Vendors & Food Trucks

MAKERS:

APPLYING:

• Only applications from makers of Maine-made products used in serving or preparing oysters as well as products made from oyster shells, or other industry by-products, will be considered. This is not a craft fair. Vendors are meant to compliment the oysters being served by sea farms and to enhance the public’s experience with Maine oysters.
• Manufacturers of other marine-related products not meeting the criteria for vendors, might consider becoming a sponsor of The Maine Oyster Festival. Some levels include booth space.
• All applications will be evaluated by members of the event committee.
• Three photos of your work must accompany your application. These photos and the narrative description of your products on your application are the primary materials used in the jury process. Please take your time and be sure to highlight what makes you or your work special.
• Each participating maker will have a web listing including your photos, description, and links to your website and social media accounts. Each maker will also be highlighted on Visit Freeport and The Maine Oyster Festival social media accounts.
• If accepted, you may only display and sell products you make or manufacture and that are representative of those in your application materials.
• Duplication of products offered by brick & mortar stores in Freeport will likely result in instant disqualification. If you have a specific concern about this, feel free to email or call before you complete the application.
• All applicants receive an email when their application is submitted, and a second email after we review your application. If you have not received an email, please check your Spam filter and then check with us!

BOOTH SPACES & TENT REQUIREMENTS: 

• Each booth is 12′ x 12′. You may have neighbors on three sides. 
• 10′ x 10′ tents are required for all exhibitors with the exception of food trucks or trailers (see below.)
• A limited number of double spaces are available. You must request a double space at the time of application.
• The Maine Oyster Festival is a rain or shine event. You must be prepared to exhibit both days regardless of the weather.
• Festival locations and booth layouts may be impacted by extensive renovations on the L.L.Bean campus.
• Your general booth location will be confirmed along with a jury acceptance. Specific booth assignments will not be confirmed until after the May 1 payment deadline. 
• Vendors assigned to booth spaces at L.L.Bean will be required to have white tents.
• The Town of Freeport requires that all tents have a fireproof rating. Most have a small tag stating they comply with CA fire codes.
• All exhibitors must have sturdy, straight legged, professional tents. Shade structures and casual backyard tents are not sufficient for a two-day outdoor festival. Your tent is the most important tool for those doing outdoor events and should be a major investment for your business.
• Tent stakes are not permitted in any location.
• Each corner of your tent must be secured by a tent weight weighing no less than 40 pounds. Professional tent weights are required for all tents for the safety of visitors/consumers, your neighboring exhibitors’ tents & products, as well as you and your products. Milk jugs, concrete blocks, and stones are not permitted. We love this guide from the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance. It’s full of tips and hints about making your own weights and properly securing your weights.
• If a Festival representative finds that your tent is not secured appropriately you may be required to set-up and break down daily or to leave the show entirely. No refunds for anyone unprepared or underprepared. 
• Your name or business name and emergency contact phone number must be legibly displayed on the front exterior of your tent. It must be either written directly on the tent fabric or attached a label securely in the event your tent is damaged during the overnight hours.
• Electricity is not available to exhibitors. New technology means that battery operated lights and those which can run off power packs are now widely available and more affordable than ever before. Only whisper quiet generators are permitted.

DURING THE FESTIVAL:

