Food Vendors

This two-day, rain-or-shine event is the largest festival in the area. Along the Little River Waterfront (4469 Mineola Ave, Little River, SC 29566) approximately 250 vendors will showcase their talents, information, and food. Enjoy live entertainment, a children’s area, fine art and craft vendors, specialty foods, seafood, and more.  Food vendors will be permitted to sell only the items listed on the application and approved by the festival committee.
 
To be considered as a vendor at this old-fashioned, southern street festival, please complete the enclosed application no later than February 2, 2027. The fee for your vendor booth is good for one 10’ x 10’ space for both days of the festival and two worker passes. 

The festival is to be held on the Little River Waterfront (4469 Mineola Ave., Little River, SC 29566) on May 15th & 16th, 2027. Hours are 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Our festival is a family-friendly event, and we ask all vendors to contribute to a welcoming and positive atmosphere. To ensure that all attendees feel comfortable, we do not permit vendors or merchandise with political, racial, or ethnic themes. Vendors who do not comply with these guidelines will not be accepted or may be asked to leave.

ELIGIBILITY: Booth space is available to commercial Vendors. Sharing of space is not allowed. Only the business or organization listed on the application will be permitted to operate in the assigned space. All exhibits will be reviewed for compliance and the World Famous Blue Crab Festival committee reserves the right to reject any item or vendor for any reason. The decision by the festival committee is final. Demonstrations of craft are encouraged. 

BOOTH SPACE & FEES

Standard booth size is 10’ x 10’  For Food Vendors ONLY additional footage can be purchased for $50 per foot. If you do not purchase additional footage and you arrive needing additional footage you risk the chance of being denied entrance to the festival. The festival map is based on the booth sizes needed by our vendors.
Booths must include a tent or canopy (no flat tarps)
All tents must be properly weighted
Booth surfaces may be asphalt, gravel, or grass
Food Vendors $550 per booth (limit 2)
Booth fee includes 2 worker passes
Additional worker passes: $5 each
All displays must fit within the booth footprint
Vendors must remain inside their space during festival hours
Similar product categories may be limited to ensure variety
MENU DISPLAY REQUIREMENTS
All food vendors are required to visibly post a complete menu with prices at their booth throughout the duration of the festival.
Menu signage must be legible, professionally presented, and placed where it is easily seen by attendees.
All pricing must be clearly marked and reflect the actual charges at the point of sale.

Failure to display menu and pricing may result in removal from the event and/or exclusion from future participation.

BEVERAGE EXCLUSIVITY – PEPSI PRODUCTS REQUIRED
Pepsi is the official beverage sponsor of the World Famous Blue Crab Festival. As such, all vendors are required to sell Pepsi products only, including Aquafina bottled water.
No competing soft drink brands (e.g., Coca-Cola, RC, generic sodas) are permitted for sale or display.

Pepsi products will be available for purchase on-site by the case for your convenience.
Ice will also be available for purchase on-site.

Compliance with this policy is mandatory. Vendors found selling or displaying non-Pepsi beverages may be removed from the event and may be prohibited from participating in future festivals.

PICTURES: All applications must include 2-4 clear photos of your booth, wares, food, menu, and/or crafts. Flea market items will not be accepted. We will retain all photos. 

ACCEPTANCE: Application deadline is February 2, 2027. All vendors are subject to approval by festival committee/management. Should a vendor not be accepted, payment will not be processed. Acceptance by the World Famous Blue Crab Festival committee is a commitment to participate in the festival and there will be no refunds. Vendors will be notified by email when accepted.

ELECTRICITY is limited and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The fee for electricity is Light Power $50.00 110v/10 amps, Standard Power $100.00 120v/20amps.  Heavy Power Heavy Equipment $125 30amp or Super Heavy Power $150 50amp. (50 amp is rare and is limited). We recommend that you bring at least a 100 foot drop cord to access electricity. If you only purchase the minumum and once you are on site your require more amps, the festival committee cannot guarantee they can accomodate your needs. Addiional fees may be incurred if a third party must be brought in onsite.

SOUTH CAROLINA SALES TAX is the responsibility of each vendor and should be collected and paid by that vendor. The South Carolina Department of Revenue will require a sales tax number when visiting the festival.  Forms can be obtained either by calling the SC Department of Revenue at 1-844-898-8542 or online at www.sctax.org  VENDOR SETUP/CHECK-IN will staged according to vendor space #. Check-in will close at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning. Any vendor not checked in by 8 a.m. will not be admitted to the festival. No refunds. All vehicles must be removed from the festival grounds by 8 a.m. on both days.

