APPLICATION DEADLINE: APRIL 30, 2024

The Artichoke Festival is held at the beautiful Monterey County Fairgrounds, with room for lots of vendors!

All booth spaces are located outdoors. A $100 deposit (refundable up to 4 weeks prior to event start date—nonprofits exempt), along with the fully completed and signed application form, a copy of current resale license, and two (2) photos of booth and/or merchandise display will hold a space until application deadline on April 30, 2024. After that time, uncompleted registrations will forfeit prior booth assignments and be released into open space que.

Space fees include entry passes for booth workers; one FREE circuit of electrical services; tables and chairs can be rented, fee schedule is located on the application. NOT included in space fees: tent/canopy, parking passes, required state/county/city licensure and/or permit fees.

Eligible vendors include: Artists, Crafters, Non-Profit Organizations, Commercial, and Food Vendors. Unsure if you are eligible? See descriptions below, or email us at artscrafts.artifest@gmail.com

Vendor Types & Fees

Commercial Vendors ($450 – 10’x10’ booth)

Vendors and commercial retailers who are selling or exhibiting products which are mass-produced, imported, mass-marketed or manufactured by or purchased from a wholesale or retail provider. Vendors selling prepackaged, bulk foods are included in this category.

Arts & Crafts Vendors ($325 – 10’x10’ booth)

Artists and crafters who personally make their own products or merchandise for sale. Vendors who sell imported, manufactured, mass-produced, or mass-marketed items are not eligible for this booth price.

Non-Profits ($100 – 10’x10’ booth)

Both non-profit vendors who are selling products or services, and those providing information only are included in this category. Please upload a copy of your proof of non-profit tax exempt status with the link provided in the form.

Food Vendors (Fees based on booth sizes below)

The fee is $825 per 10ft x 10ft space, $1,025 per 10ft x 15ft, and $1,175 per 10ft x 20ft space for the two-day festival. Rig size can be indicated on the form. We also welcome Food Trucks. Stand alone BBQs, grills, and fuels used for cooking must be disclosed on the form.

Non-profit food vendors: please contact us at foodvendorartifest@gmail.com, or 888-808-7707, ext 2.

Permits & Licenses

Links to City and County permit forms are provided within the online registration system and below. Please refer to documentation on the Vendor application form for requirements for your particular operation. Please upload a copy of each completed license application or final license with vendor registration submission as proof. Copies only! Do not mail your original City or County license applications, fees or licenses to us; we will NOT be able to forward them.

Here are some handy links to help with the required permits or licenses you’ll need in order to operate as a vendor at our event:

Register for a California Seller’s permit: https://www.cdtfa.ca.gov/services/permits-licenses.htm
(ALSO, SEE IMPORTANT NEWS ABOUT NEW CDTFA TAX REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Apply for City of Monterey Temporary License To Do Business (every vendor needs this regardless of selling or not selling, whether your business is a for-profit or non-profit): http://cmbuslic.ci.monterey.ca.us/businessLicenseApplication/

Food and Beverage sellers: apply for a Monterey County Health Dept Temporary Food Facility permit: https://www.co.monterey.ca.us/home/showpublisheddocument?id=24906

Inclusion of these website links is for convenience only and does not in any way imply or guarantee that the City of Monterey, Monterey County, or State of California will issue licenses or permits applied for by Vendor. 

Regarding Food Vendor County Health Dept. Permits:

ALL Food Truck or Food Concessions Vendors (prepared on-site, ready-to-eat) must provide us with a copy of their Monterey County Health Department’s Temporary Food Facility Permit / Special Event application, and a site plan for the Office of the State Fire Marshal, (we provide a form for your site plan, to be sent back to us for submission to the SFM). Those vendors selling wholesale or bulk pre-packaged foods, such as baked goods, olive oils, jarred pickles, and jams, may apply as a Commercial or Arts & Crafts vendor, but are also required to apply for the Monterey County Health Department’s Temporary Food Facility (TFF) Permit / Special Event application covering free samples. As proof of permit, include a copy of your completed Health Department TFF permit application with Festival Vendor registration. Upload COPIES of the TFF application only! Keep your original TFF application and other licenses with you; we will NOT be able to forward them to the City of Monterey or County Health Dept.

