Arts and Crafts Vendor Application

Description

The 44th annual Steppin' Out is on Friday, Aug 1 and Saturday Aug 2, 2025 in Downtown Blacksburg.  The festival is open from 10am-10pm on both days and vendors are required to be open for the duration of the event.  The Main Stage continues until 11pm on Friday night. Vendors may close at 10pm or stay open until 11pm if preferred.

Steppin' Out is visited by 35,000-40,000 people over the two days and is consistently voted Best Community Event in the Roanoke Times and has been recognized as one of the Top Twenty events in the Southeast by the Southeast Tourism Society.

• All arts & crafts must be handmade by you.  No vendors with buy/sell merchandise will be accepted. Violators will be asked to withdraw their buy/sell wares and will forfeit participation in future festivals.
• One crafter per booth: Booths may not be sub-divided.
• Food is provided by the restaurants who are members of Downtown Blacksburg, Inc. (DBI). Limited "festival food" sales by local vendors may be permitted by festival committee. Please inquire via events@downtownblacksburg.com for prior approval to applying. No food trucks or food vendors outside of the New River Valley will be allowed to sell at Steppin’ Out.
• No vinyl transfers, appliques, or other items appearing mass produced. We are looking for unique art and crafts.
• Vendors are asked to submit photos detailing merchandise for sale. Please upload photographs of your product & your booth with your application. 

The deadline to apply is May 1, 2025.  All applications after May 1 will be wait-listed until further review.

Terms & Conditions

***First and foremost, do not apply to be a crafter if you DO NOT make your own items. Only products that are handcrafted, handmade, concept designed by you, are allowed. No second or third party sales will be considered. If you are a business located outside of downtown, you must come in as a sponsor to participate. Please reach out to Tracie at director@downtownblacksburg for information. 

***Food at this festival is offered by downtown Blacksburg restaurants that are members of DBI. Very few special considerations could be made allowing outside food vendors.