SATURDAY - Booths must remain open until 5 p.m. Violators will forfeit their right to future participation in Little River Chamber of Commerce sponsored events and festivals. Vehicles will not be permitted into festival grounds. You may leave your tent and other large items in your booth space, however, we advise you take your valuables with you. There will be limited security at all times, but neither the chamber nor the festival will be held responsible for lost or stolen goods (see Hold Harmless Waiver). 

SUNDAY - The festival will reopen on Sunday at 9:00 a.m. While there is no check-in on Sunday, all vendors should be ready for business at 9:00 a.m. Vendor break-down on begins on Sunday at 5 p.m. – no earlier. Vehicles will NOT be permitted into the festival area until pedestrian safety is determined by Horry County Police. Vendor vehicles will not be allowed into the festival area until your both has been cleared by security (booth has been broken down and is ready for loading) and receipt of a vehicle pass from security. All vendors must be removed from the festival area by 12:00 midnight.  Violators will forfeit their right to future participation in Little River Chamber of Commerce events and festivals. 

VENDOR PARKING: Parking is at your own risk. The festival will not be responsible for any risk to vendor vehicles including towing. There will be a limited amount of reserved vendor parking, available on a first-come, first-served basis. Many organizations, businesses, and individuals in the area provide paid parking close to the festival. Designated vendor parking areas are available on Bluecrabfestival.org. Vendors will receive a festival map in their vendor packets to assist with this.

SECURITY: Festival management is not responsible for vendor products or booths.  There will be private and off-duty law enforcement security on the grounds from Saturday morning through Sunday evening. 

CLEAN-UP: Each vendor is responsible for their own trash and must remove such trash to dumpsters the festival provides. After the festival closes on Sunday, the vendor’s area must be cleaned, and all trash removed from the site. Vendors should NOT dump ice, water or other liquids in the roadways/festival footprint. Any vendor that dumps their grease or grey water down a storm drain, on the ground, or in a portable rest room will NOT be invited back. Please ask festival staff about the proper place for your waste. 

GATE PASSES: Each vendor will be provided with two (2) worker passes/day at no charge.  Passes for additional workers are available for $5.00 per pass.

LIABILITY & INSURANCE

Assumption of Risk. Vendors take part in the World Famous Blue Crab Festival at their own risk. The Festival, the Little River Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center, and its directors, staff, sponsors, and volunteers are not responsible for any loss, theft, or damage to vendor property, merchandise, equipment, or vehicles. They are also not responsible for injury to vendors or their employees, agents, or volunteers.

Hold Harmless Agreement. All vendors must sign the Festival’s Hold Harmless Agreement before they are approved.

Certificate of Insurance. The following vendors must provide a Certificate of Insurance:

Food and beverage vendors, including anyone cooking on site or using propane, open flame, or generators
Vendors selling or serving alcohol (liquor liability coverage is required)
Amusement, game, inflatable, and ride operators
Animal exhibitors, including petting zoos and pony rides
Face painters, henna artists, and similar service providers
Any other vendor, if the Chamber asks for one
Certificates must:

Show general liability coverage of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence
Name Little River Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center, PO Box 400, Little River, SC 29566 as Additional Insured
Be in effect for every Festival date, including set-up and tear-down
Certificates are due by April 2nd, 2027. Vendors whose certificate hasn’t been received will not be allowed to set up, and their fees will not be refunded.

Vendor Insurance Option.  Vendors without their own insurance may buy event liability coverage through the Chamber’s program: $85 for the first booth, $50 for each additional booth, $100 per game booth, and $165 for face or body painters. This option is not available for amusement rides, inflatables, dunking booths, climbing walls, henna, essential oils, CBD or herbal supplements, tobacco or vaping products, and certain other operations. Those vendors must provide their own Certificate of Insurance.

PETS or other animals are not permitted in the World Famous Blue Crab Festival – this includes pets in vendor booths. The Board of Directors may make some exceptions for vendors that deal explicitly with animals. To request approval, please make a note of it on the “Event Preferences” section of the application. Any vendors approved to bring animals in their booth space will also be required to provide a Certificate of Insurance.
We try to honor special requests, but cannot always accommodate. Please use “Special Requests" line on application form.

NO REFUNDS - Festival is held rain or shine.