66th Howell Melon Festival

The 66th Melon Festival will be held in Downtown Howell on August 15th & 16th, 2026. Please read this application closely. For questions & more information, please visit www.howellmelonfestival.com, call 517.546.0693 x7707, or email HowellMelonFestival@gmail.com

2026 General Information

We seek a creative and diverse array of vendor items at reasonable prices, in conjunction with a family-friendly environment. While we try to limit the number of same-business vendors throughout the festival, we will not regulate the legalities of franchise agreements of having two of the same business vendors on-site (Origami Owl, Scentsy, Avon, Face-Painters, etc.). Unless you are a registered food business (pre-packaged candy, beef jerky, salsa, pies, etc.), no booth may sell or provide homemade food or beverages (including water) as this is limited to our food vendors.

Hours of Operation

Vendors must be fully staffed and open for business from the start of the event until close of each day. If a vendor chooses to close their booth early, they will not be allowed back to future events. If there is an emergency or you need to close before operating hours please contact the Festival Director beforehand.

Saturday, August 15th 2026    9:00am – 8:00pm

Sunday, August 16th 2026      9:00am – 5:00pm

Booth Location & Parking

Vendors will be located in the center of Grand River Ave, between Center St & Barnard Street. The Howell Melon Festival booths will be assigned by the Festival Director in the best interest of the festival.  Information regarding location will be emailed the last week of July or first week of August. Once assigned, relocation will not be permitted.

Vendors must park their personal vehicles in the designated areas only. A map will be provided in July.

Set-Up, & Tear Down

All vendors will be given 30 minutes to unload their vehicles. To help with traffic, please unload your items, park in the designated vendor parking area, then return to start your set-up. The set-up time is 5:30am – 7:30am Saturday, August 15th 2026. All vehicles will be removed by 8:00am. Latecomers will NOT be accommodated and no refund will be issued. Each booth is required to have a 10x10 pop-up tent, tent weights (20 lbs. on all corners), tables, chairs, etc. NO GROUND STAKES, the street is concrete. Do NOT tape, tack, or otherwise affix any materials & signs to walls, trees, lamp posts, or other public & private property surfaces. All inventory boxes must be contained in designated booth area. You may NOT set-up on the grass, sidewalks, or street outside your booth. Vendors are required to transport and place their own booths, labor is not provided. Lastly, please respect your neighbors and patrons. ALL BOOTHS MUST BE READY AT 9:00am.

There will be no vehicle access on the event footprint during the Howell Melon Festival. Cars will not be permitted until 5:00pm Sunday or until police deem it safe to enter. All streets will be opened to vehicular traffic by

7:00pm on Sunday, August 16th 2026. Labor will not be provided to help tear-down any booths. 

Security

Police, EMS, & professional security will monitor and be presented throughout the Festival. The Howell Melon

Festival, its sponsors, members, and participants assume no liability for loss/damage to vendor cash, wares, &

property. Precautions will be taken to guard against loss/damage.

Sound, Electricity, & Water Hookup

No loud audio systems may be used, please be considerate of your neighbors. Generators are NOT allowed and

NO ELECTRICITY is available to street vendors. Water hookups are NOT available to street vendors.

The 66th Melon Festival will be held in Downtown Howell on August 15th & 16th, 2026. Please read this application closely. For questions & more information, please visit www.howellmelonfestival.com, call 517.546.0693 x7707, or email HowellMelonFestival@gmail.com

2026 General Information

We seek a creative and diverse array of vendor items at reasonable prices, in conjunction with a family-friendly environment. While we try to limit the number of same-business vendors throughout the festival, we will not regulate the legalities of franchise agreements of having two of the same business vendors on-site (Origami Owl, Scentsy, Avon, Face-Painters, etc.). Unless you are a registered food business (pre-packaged candy, beef jerky, salsa, pies, etc.), no booth may sell or provide homemade food or beverages (including water) as this is limited to our food vendors.

Hours of Operation

Vendors must be fully staffed and open for business from the start of the event until close of each day. If a vendor chooses to close their booth early, they will not be allowed back to future events. If there is an emergency or you need to close before operating hours please contact the Festival Director beforehand.

Saturday, August 15th 2026    9:00am – 8:00pm

Sunday, August 16th 2026      9:00am – 5:00pm

Booth Location & Parking

Vendors will be located in the center of Grand River Ave, between Center St & Barnard Street. The Howell Melon Festival booths will be assigned by the Festival Director in the best interest of the festival.  Information regarding location will be emailed the last week of July or first week of August. Once assigned, relocation will not be permitted.

Vendors must park their personal vehicles in the designated areas only. A map will be provided in July.