IMPORTANT PUBLIC SAFETY AND DISEASE PREVENTION NOTICE: 

As a public event, the Artichoke Festival must comply with all CDPH and County Health Dept. safety guidelines at the time of the event is held. Head counts and space capacity will be closely monitored and state fire safety rules will be enforced. Vendors are not required to bring proof of COVID-19 Vaccination, or negative test results, however we highly encourage completed vaccination series. If you feel sick or are running a fever, please don’t come to the Festival. Face masks are not required, but recommended for those with compromised immunity, or very young or elder loved ones at home.

Final welcome packets with vendor booth location, entry tickets, set-up details, and parking info are provided during Vendor set-up at the Fairgrounds. Registration deadline is April 30, 2024. A $50 late registration fee will be applied to all Vendor applications received after this date. All Vendors must be approved by the Vendor Committee. Acceptance will be sent via preferred communication method chosen during ONLINE REGISTRATION process.

LIABILITY INSURANCE FOR ALL VENDORS: 

INSURANCE COVERAGE IS NOT PROVIDED — Vendors will be required to provide their own certificates of insurance (COIs) as proof of self coverage. These COI’s will need to list Monterey County Fair 7th DAA and Castroville Artichoke Festival, Inc. as additionally insured. Detailed instructions for obtaining the correct COIs for your vendor activities at the Festival follow:
Vendor’s current policy of General Liability Insurance must not be expired, we need to have a Certificate incorporating the dates of inception and expiration of the insurance. The specific event dates must be listed, along with all set-up and tear down dates. This certificate must have the following exact wording in order to be valid:

Certificate Holders:
                Monterey County Fair 7th DAA
                2004 Fairground Road
                Monterey, CA  93940

                Castroville Artichoke Festival, Inc.
                PO Box 1041
                Castroville, CA 95012

Under “Description of Operations/Locations/Special Provisions” please include:
“That the State of California, the California Fair Services Authority, the District Agricultural Association, County Fair, the County in which the County Fair is located, Lessor/Sublessor if fair site is leased/subleased, Citrus Fruit Fair, California Exposition and State Fair, or Entities (public or non-profit) operating California designated agricultural fairs, their directors, officers, agents, servants, and employees are made additional insured, but only insofar as the operations under this contract are concerned.”
Minimum coverage must be $1,000,000.00

Get your COI’s written correctly the first time!

Download this COI example and instruction memo, to forward directly to your insurance provider.

We are proud to support the Monterey County Fair & Event Center’s Sustainability Policy!

Food Waste Collection Program and Sustainability Policy: As of April 1, 2016 California legislation (AB1826) requires food waste be collected separately for “recycling.” The Castroville Artichoke Food & Wine Festival, in cooperation with the Monterey County Fair & Event Center and Blue Strike Environmental, is participating in this mandatory waste reduction and recycling policy for all exhibitors, vendors, and concessionaires. Vendors are expected to comply with AB1826, and separate food waste from recycling and trash. Information about acceptable materials and food waste recycling can be downloaded here, and will be provided to Vendors prior to the event. Education and training will be provided to food vendors before the start of the event.

FESTIVAL SET-UP and PARKING FOR VENDORS
(Please refer to the application contract for a complete list of regulations per your vending area.)

Set-Up:

Logistics and deliveries on the grounds during set-up must be carefully orchestrated to avoid delays and traffic snarls. Food Vendors may set up their booths on Friday, June 7, 2024 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., and be prepared for Fire Marshal inspection after 1:00 p.m. Commercial, Arts & Crafts, and Nonprofit Vendors will be allowed to set-up on Friday June 7, between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. and on Saturday, June 8, 2024 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. All vendors will be spot-checked for fire safety; please be prepared to show canopy and tent fire resistive tags or certificates, and other protocols as described in the vendor rules and regulations. All vehicles must be off festival grounds by 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 8, 2024, and will not be allowed back on grounds until 6:30 p.m. or an all-clear signal is given on Sunday evening, June 9, 2024. Your booth is required to be staffed at all times during the festival’s regular hours of operation.

