Wilson Downtown Business 2025

Name: NC Whirligig Festival 2025
Start: 2025-11-01T10:00:00-00:00
End: 2025-11-02T17:00:00-00:00
Location: 301 Goldsboro St S

Deadline: Aug 01, 2025 11:59 pm (GMT-04:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)

NC Whirligig Festival 2025

Date: Nov 01, 2025 10:00 am - Nov 02, 2025 5:00 pm (EDT)

Wilson, North Carolina

$75.00 - $525.00

About the application

Welcome to the North Carolina Whirligig Festival! Browse through of application and let us know if you have any questions.

The Wilson Downtown Merchants are encouraged, welcomed and desired to participate in the Whirligig Festival. Merchants can set up a display, sidewalk sale or create an attractive display to draw in customers. The NC Whirligig Festival is the largest annual event in Wilson. Businesses that embrace opportunities to invite customers into their stores will seen an increase in revenue during the festival weekend and beyond. Wilson Businesses around town are also encouraged to participate in the largest community event in Wilson. Apply to be a Commercial Vendor or consider becoming a Sponsor to increase your return on investment.

Deadline: August 1, 2025 - Downtown business applications are due 1 month early so that the organizers may reserve your spot before assigning locations to other vendors. Any late applications can not be guaranteed a location preference.

Downtown Booth Fees: $25 Application fee + $50 - $425 Booth Fee

(same fees as 2024)

All vendors pay the same application fee, charged immediately. Booth fees vary depending on category and activity (see below) and are charged after approval. Booth fee includes a single (1) booth space.

We have 4 downtown merchant categories: (same fees as 2024)

1. Store Open Listing only = $0 (no booth, no application, no fee)
This is for the merchants that will have their business open during the festival, but are not interested in a booth or outdoor display. The business operator will need to contact the Downtown Development Office to provide your name to be included in their promotions during the festival. The festival will include the Downtown Merchant Association campaign as part of the festival PR. Keep in mind, this category means the space in front of your store will most likely be occupied by a paid vendor and may obstruct the view of your store.

2. Downtown Merchant Booth = $75 ($25 application fee + $50 booth fee)
This option guarantees one (1) space in front of your store will be reserved for your use. Our goal is to identify the space closest to your store door. This is only for businesses within the festival zone. "In Zone" means the street in front of your store will be closed, barricaded from traffic flow and festival activities are established on your street. Note: Booth spaces are 15 ft wide. The measurements start at the corner intersection. Your booth space may not be directly at your store's front door, but will be as close to your front door as possible.You can apply for a double or triple booth to have more space.

3. Downtown Perimeter Booth = $125 ($25 app fee + $100 booth fee)
This options is available for businesses within the 1 block perimeter of the festival zone. In the perimeter, the traffic flow may be affected, but is not blocked. You may have lots of festival attendees walking by your store coming and going to the festival. We offer a discounted booth rate to have a single booth space inside the festival zone. You can apply for a double or triple booth to have more space.

4. Downtown MSD Merchant Booth = $525 ($25 app fee + $500 fee)
This option is available for businesses in the downtown area that pay the additional MSD taxes. We invite all downtown businesses to participate in the festival. This is discounted from the regular Commercial booth fee of $875. One (1) booth space would be reserved within the festival footprint. You can apply for a double or triple booth to have more space.

Note: Any downtown restaurant that would like to have a food selling booth on the street/sidewalk/curb within the festival zone must apply under the Food Vendor category. Downtown food vendors and restaurants within the festival zone receive a 50% discount. Restaurants outside the festival footprint will need to apply as a regular food vendor.

Applications for 2025 are electronic only - no paper needed.

This is an electronic agreement and by applying for the booth, you are validating and approving this agreement electronically. By submitting the application you are confirming that you have read the NCWF Vendor policies and agree to abide by them as stated in the guidelines below.

About the event

The annual North Carolina Whirligig Festival will be held on Saturday & Sunday, November 1 & 2, 2025. The event started as a way to celebrate what was unique to Wilson, NC - the innovative and whimsical folk art whirligigs created by Vollis Simpson. At the heart of the festival is a park containing 30 of his original giant metal structures that spin in the wind. The festival is the largest event in Wilson, 8 blocks of fun, that includes home-made arts and crafts, food vendors, non-profit agencies and sponsors. Entertainment is provided on several stages with live music, a free kids zone, a kids performance stage, strolling artists and art demonstrations. The NC Whirligig Festival averages about 70,000+ visitors attend over the 2-day festival weekend in historic downtown Wilson. The festival is run by a group of dedicated volunteers and is held each year the first full weekend in November.