• These Terms and Conditions contain the rules, regulations, and policies of Downtown Blacksburg, Inc. (“DBI”), a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization, for all DBI sponsored festivals and events. 
• The principal contact for each organization or entity, or vendor or exhibitor who completes and signs any festival or event application will be responsible for ensuring compliance with these DBI Terms and Conditions by all staff, volunteers, and individual representatives present and participating at any festival or event on behalf of each organization or entity, or vendor or exhibitor.
• The principal contact must be present at the festival or event or if not present, available by telephone during all festival or event operational hours.  
• If the principal contact will not be present at the festival or event for any portion of the function, the principal contact shall provide to DBI the full name and contact information for a responsible person who will be present at the festival or event to respond in person to any need that should arise during the festival or event. 
• Subletting of booth spaces shall not be permitted.
• Vendors and exhibitors must vend and have their booths, tents, or spaces fully staffed and open for patrons during the entirety of each festival or event’s operating hours, regardless of weather conditions or attendance, unless the function is suspended by DBI, in its sole discretion. 
• Vendors and exhibitors may purchase up to two booth spaces at each event.   
• Vendor and exhibitor booths and spaces may be occupied and used by only the organization, entity, or individual that contracted for the booth or exhibitor space. 
• Vendor and exhibitor booths and spaces may not be subdivided or shared between separate vendors or exhibitors. 
• Vendors and exhibitors are encouraged to be environmentally conscious.  
• Vendors and exhibitors must provide their own booths, displays, tents, tables, chairs, and any other equipment and supplies needed for operational purposes. If an activity is provided for patrons, the provision of all necessary equipment and supplies is the responsibility of the vendor or exhibitor. 
• Each vendor and exhibitor is responsible for the construction, set-up, staffing, and take-down of the vendor’s booth, tent, or exhibitor spaces.
• Vendors and exhibitors must ensure that all activities and offerings, including giveaways, games, and contests, are confined to the booth or exhibitor space(s) assigned by DBI. 
• No cords, tables, stands, or displays of any type may be placed in pedestrian walkways. 
• No merchandise may be placed outside the booth or space along sidewalk areas within a festival venue or event site.   
• There is a separate $20 fee for electricity.  By paying fee for electric DOES NOT mean electric is guaranteed at your site. Each vendor is limited to 300 watts of power. The Fire Department will only allow UL approved heavy duty one-outlet extension cords or power strips with built-in cut off/breaker. 
• Vendors requiring electricity must provide their own electrical cords of sufficient length and with approved cord protectors.  Placement of cords shall be in compliance with DBI and Fire Department requirements. 
• Food and beverage vendors must have fire extinguishers with current inspection certificates. All health permits, permit receipts, and inspection certificates must be included in vendor application by May 1, 2025.
• Food and beverage vendors using propane and compressed gas cylinders must have such tanks or cylinders secured to the vendor’s facilities in an upright position. 
• No sound systems, speakers, or amplifiers are allowed for product sales or demonstration. 
• Generators are not permitted other than as approved in advance for food and beverage vendors.  
• Food and beverage vendors requiring the use of disposable containers are encouraged to use products that are bio-based, made of recycled-content, compostable, or recyclable. DBI will provide recycling/composting stations throughout the festival or event area and display signage at your booth to remind customers to use those facilities. Styrofoam products are strongly discouraged.   
• DBI does not provide parking spaces or parking passes for any organization or entity, or any of their staff, volunteers or participating individuals, during any festival. 
• Vendors and exhibitors may sell or give away only merchandise, goods, or services ordinarily available in or offered through their businesses. All arts and crafts must be handmade by vendors.  Commercially produced buy/sell merchandise will not be accepted or allowed. Violators will be asked to withdraw their buy/sell wares and will forfeit participation in future festivals. 
• Vendors or exhibitors offering giveaways, raffles, games, or contests must secure approval from DBI in advance with their application and shall be solely responsible for ensuring that such giveaways, raffles, games or contests are in compliance with all applicable laws.  APPROVAL BY DBI FOR INCLUSION OF THE GIVE-AWAY, RAFFLE, GAME OR CONTEST IS NOT A STATEMENT ON COMPLIANCE WITH LAW. 
• No political promotions or endorsements are permitted. 
• Food and beverages may be provided only by approved food and beverage vendors who also are members of DBI and only from designated vendor booths, tents or spaces.  No outside food vendors will be accepted. 
• Vendors and exhibitors are solely responsible for determining and paying applicable sales tax on goods sold. 
• Vendors and exhibitors are solely responsible for ensuring that their goods and merchandise sold do not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of third parties and assume any and all liability for the same.   
• The following items are prohibited at all times within a festival venue or event site:  
  • Illegal drugs, drug paraphernalia, or other controlled substances prohibited by federal or state law within Virginia.  Any prescription medications must match the name of the prescription holder’s legal ID card. 
  • Smoking or vaping, except within designated smoking areas. 
  • Weapons of any kind.
  • Fireworks of any kind or size. 
  • Glass bottles or containers of any kind. 
  • Alcohol, except that provided by approved festival vendors within designated areas. 
  • Unlicensed vending. 
  • Open fire or flames, other than as provided by approved festival vendors within designated areas. 
  • Propane tanks or cylinders greater than one pound other than for designated food and beverage vendors.
  • Paper Lanterns (aka Peace Lanterns, Sky Lanterns, or other floating lanterns). 
  • Helium or other pressurized gas tanks, other than as approved for food and beverage vendors.  
  • Generators, other than as approved for food and beverage vendors. 
  • Totems, flags or signs mounted on any stick, board, pipe, or other structure that are not part of a booth set up approved in advance by DBI. 
  • Helium balloons. 
  • Offensive Items — DBI reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to prohibit the display, use, sale or exhibition of any item that DBI deems to be offensive or has the effect of disparaging or discriminating against anyone on the basis of race, color, nation origin, sex, religion, age, or sexual orientation.   
• All festival sponsors, participants, vendors, exhibitors, and attendees must comply with all federal, state and local laws, ordinances and regulations at all times. 
• Vendors and exhibitors are individually responsible for ensuring and maintaining compliance with Health Department and Fire Marshall rules and regulations applicable to their booths, products, and services. 
• Vendors and exhibitors are individually responsible for ensuring that they are properly licensed and permitted by law to offer the goods, services, and/or giveaways offered or promoted at the festival or event. 
• DBI reserves the right to refuse any application for festival or event sponsorship or participation at any time for any reason.  If such refusal is made upon the application itself, a full refund of any fee or amount paid for the festival for which refusal is made will be given.  
• DBI is not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged goods, injuries to persons, and does not provide any guarantee or insurance against the risk of loss, damage, or injury to person or property. 
• The DBI website will be used to list festival policy updates, festival information, and promotions.  
• The principal contact for each organization or entity shall ensure, and by signing below attests to DBI, that all representatives, staff and volunteers of such organization who will be present on the festival site will have read and agreed to these DBI Festival Terms and Conditions. 
• DBI reserves the right, at all times and in the sole and absolute discretion of DBI management or festival event organizers, either to deny any person – including attendees, sponsors, vendors, exhibitors or participants entry into, or to eject any such person from, a festival venue and/or event site for violation of any DBI Festival Terms and Conditions, in which case no refund or any amounts paid by such person or organization shall be given. 
• These DBI Festival and Event Terms and Conditions may be updated or modified from time to time, with or without notice, posted on DBI’s website, and maintained at all festival administrative tents or booths. 
• Sponsor and Participant fees are non-refundable once applications are approved by the DBI Festival Committee.  
• Sponsors, vendors, exhibitors, and Community Partners, and all of their agents, representatives, and volunteers shall hold harmless, indemnify, and defend DBI, and its agents, employees, and representatives, from and against any and all claims, costs, and potential liabilities, including attorneys’ fees, arising from the participation, conduct, or affairs of the sponsor, vendor, or exhibitor at any DBI festival or event.