• All exhibitors must attend both days of the Festival.
• Festival is rain or shine. No refunds are provided for inclement weather.
• Artist/maker or an agent of the artist/maker must attend exhibit space at all times. Event staff and volunteers try to provide coverage for restroom breaks, but this is not always possible.
• Visit Freeport contracts with Garbage to Garden for Festival trash removal. This is expensive! Please do not add waste from your booth to our financial burden. Take your cardboard boxes and other exhibitor related trash with you!
• Public WiFi is not readily available and cellular coverage varies greatly by carrier and location within Freeport. We recommend that you bring any devices to your exact booth location in advance to test your signal strength and reliability.
• Visit Freeport contracts with a private company to provide overnight security at each Festival location on Saturday night. For peace of mind, we recommend taking any valuable or sentimental items with you when you leave. Visit Freeport, L.L.Bean, Freeport Village Station, Town of Freeport, and other property owners are not responsible for any theft or damage.
• Unless issued a parking waiver (ADA hang tag holders, self-driving food trucks, other approved reason) all exhibitors will be required to park offsite during the Festival. A free shuttle is provided. Details will be provided with your booth assignment.
• The consumption of alcohol and the use of illegal drugs is not permitted in any of the show areas. Smoking and vaping is also not permitted within the show sites. If you must smoke or vape please exit the show area and allow at least 20 feet from any nearby business.
• L.L.Bean prohibits games of chance (raffles, etc), direct solicitation of donations, or collecting contact information from Festival goers (for instance, sign-ups for email newsletters.) This does not include collecting what is required in the course of a sale or transaction. This rule only pertains to booths in the Moose Parking Lot. Exhibitors in the Mallard Parking Lot have no restrictions.

PAYMENTS & INSURANCE: 

• Please do not send payment until you have been accepted into the show. Once accepted, you will receive payment instructions.
• DEADLINE FOR PAYMENT: In order to ensure an accurate event brochure, the deadline for payment will be May 1, 2024. If payment has not been received by this date, your space will be forfeited to a person on the waiting list.
• Cancellation Policy:
  • If you must cancel after paying for your space but before the payment deadline of May 1, 2024, Visit Freeport will refund your booth fee minus a $25 processing fee.
  • No refunds after May 1, 2024.
• Refunds are not issued to artists not satisfied with location or sales.
• No refunds are provided for inclement weather. Festival is rain or shine!
• Vendor Insurance Coverage: All vendors participating in The Maine Oyster Festival are required to have insurance coverage no less than $1M and must supply a copy of their Certificate of Insurance in advance of the festival. Vendors on the L.L.Bean campus are required to have $2M in coverage. For inexpensive, per-event event coverage, please visit https://www.actinsurance.com
• In the event that there is guidance from the State of Maine and CDC regarding SPECIAL EVENTS AND FESTIVALS and any infectious disease, any recommendations or requirements in effect at the time of the Festival will be enforced by Visit Freeport. This includes, but is not limited to, masking for participants and vendors, hand sanitizer stations, social distancing, etc.

LOGISTICS:

• Set-up time begins at 7am on Saturday and ends at 9:30am. 
• Breakdown on Sunday is to begin no earlier than 4:00pm – those who break down earlier will not be allowed back. 

FOOD TRUCKS & MOBILE EATERIES: 

APPLYING:

• In the case of food trucks or trailers, one of the three photos required with your application must be the exterior of your vehicle. The other two should be of your food!
• All applications will be evaluated by members of the event committee.
• A limited number of food trucks & mobile eateries will be accepted. Owners of these businesses should make themselves familiar with the additional permits required by the Town of Freeport and the State of Maine Department of Public Health. Visit Freeport staff will assist with the application process but all additional fees and permitting are the responsibility of the exhibitor.
• Each participating food truck or mobile eatery will have a web listing including your photos, description, and links to your website and social media accounts. Each will also be highlighted on Visit Freeport and The Maine Oyster Festival social media accounts. Please provide your menu no later than May 15 if you would like it included in social media promotions.
• All applicants receive an email when their application is submitted, and a second email after we review your application. If you have not received an email, please check your Spam filter and then check with us!

BOOTH SPACES & TENT REQUIREMENTS: 