Test by Theresa

Contact Organizer

Test by Theresa

Contact Organizer

Terms & Conditions

Refer to the NC Whirligig Festival Vendor Policies and Guidelines.

Related files

NCWF Electrical Outlet diagram

NCWF General Vendor Guidelines

Prices

Downtown Merchant Application fee	$25.00	Non-refundable	There is a $25 non-refundable application fee which is charged upon application.
Downtown Merchant Booth - Within the festival Zone	$50.00	Non-refundable	This selection is reserved for the Downtown Merchants located within the festival zone only. This assures you the space in front of your store will be open with no vendor assigned. The space is for you to set up a display and promote your business. We advise that you do not leave it empty, as it will simply appear as if a vendor is missing. Single booth space is 15 feet wide and 10 feet deep. This is for the use of a 10x10 ft tent. The extra space on the left and right are to provide storage between vendors. Your tent may not extend beyond 10 feet deep - this is set by fire code standards. If you need a wider booth, you may purchase a double or triple space as they are available.
Downtown Perimeter Booth	$100.00	Non-refundable	This selection is available for Downtown Merchants located within 1 block of the festival zone. Typically, traffic is not blocked to your store location, but is affected. This category provides a single booth space within the festival zone. The single booth space is 15 feet wide and 10 feet deep. This is for the use of a 10x10 ft tent. The extra space on the left and right are to provide storage between vendors. Your tent may not extend beyond 10 feet deep - this is set by fire code standards. If you need a wider booth, you may purchase a double or triple space as they are available.
Downtown MSD Merchant Booth	$500.00	Non-refundable	This selection is available for Downtown Merchants located within the MSD at a discounted rate of 50% off the Commercial booth fee. This category provides a single booth space within the festival zone. A single booth is 15 feet wide and 10 feet deep. This is for the use of a 10x10 ft tent. The extra space on the left and right are to provide storage between vendors. Your tent may not extend beyond 10 feet deep - this is set by fire code standards. If you need a wider booth, you may purchase a double or triple space as they are available.
Double Booth space	$150.00	Non-refundable	This is an additional fee added to your booth fee for extra space. The double booth space is 10 ft deep and 30 ft wide. This provides two single booth spaces side-by-side for larger displays. A limited number of double booth spaces are available.
Triple Booth space	$225.00	Non-refundable	This is an additional fee added to your booth fee for the extra space. The triple booth space is the largest booth space allowed. The space is 10 ft deep and 45 feet wide. This is 3-single booth spaces side-by-side. We offer a limited number of triple booth spaces.
DWNTWN- Electrical Outlet (115v/15 amp - houshold outlet style)	$20.00	Non-refundable	Refer to Electrical Outlet PDF. Your plug must match the outlet style. We do not adjust - bring your own adapter. Approximately half of the vendor booth spaces have ONE electrical outlet available. Vendors requesting electricity are strategically placed to provide utilities and a variety of vendors within each block of the festival. Electrical requests will be considered on a first come, first served basis.
Water access	$20.00	Non-refundable	Access to water is limited and typically reserved for food vendors. However, requests will be considered on a first come, first served basis. Water access will at a corner fire hydrant. Vendors should bring 100 ft hose to reach booth.

Questions on the application

Business information

Business name
Legal business name
Contact name
Address
Email
Phone
Website (Optional)
Logo (Optional)

Additional information

Have you been a vendor with the Whirligig Festival before?
What is the street address of your store/business location?
Please provide a description of your business, items or services for sale and price range.
Insurance
NC Sales Tax ID Number
How did you learn about the NC Whirligig Festival?
By signing your name, you agree to our terms and conditions.

Picture requirements

Minimum pictures required: 3
Upload a minimum of 3 photos: (1) of your booth display or store front and (2 or more) of the items or services that will be for sale in your booth.

Wilson Downtown Business 2025

NC Whirligig Festival 2025

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