Parking:

Space is extremely limited and Castroville Artichoke Festival, Inc. cannot guarantee that free parking spaces will be available to vendors. Vendors are encouraged to arrive early on the days of the event in order to find free parking on Fairground Road. All other parking on the Fairgrounds during hours of operation will be for fee only. If Vendor must enter grounds with, and wishes to store a trailer or equipment hauler, please request a special entry/parking pass for this purpose from the Vendor Coordinator at time of registration. A limited number of RV parking spaces may be available on the fairgrounds, at the rate of $70.00 per day. For further information about RV space, please contact the Monterey County Fair & Event Center Administration Office at (831) 717-7167, or visit their website at www.montereycountyfair.com. 

Camping:

Camping on festival grounds is absolutely prohibited. No ice chests (except those used in Food Vendor prep), will be allowed onto the festival grounds after the festival opens each day.

IMPORTANT Fire Safety Statement regarding Tents/Canopies:

(also found in Vendor Rules and Regulations, para 15) …In accordance with State Fire Marshal laws, all tent fabric or pliable canopy covers, side/back drops and decorative material must be inherently fire resistive and individually labeled as such; if not labeled as fire retardant, they must be treated with a State Fire Marshal (SFM) approved fire retardant chemical, (empty can and dated sales receipt may serve as proof.) Exit openings for enclosed spaces must be a minimum of 3 feet wide and 6 feet-8 inches high. A Class 2A-10BC fire extinguisher must be provided in any tent having a floor area between 500 sq. ft. and 1000 sq. ft.

Vendors cooking food must be separated by 10 feet. Cooking vendors must
have a minimum 2A-10BC rated portable fire extinguisher visibly accessible,
securely mounted away from cooking area, with current SFM service tag attached (service date within one year). No use or storage of portable containers of liquid propane gas (LPG) is allowed in tents. All cylinders of liquid propane gas (LPG) must be secured to prevent tipping or falling over. Wood barbecue cooking is prohibited inside of booths. Wood barbecue cooking shall be performed only in areas away from public access. Distances from wood barbecues to permanent structures or festival booths shall be at least 15 ft, as required by the SFM. Fuel wood shall not be stored inside of booths. A drawing of the food vendor’s booth layout (site plan) must be submitted to the Vendor Coordinator for review by the State Fire Marshal.

FOOD VENDOR’S SITE PLAN:

A form for submission of this site plan is available on the Vendor Application portal, or by clicking this link: Food Vendor’s Site Plan. Submit to your Food Vendor Coordinator at foodvendorartifest@gmail.com, or upload via the online application form UPLOADS page. Food Vendors should be prepared for any inspections by 1:00 PM the day before the start of the Festival.

ALL VENDORS should review these rules and regulations regarding Fire Safety at the Festival. All fire mitigation regulations are now mandatory at the Monterey County Fairgrounds; The SFM has jurisdiction over all event operations on the festival grounds, and may inspect vendor’s booths for safety compliance. This Fire Safety statement in it’s entirety can also be found on the Festival’s Vendor Application Form portal. (See links to Forms at the top of this page.)

More details about Office of the State Fire Marshal regulations regarding tents at events, including fire resistance certification labels, can be found HERE.

In 2018 the State of California implemented a new requirement for vendors who report revenues earned at an event on a state fair facility. The Division of Fairs & Expositions through CA Department of Food and Agriculture receives a small percentage of all of the funds reported. The 7th DAA/Monterey County Fair takes all revenues received from the State of CA (and the additional funds through CDTFA) and funnels it directly to capital improvements which in turn benefit all that utilize the fairgrounds.

As the funding that fair facilities receive annually continues to be reduced, it is important that we as event promoters, and our vendors report these revenues. Although this is not a new program, CDTFA is finding that vendors who do business on Fairgrounds do not fully understand how to correctly report their earnings. There is NO additional tax due, it’s just a different way of reporting gross revenues. The Artichoke Festival is not asking for any additional licenses or forms from our vendors beyond showing us a copy of their CA Seller’s Permit, as we have always required. We provide this information to our Vendors as a courtesy, and to help our fairgrounds continue to provide a beautiful and safe place for events and festivals into the future.

Find more details about this new reporting requirement on the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) website guide at www.cdtfa.ca.gov/industry/state-fairgrounds.htm

2024 Culinary Bazaar Vendors

Our new artichoke-centric Culinary Bazaar will feature local food entrepreneurs showcasing their most creative artichoke recipes!

2024 Arts and Crafts/Commercial Vendors

2024 Food Vendors