vendor packet scheduled to be mailed to you around May 1. Regulations require electric equipment to be unaltered in any way. If your electric equipment fails to meet regulations, you may obtain equipment that meets regulations, participate without using electricity, or withdraw from the event.

Day-of: 

• You will need to enter the festival area from U.S. Hwy. 321 Business (Northwest/Southwest Boulevard). Maps and directions will be sent in your vendor packet by May 1.   

• You will receive a booth number in your vendor packet. The number will be marked on the road for you to find with help from a map that will also be sent to you. Once you enter the market, please unload quickly, exit, and park in one of the public lots outside of the market area and walk back to finish setting up.  

• Areas are available for set up on Saturday, May 9, from 7:00-9:00 AM.  All vendors must arrive at their assigned space by 9:00 AM or forfeit their space and vendor fee. Vendors must have their vehicles off the street by 9:30 AM.  Vendors must be ready to serve the public at 10:00 AM. 

• All tents must be tethered or weighed down to prevent being blown over by the wind and to pass inspection. 

• No vehicles may be left in the festival area. Once you unload, your vehicle must be moved to a vendor parking area.  

• For your safety, vendors should be packed up and ready to leave before 6:00 PM, when the streets will be reopened to thru traffic.

• The Event Manager reserves the right to remove any item(s) for sale or display considered inappropriate. 

Thank you for your interest in applying to be a vendor at the Foothills Folk Art Festival in Downtown Newton, North Carolina!

• The $100 food vendor fee will be charged after your application is approved and is non-refundable.

• You will be asked to upload:

1. An image of your logo

2. A copy of your menu that includes pricing

3. A photo of your truck

4. The plug you use for power supply

5. A copy of your most recent truck inspection

6. A COI with the City of Newton & DNDA, 401 N Main Ave., added as a Certificate Holder.

• DNDA volunteers will determine which applicants are admitted to the market.

• No direct sales/MLM vendors will be admitted.  

• The market is rain or shine. Please make a rain plan in case of inclement weather. 

Booths: 

• You will be emailed your booth number and a map of the event one week before market day. 

• Vendors are responsible for providing their own tents, tables, chairs, and extension cords, as well as set-up and clean-up.

• Amplified sound/music will not be allowed within booths. 

• Fundraising and soliciting of goods or services of any kind outside of your rented booth space is prohibited. 

Electricity: 

• Access to electricity is not guaranteed and must be requested as part of this application.  A limited number of booths with electric access are available first-come, first-served.

If you receive a booth space with access to electricity, you must furnish your own heavy-duty extension cord that is at least 50 feet long. You may need more than one cord to reach your designated outlet; if so, you will be notified in a vendor packet scheduled to be mailed to you around Sept. 19. Regulations require electric equipment to be unaltered in any way. If your electric equipment fails to meet regulations, you may obtain equipment that meets regulations, participate without using electricity, or withdraw from the event.

Day-of: 

• You will need to enter the festival area from Hwy 321. Maps and directions will be sent in your vendor packet by May 1.   

• You will receive a booth number/letter in your vendor packet. The number will be written on the road in chalk for you to find with help from a map that will also be sent to you. Food Trucks will look for letters and signs with the Truck name on them. Once you enter the festival, please unload your things quickly, exit, and park your car in one of the public lots outside of the festival area and walk back to finish setting up your space.  

• Areas are available for set up on Sat. May 9th, from 7:00-9:00 AM. All vendors must be on location in their assigned space no later than 9:00 AM or will forfeit their space and vendor fee. All vendor vehicles need to be off the street by 9:30 am and they need to be ready to serve the public at 10:00 AM. 

• All tents must be tethered or weighed down to prevent being blown over by the wind and to pass inspection. 

• No vehicles will be allowed to be left in the festival area. Once you unload, your vehicle must be moved to a vendor parking area.  

• The Event Manager reserves the right to remove an item(s) for sale or display considered inappropriate. 

Food Trucks/Food & Beverage: 

• Only food trucks are allowed to sell or give away food and beverages. 

• Food Trucks MUST PROVIDE OF PROOF OF TRUCK INSPECTION. Call the Catawba County Public Health Department to find out the necessary requirements (828-465-8270). A copy of your inspection will need to be provided with the application and a COI with the City of Newton & DNDA, 401 N Main Ave., added as a Certificate Holder.