VEND (EXHIBIT)

Vendor/Exhibitor Info

Thank you for your interest in being an exhibitor at Cincy VegFest.  We look forward to having you at the event.  You may fill out our form online to become an exhibitor.  More information may be found below.

Investment:

Level 1 Exhibitor/Food Vendor:  $450

10 x 20 space (or enough space for a food trailer/truck) at event + Your business/organization name and link displayed on the VegFest website exhibitor/vendor page and a minimum of three social media shout outs.

Level 2 Exhibitor/Food Vendor:  $350

10 x 10 space (or enough space for a food pull cart) at event + Your business/organization name and link displayed on the VegFest website exhibitor/vendor page and a minimum of two social media shout outs.

Level 3 Exhibitor:  $250

10 x 10 space at event + Your business/organization name and link displayed on the VegFest website exhibitor/vendor page and a minimum of one social media shout out.   NOTE: This level is not applicable for food vendors.

Community Space:  Free

This is a designated area at the VegFest where vegan-centric organizations/non-profits may share information, such as business cards, brochures, or leaflets at no charge.

ADD ONS:
6-foot Banquet Table:  $11

Tablecloth:  $9

Chair:  $4.50

Canopies are not provided. 

More information:

• IMPORTANT: As an exhibitor or vendor at the Cincy VegFest, you are required to have your booth with information and signage set up for the duration of the event. If you run out of food, product, leaflets, etc., we still expect you to keep your set up from the start time to the end time of the event. Do not break down or close up your booth during festival hours. Exhibitors or vendors that do so may not be invited to participate in future VegFests.  If it is necessary for you to arrive late or leave early, please email connect@cincyvegfest.com to make a request in advance. 
• A Health Department temporary certificate is required for food vendors through the City of Cincinnati Department of Public Health. If you’re not sure if your food purchases will require this, please contact them at: 513-564-1751. More info below, see FOR FOOD VENDORS ONLY.
• Vendors will be handling their own money. Please come prepared to do that and make change!
• This is an outdoor event. Electrical service is not available. Please come prepared with your own generator if electric is necessary for your operation.
• Please use eco-friendly containers and utensils. Please do not use styrofoam.
• All merchandise/services/food that will be promoted/sampled/purchased at Cincy VegFest must be vegan.
  • For an item to be considered vegan, it may not contain anything made from fellow animals. This includes, but is not limited to being free of: leather, wool, or silk; all meat and meat-based stocks or broths (mammal, fowl, organs, and all seafood, fish or oyster sauce, and worcestershire); dairy (cow or goat butter, ghee, milk**, yogurt, sour cream, cheese, etc.); eggs and egg whites; honey; gelatin and glycerin (unless specifically plant-derived).
  • Hidden ingredient names for milk include: whey, casein, and sodium caseinate.
  • Furthermore, please assist us with our cruelty-free message and refrain from using any leather, wool, or silk in your presentations or anywhere on your table.
• Event takes place rain or shine.
• NO REFUND POLICY.
• Please promote your involvement with Cincy VegFest on social media and in your email newsletters! Use #cincyvegfest and feel free to link to our social media pages:
  • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cvegfest/
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/cvegfest/
  • Twitter: https://twitter.com/cvegfest
• Apply to be a Cincy VegFest Exhibitor/Vendor online at:  https://ourcollectiveheart.org/cincy-vegfest/vend-exhibit/
• Once your application is reviewed and accepted, more information, such as a map, load in and load out times, and more will be communicated. For more information, please refer to FAQ page:  https://ourcollectiveheart.org/cincy-vegfest/venue-date-faq/

FOR FOOD VENDORS ONLY:

For events taking place in Cincinnati, vendors selling most foods and/or beverages at special events, such as the Cincy VegFest will require either a mobile food service operation license from anywhere in Ohio or a temporary food license from the Cincinnati Health Department. These are obtained by each individual vendor.   

GENERAL INFO

• License – Payable online (preferred) or with check or money order – no cash. Fees are generally non-refundable once the license has been printed. There are no refunds for no-show operators.
• Application – Must be received by our office with license fee at least 10 working days before the event.
• Licenses are good for a single event lasting up to 5 days. Vendors may not obtain more than 10 temporary food licenses in a licensing year.
• Temporary food operations are inspected by Health Department personnel about an hour before the event starts, and licenses are issued after that visual inspection indicates operators have met the requirements for licensure. At many events, vendors will receive multiple inspections throughout the course of an event.

WHO NEEDS A TEMPORARY FOOD LICENSE?

• Most vendors selling cooked, prepared, or packaged foods and some beverages at special events
  • Examples of food/drinks that often need a license if sold: hot food, sandwiches, salads, smoothies, ice cream (packaged/unpackaged), desserts (packaged/unpackaged), snacks (packaged/unpackaged), snow cones and shaved ice, fresh lemonade and tea, fresh juices, cottage food or home bakery products, coffee drinks, almost any drink (alcoholic or non) with ice or fresh fruit

VENDORS THAT DON’T NEED A TEMPORARY FOOD LICENSE

• Vendors with a valid mobile food service license from anywhere in Ohio
• Vendors giving away food (no charge, ticket cost, or required donation)
• Vendors selling:
  • Only fountain drinks (not served with ice), alcoholic beverages (not served with ice or fresh fruit), or commercially pre-packaged beverages that are not potentially hazardous and don’t require refrigeration (i.e. soda, sports drinks, etc).
  • Only commercially pre-packaged food that does not require refrigeration and is contained in displays that take up less than 200 cubic feet.

NOTE: Vendors with local brick and mortar food licenses or food licenses from other states are NOT exempt from needing a temporary or mobile food license.

For questions, email TempFoodLicensing@cincinnati-oh.gov or visit

https://tinyurl.com/Cincinnati-Temp-Food-Licensing for information and temporary food license application

There is also a “low-risk mobile” license that is new as of 2025 in Ohio. Some vendors may qualify for this. It is an annual license that costs less than half the cost of a temporary license and you may use it anywhere in Ohio. Phil Murdock is the one who issues these licenses. He can be reached at 513-564-1753.

https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/health/chd-programs/food-safety-and-inspections/food-businesses-and-licensing/mobile-food-licensing/