Commercial Vendors

Commercial Vendors -General Information

Location – Winterville Recreation Park, 332 Sylvania St, Winterville, NC 28590 

This application is for all NON-FOOD vendors. If you are selling or distributing food, this application is not for you.

- 3 Day Vendors (Friday, August 28th - Sunday, August 30th) - $350 per space (price includes 1–10x10 space, 1-110V electrical outlet & 2 parking passes)

Vendor hours – Friday 6pm – 10pm / Saturday 8am – 10pm / Sunday 1pm – 6pm

-1 Day Vendor (Saturday, August 28th) - $100 per space (price includes 1-10x10 space & 1 parking pass). 

Vendor hours - 8am – 6pm (1 day vendors have option to stay as late as 10pm)

Additional parking passes can be purchased on the day of the event for $10 from AG Cox. 

Vendors will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis. You will only be accepted once payment is made. Once an invoice has been sent, you will have only 2 weeks to pay, or your application will be forfeited. No more than 1 of the exact same items will be allowed to set up, so get your applications and payment in quickly. Space is limited this year. 

1.      All vendors are personally responsible for the collection, reporting, and remittance of sales tax as required by the North Carolina Department of Revenue. Vendor applications will need to include certificate of registration number with NCDOR.

2.      Vehicles are only allowed on site for unloading purposes. Vehicles will not be allowed to re-enter the festival for loading purposes so please be prepared to hand carry items back to your car at the time you chose to close your booth. Vehicles will be allowed back in to pull trailers but will have to enter and exit on the same street, at the end of the festival day. Under no circumstances will vehicles be permitted to drive through the festival. No exceptions will be made so please be prepared.

3.      Commercial vendors are NOT ALLOWED to sell any food or drink items that are meant to be consumed on site. Food items but be prepackaged and prepared off site to be sold in the commercial area. Drink items not allowed for sale include water, sports drinks, energy drinks or lemonades. For safety reasons and health department standards, no food is allowed to be prepared on site and this includes grilling, air fryers, hot plates, or any other device that can be plugged in. 

4.      All vendors must occupy the space provided and specified by the festival committee. Space assignments will not be given until the day of check-in. Please do not ask for your space assignment prior to checking in. If you obtain a space without signing a commercial vendor form, you will be considered trespassing, and a police officer will be called to remove you from the premises. 

5.      Vendors must provide tables, chairs and tents. Lights and extension cords will be needed for 3-day vendors. Some power boxes can far away so please be prepared with at least 2 (20ft) extension cords, just in case. The festival is not responsible for making sure you can reach the power stations. In accordance with guidelines from the Winterville Building Inspections Department, all extension cords must be 3 wire cords (must have a ground prong). All extension cords should have a minimum wire size of #12.

6.      In accordance with guidelines from the Winterville Building Inspections Department, “All tents MUST be secured to the ground with stakes or pegs that are embedded in the ground at or near the “legs” or poles of tent(s). In lieu of pegs or stakes, a weight added to the base of each leg sufficient to withstand a significant wind gust can be used. This weight should be equivalent to 20 pounds for each leg of the tent”. ALL VENDORS SHOULD AT LEAST HAVE THE 20 POUND WEIGHTS BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME AREAS THAT YOU WILL BE UNABLE TO DRIVE STAKES. IF YOU FAIL TO MEET THESE GUIDELINES, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SET UP AND NO REFUNDS WILL BE MADE.

7.      All participants are required to operate throughout the vendor advertised hours. There are exceptions such as emergencies, sold out of product or medical reasons. If your vehicle is parked behind your tent on the festival grounds, you will not be allowed to move it until the festival is over each night. 

8.      Confirmation will be sent to you prior to the festival by email. Please provide a valid email address on application. It is important that all applications be legible. Set-up time and other information will be provided after the vendors are accepted. Vendors are only accepted after application is reviewed and payment is made.

9.      Vendors assume responsibility for any items left on the festival site after hours. It is recommended that all vendors set up and take down their merchandise daily. 

10.  Only one (1) specialty item vendor (ex. Mary Kay, Avon, Tupperware, Scentsy, etc.) for each company will be allowed to display/sell at the festival. We do limit jewelry, hats, and boutiques so please be specific on your application for what you are selling. 

11.  The following items should not be sold by vendors: Snap-N-Pops, Crazy Foam, Silly String, Fireworks, Stink Bombs, Disappearing Ink, Water Guns, Cap Guns, Knives, and any other weapons. Weapons are also not allowed to be a part of a raffle. The committee has the authority to ban any other items they deem unsafe or a nuisance. Violation of this policy would result in the vendor being ejected from the festival without a refund.

12.  The use of loudspeakers is not allowed on the festival grounds, unless previously allowed by festival staff. Loudspeakers are allowed for concerts or shows, such as ProTown BMX. No other loudspeakers will be allowed for any other reasons. No exceptions. 

13.  Any activities at or during the festival that block access to roads or block pedestrian traffic are prohibited. A festival volunteer will ask you to leave and if you refuse, a police officer will escort you off the property.

14.  Commercial vendor volunteer may not be available the entire day since we switch responsibilities throughout the festival, especially on Saturday. If you send an email or call on Saturday, responses will be delayed. A volunteer will be available towards the end of the day to help with vendor exits and questions.

15.  REFUNDS: By applying for the festival, the vendor acknowledges and agrees that the Winterville Watermelon Festival shall not be obliged to issue refunds under any circumstances on vendor space rental. The Winterville Watermelon Festival is not liable or responsible for delays, cancellations or postponements of the festival or events within the festival due to inclement weather, war, government actions, strikes or other matters beyond our control.