Octoberfest 2026 Food Vendors

Thank you for your interest in being a food vendor at Octoberfest 2026! We are proud of the tradition this festival brings to the community and are thrilled to provide your organization with an opportunity to raise funds to advance your mission. This application is for Saturday, September 26, 2025, ONLY. All food vendors at Appleton's Octoberfest MUST either be a non-profit or must be partnered with a non-profit of their choice (and profit share for the day). This supports the community mission of this event, and attendees are used to searching for a non-profit to support.

Applications must be submitted with all required information AND approved before June 1, 2025 to be a vendor!

• To ensure everyone receives the same information, NEW vendors MUST attend the in-person meeting and returning vendors are strongly encouraged to attend on Tuesday, August 19 from 4:00pm-5:30pm. Additional information will be sent out. 
  • A test is available for returning vendors, but we still encourage you to attend the one-hour meeting so that all expectations are clearly communicated.
• Booths and trucks will be placed on the Avenue on a first come, first serve basis (First applied, approved, AND paid).
• As part of our mission, all for-profits are required to partner with a non-profit of their choice and profit share for the day (amount should be approved between the two parties). Non-profit organizations MUST be within a 30-mile radius of the Fox Cities.
• If a non-profit organization is working with a for-profit organization, there shall be at least one member of the non-profit organization present at the food stand during the duration of the event.
• Non-profit organizations can sign up to be their own food booth at this event & keep 100% of proceeds (easy, finger foods always go over well!).

Please Note: You must have at least one person in your booth at all times who has attended the vendor meeting or has successfully passed the online test.

 There also must be at least one person present in the booth at all times from the nonprofit organization being represented. All booths are required to have prominent signage indicating the non-profit benefiting from working at the booth. 

All food vendors are responsible for obtaining the proper licensing from the Appleton Health Department, at their own expense. 

You should be prepared to be inspected the day of the event and any potential inspection fees incurred are the responsibility of the vendor.  You can find Health Department Food Stand Guidelines at the link below or by calling the Appleton Health Department directly (920) 832-6429.

• Non-profit Health Department Info: https://cms2.revize.com/revize/appletonwi/Documents/Health/Environmental%20Health/Applications/Nonprofit%20food%20service%20program.pdf 

Reminder: Starting in 2022, generators are permitted following the guidelines in the packet below: https://octoberfestonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2025-Vendor-Packet-.pdf 

Wisconsin Law (sec73.03 (38), Wis. Stats.) requires that each operator of a swap meet, flea market, craft fair, or similar event must report to the Wisconsin Department of Revenue the name, address, social security number, and the Wisconsin seller’s permit number (if available) of each vendor selling merchandise at the event. Once your application has been reviewed and accepted we may contact you to provide us with your social security number or Wisconsin seller’s permit number. Farm market produce is not permitted. Soaps, hand lotions and other related handmade products must have labeling approved by the Weights & Measures division of the Appleton Health Department.