• Please indicate the size of your set-up on your application. Standard booth spaces are 12′ x 12′ but larger spaces are available for food trucks & mobile eateries depending upon your needs and the services you will provide to Festival goers. 
• You may have neighbors on three sides. 
• Tents are required for all exhibitors with the exception of food trucks or trailers.
• The Maine Oyster Festival is a rain or shine event. You must be prepared to exhibit both days regardless of the weather.
• Your general booth location will be confirmed along with a jury acceptance. Specific booth assignments will not be confirmed until after the May 1 payment deadline. 
• Vendors located on the L.L.Bean campus will be required to sign and return a food safety agreement supplied by L.L.Bean.
• Vendors assigned to booth spaces at L.L.Bean will be required to have white tents.
• The Town of Freeport requires that all tents have a fireproof rating. Most have a small tag stating they comply with CA fire codes.
• All exhibitors must have sturdy, straight legged, professional tents. Shade structures and casual backyard tents are not sufficient for a two-day outdoor festival. Your tent is the most important tool for those doing outdoor events and should be a major investment for your business.
• Tent stakes are not permitted in any location.
• Each corner of your tent must be secured by a tent weight weighing no less than 40 pounds. Professional tent weights are required for all tents for the safety of visitors/consumers, your neighboring exhibitors’ tents & products, as well as you and your products. Milk jugs, concrete blocks, and stones are not permitted. We love this guide from the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance. It’s full of tips and hints about making your own weights and properly securing your weights.
• If a Festival representative finds that your tent is not secured appropriately you may be required to set-up and break down daily or to leave the show entirely. No refunds for anyone unprepared or underprepared. 
• Your name or business name and emergency contact phone number must be legibly displayed on the front exterior of your tent. It must be either written directly on the tent fabric or attached a label securely in the event your tent is damaged during the overnight hours.

DURING THE FESTIVAL:

• All exhibitors must attend both days of the Festival.
• Festival is rain or shine. No refunds are provided for inclement weather.
• Only participating sea farms and official festival mobile shuckers may serve raw oysters.
• Trailers must be dropped in their assigned location and the towing vehicle parked outside of the event area.
• Food trucks & mobile eateries must be self-contained and use only whisper-quiet generators. Your vehicle’s engine must be turned off during the event.
• Town of Freeport Food Truck Ordinance requires that all Food Trucks & Trailers must provide a trash bin, bags and a recycling bin for their customers.
• Visit Freeport contracts with Garbage to Garden for Festival trash removal and recycling. This is expensive! Please do not add waste from your booth to our financial burden. Take your cardboard boxes and other exhibitor related trash with you!
• We request that you only use service wares that are fully composable.
• Public WiFi is not readily available and cellular coverage varies greatly by carrier and location within Freeport. We recommend that you bring any devices to your exact booth location in advance to test your signal strength and reliability.
• Visit Freeport contracts with a private company to provide overnight security at each Festival location on Saturday night. For peace of mind, we recommend taking any valuable or sentimental items with you when you leave. Visit Freeport, L.L.Bean, Freeport Village Station, Town of Freeport, and other property owners are not responsible for any theft or damage.
• Unless issued a parking waiver (ADA hang tag holders, self-driving food trucks, other approved reason) all exhibitors will be required to park offsite during the Festival. A free shuttle is provided. Details will be provided with your booth assignment.
• The consumption of alcohol and the use of illegal drugs is not permitted in any of the show areas. Smoking and vaping is also not permitted within the show sites. If you must smoke or vape please exit the show area and allow at least 20 feet from any nearby business.
• L.L.Bean prohibits games of chance (raffles, etc), direct solicitation of donations, or collecting contact information from Festival goers (for instance, sign-ups for email newsletters.) This does not include collecting what is required in the course of a sale or transaction. This rule only pertains to booths in the Moose Parking Lot. Exhibitors in the Mallard Parking Lot have no restrictions.

PAYMENTS & INSURANCE: 

• Please do not send payment until you have been accepted into the show. Once accepted, you will receive payment instructions.
• DEADLINE FOR PAYMENT: In order to ensure an accurate event brochure, the deadline for payment will be May 1, 2024. If payment has not been received by this date, your space will be forfeited to a person on the waiting list.
• Cancellation Policy:
  • If you must cancel after paying for your space but before the payment deadline of May 1, 2024, Visit Freeport will refund your booth fee minus a $25 processing fee.
  • No refunds after May 1, 2024.
• Refunds are not issued to exhibitors not satisfied with location or sales.
• No refunds are provided for inclement weather. Festival is rain or shine!
• Vendor Insurance Coverage: All vendors participating in The Maine Oyster Festival are required to have insurance coverage no less than $1M and must supply a copy of their Certificate of Insurance in advance of the festival. Vendors on the L.L.Bean campus are required to have $2M in coverage. For inexpensive, per-event event coverage, please visit https://www.actinsurance.com
• In the event that there is guidance from the State of Maine and CDC regarding SPECIAL EVENTS AND FESTIVALS and any infectious disease, any recommendations or requirements in effect at the time of the Festival will be enforced by Visit Freeport. This includes, but is not limited to, masking for participants and vendors, hand sanitizer stations, social distancing, etc.