Set-Up, & Tear Down

All vendors will be given 30 minutes to unload their vehicles. To help with traffic, please unload your items, park in the designated vendor parking area, then return to start your set-up. The set-up time is 5:30am – 7:30am Saturday, August 15th 2026. All vehicles will be removed by 8:00am. Latecomers will NOT be accommodated and no refund will be issued. Each booth is required to have a 10x10 pop-up tent, tent weights (20 lbs. on all corners), tables, chairs, etc. NO GROUND STAKES, the street is concrete. Do NOT tape, tack, or otherwise affix any materials & signs to walls, trees, lamp posts, or other public & private property surfaces. All inventory boxes must be contained in designated booth area. You may NOT set-up on the grass, sidewalks, or street outside your booth. Vendors are required to transport and place their own booths, labor is not provided. Lastly, please respect your neighbors and patrons. ALL BOOTHS MUST BE READY AT 9:00am.

There will be no vehicle access on the event footprint during the Howell Melon Festival. Cars will not be permitted until 5:00pm Sunday or until police deem it safe to enter. All streets will be opened to vehicular traffic by

7:00pm on Sunday, August 16th 2026. Labor will not be provided to help tear-down any booths. 

Security

Police, EMS, & professional security will monitor and be presented throughout the Festival. The Howell Melon

Festival, its sponsors, members, and participants assume no liability for loss/damage to vendor cash, wares, &

property. Precautions will be taken to guard against loss/damage.

Sound, Electricity, & Water Hookup

No loud audio systems may be used, please be considerate of your neighbors. Generators are NOT allowed and

NO ELECTRICITY is available to street vendors. Water hookups are NOT available to street vendors.

The 66th Melon Festival will be held in Downtown Howell on August 15th & 16th, 2026. Please read this application closely. For questions & more information, please visit www.howellmelonfestival.com, call 517.546.0693 x7707, or email HowellMelonFestival@gmail.com

2026 General Information

We seek a creative and diverse array of vendor items at reasonable prices, in conjunction with a family-friendly environment. While we try to limit the number of same-business vendors throughout the festival, we will not regulate the legalities of franchise agreements of having two of the same business vendors on-site (Origami Owl, Scentsy, Avon, Face-Painters, etc.). Unless you are a registered food business (pre-packaged candy, beef jerky, salsa, pies, etc.), no booth may sell or provide homemade food or beverages (including water) as this is limited to our food vendors.

Hours of Operation

Vendors must be fully staffed and open for business from the start of the event until close of each day. If a vendor chooses to close their booth early, they will not be allowed back to future events. If there is an emergency or you need to close before operating hours please contact the Festival Director beforehand.

Saturday, August 15th 2026    9:00am – 8:00pm

Sunday, August 16th 2026      9:00am – 5:00pm

Booth Location & Parking

Vendors will be located in the center of Grand River Ave, between Center St & Barnard Street. The Howell Melon Festival booths will be assigned by the Festival Director in the best interest of the festival.  Information regarding location will be emailed the last week of July or first week of August. Once assigned, relocation will not be permitted.

Vendors must park their personal vehicles in the designated areas only. A map will be provided in July.

Set-Up, & Tear Down

All vendors will be given 30 minutes to unload their vehicles. To help with traffic, please unload your items, park in the designated vendor parking area, then return to start your set-up. The set-up time is 5:30am – 7:30am Saturday, August 15th 2026. All vehicles will be removed by 8:00am. Latecomers will NOT be accommodated and no refund will be issued. Each booth is required to have a 10x10 pop-up tent, tent weights (20 lbs. on all corners), tables, chairs, etc. NO GROUND STAKES, the street is concrete. Do NOT tape, tack, or otherwise affix any materials & signs to walls, trees, lamp posts, or other public & private property surfaces. All inventory boxes must be contained in designated booth area. You may NOT set-up on the grass, sidewalks, or street outside your booth. Vendors are required to transport and place their own booths, labor is not provided. Lastly, please respect your neighbors and patrons. ALL BOOTHS MUST BE READY AT 9:00am.

There will be no vehicle access on the event footprint during the Howell Melon Festival. Cars will not be permitted until 5:00pm Sunday or until police deem it safe to enter. All streets will be opened to vehicular traffic by

7:00pm on Sunday, August 16th 2026. Labor will not be provided to help tear-down any booths. 

Security

Police, EMS, & professional security will monitor and be presented throughout the Festival. The Howell Melon

Festival, its sponsors, members, and participants assume no liability for loss/damage to vendor cash, wares, &

property. Precautions will be taken to guard against loss/damage.

Sound, Electricity, & Water Hookup

No loud audio systems may be used, please be considerate of your neighbors. Generators are NOT allowed and

NO ELECTRICITY is available to street vendors. Water hookups are NOT available to street vendors.