Artists Vendor Showcase

(Optional) Friday
6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Saturday
11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Applications for 2024 are now open.

Held annually the second weekend in October, the Annual Belknap Fall Festival is a family-friendly and fun, two-day celebration to highlight the history and uniqueness of Belknap Neighborhood. Friday night features live music on stage and a beer garden. 

All-day Saturday adds over 50 booths of juried arts and crafts, plus food trucks from local eateries, educational exhibits, non-profits, business vendors, and family fun activities. The festival draws a diverse crowd of adults and families with attendance in the upwards of 10,000+. Admission is free. 

DATE
Artist Vendor Showcase is Sat. Oct. 12, 11am – 6pm. Rain or shine. Friday sales are optional. You must now specify on your application which day you will set up.

LOCATION
Historic Douglass Loop area in the Highlands of Louisville. 2200 block of Bardstown Road. Intersection of Dundee Road, Harvard, Yale and Wibben. Two miles from the Watterson Expressway, north on Bardstown Road. 

BOOTH SPACE
We provide each artist with a 10-foot x 10-foot outdoor space on asphalt, indicated with boundary lines and booth numbers. We require a pop-up, canopy tent (preferably white) to protect your inventory in case of wind or rain, and to project a uniform aesthetic to the Artist Showcase areas. All tents must be weighted. Artist booths are located in three distinct zones designated as Yellow (Dundee Rd. next to TEN20 Brewery.), Green (Upper Harvard between Dundee Rd. and Bardstown Rd.) and Blue (Lower Harvard next to Dundee Tavern).

WEATHER
The festival is held rain or shine. Weather data shows this weekend to be the driest and nicest period in October! The weather is usually sunny, and the temperature ranges in the 70s to 80s most of the time. If it happens to be rainy or windy, please plan accordingly.

JURIED ARTS AND CRAFTS
The Belknap Fall Festival Jury is comprised of a local team of volunteers committed to providing a quality artist selection.  All arts must be handcrafted or enhanced at least 85% into a unique handcrafted work of art and created by the artist. All items displayed must be family-friendly and in a professional manner. No resale of items made by others, including handcrafted items, items made from kits, or mass produced.

SETUP AND DEPARTURE
All vendors must provide their own tents, tables, chairs and display materials. Canopy tent MUST be weighted, in case of wind or inclement weather.   Electricity is available ONLY for food vendors.

NOTE: Anyone using their own generator must receive approval from the Belknap Festival Committee to meet safety and noise considerations of neighboring booths. Generators should be very quiet and free of fumes/odors. 

ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE PROCEDURES

You must state on your application whether you will set up on Friday or Saturday (see times below).

Please sign-in at the Artist Vendor Signup location at the BNA booth when you arrive. Uniformed security officers are provided by the festival to patrol on foot Friday evening and overnight. However, we strongly discourage leaving valuable merchandise inside the tents overnight. 

Friday setup times – Arrive no earlier than 2p.m. Booths must be set up by 5p.m. No sales allowed before 6p.m. when the festival begins.

Saturday Setup times – Arrive no earlier than 7a.m. Booths must be setup by 10a.m. No sales allowed before 11a.m. when the festival begins.

Booth break down needs to begin at 6pm when the Vendor Showcase ends. Volunteers will be available to help direct traffic for vendors exiting between 6:30p.m. and 8:30p.m. All booth MUST BE REMOVED by 9p.m. Saturday.

Please respect these hours so we can control foot traffic from festival attendees during setup hours and the after dark event.

ARTIST JUDGING
Judging begins at 11:15 am on Saturday. Awards (recognition, ribbons, and cash award) will be announced on stage and presented in the early afternoon. Awards should be displayed in your booth.  We award a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Honorable mention awards.

DISCLAIMER: THE BELKNAP FALL FESTIVAL COMMITTEE AND OTHER SPONSORS OF THE EVENT ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR LOST, STOLEN, OR DAMAGED GOODS OR MERCHANDISE. We strongly recommend bringing plastic sheets and tent weights in case of inclement weather and wind. 

FEES AND REQUIREMENTS:  

  • Juried Arts and Crafts: $150 (incl. 10’ x 10’ booth space and required vendor permit)

  • Request for 2 adjacent spaces (10’ x 20’): $275 if only one vendor permit is needed.

  • Booth fee includes $10 temporary vendor permit that is required by Metro Louisville for any booth selling items. Vendor permits will be distributed Saturday morning.

  • Payment is refunded only if vendor is not selected/accepted. No other refunds.

  • Artists must upload digital photos of the artwork to be sold, information about the medium, how the artwork is crafted, and information about the artist(s).

  • Pictures of booth setup are preferred.

  • Only art and handcrafted items are permitted. No resale or production-line crafts.

  • Only two artists allowed per booth space.

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION
All sales made by booth participants belong to the booth vendor(s). The Belknap Fall Festival does not ask for a percentage of sales from artists.

Refunds are not made to participants who decide to cancel their booth space or do not show up. Refunds MAY be granted in extenuating circumstances if a participant notified the festival chairperson at the festival email address (belknapartists@gmail.com)  by September 15th. 

Only items described on the application can be sold or displayed. Any additional items must be approved by the jury prior to the festival.

No raffle tickets, games of chance, or other fundraising items for any organization can be sold at booths, UNLESS approved by the jury.

HANDICAP ACCESSIBILITY
Disabled drop-off locations: Harvard Drive at either end of the street closure barriers. Please restore the barrier at its proper location if it’s moved.

INQUIRIES OR QUESTIONS?
Contact the Belknap Fall Festival:  Email:  belknapartists@gmail.com.