LOGISTICS:

• Set-up time begins at 7am on Saturday and ends at 9:30am. 
• Breakdown on Sunday is to begin no earlier than 4:00pm – those who break down earlier will not be allowed back. 

SHUCKERS:

The following set of terms have been put in place by Visit Freeport and The Maine Oyster Festival organizing committee to streamline the process by which we engage caterers, mobile shucking services, food trucks, and other mobile vendors who will be shucking raw oysters at the Festival. In 2023, more than 40,000 oysters were served in just two days! 

PLEASE NOTE: 

• Sea farms that own their own mobile shucking or catering businesses are EXEMPT from these terms and should instead register for the Festival as Sea Farms.
• Preference is given to those who commit to participate on both Saturday, June 29 from 10 am – 6 pm & Sunday, June 30 from 10 am – 4 pm.
• Let me know if anyone from your business would like to be featured in The Big Shuck Sunday, June 30 at 12 noon. Some of Maine’s fastest are going head-to-head for bragging rights, swag bags and a fun award to display.
• In order to ensure an accurate event brochure, the FINAL deadline to sign-up is May 1, 2024. 

Visit Freeport & The Maine Oyster Festival provide:

• A free booth space at the Festival (value $250). 
• A listing for your business on our website for almost a year until we start updating for 2025’s Festival and a listing in the festival brochure with your website address.
• Ticketing services and a vessel to collect redeemed tickets at your station. Tickets will be collected and tallied each day. Shuckers will be paid $2.75 for each raw oyster ticket collected. 
• Ice, also delivered to your booth daily and as needed. 
• Compostable plates, trays and picks for serving raw oysters.
• Festival mignonette, hot sauce, sliced lemons, and other condiments. 
• Power hook-up, if requested and available.
• Overnight security.  
• Trash, compost and recycling services for consumer waste including oyster shells.   
• If you operate from a trailer or food truck which requires a permit from the Town of Freeport, Visit Freeport will pay the $50 fee or if you carry an annual permit with the Town of Freeport, we will reimburse you $50 of that cost. 
• Payment will be made to shuckers within 7 days of the close of the Festival, faster if you are able to accept electronic payments. 
• A confirmation including load in details will be provided to you.  

Shuckers agree to:

• Hold a current EP-Mobile, EP-Mobile Stick Built, Catering or Temporary Event license from DHHS in good standing. 
• Carry 2M in aggregate insurance and be able to provide a COI with Visit Freeport and the owners of the site you are assigned to as additional insured.
• Provide a W9 for tax purposes. 
• Source your own Maine oysters from farms that are NOT participating in person at the Festival. A list of participating farms will be provided soon after the May 15 sign up deadline. Visit Freeport will also supply a list and contact information for farms who have expressed an interest in being on the Festival menu but who cannot attend in person. 
• Provide your own booth fixtures (tents, tables, etc) and tools. If you are using a tent, white is required. Limited power hook-ups are available. If using a generator, whisper-quiet is required. 
• Agree to collect tickets from customers when shucking/serving raw oysters. Payment terms depend upon your staff collecting these tickets and turning them over for tallying each day. 
• You may sell any other food or non-alcoholic beverage products directly to consumers allowed by your licenses. You keep 100% of this revenue.  
• Vendors on L.L.Bean property will be required to sign and return a food safety agreement supplied by L.L.Bean.
• Dispose of your own kitchen waste including packaging.
• Compostable plates and utensils for serving any other food products.
• All other supplies not otherwise indicated. 

If these terms are acceptable to you, please sign up using the form below.

Complete the short application below to get started. Please contact Margaret Hoffman with questions via email or 207-865-1212.