Become a Vendor at the Farmer’s Market

Q: What are the dates, hours and location of the South Pearl Street Farmers Market?

A:1400 + 1500 blocks of South Pearl Street (between Iowa and Arkansas)
Sundays, May 9, 2021 – November 14, 2021
9am–1pm

Q: How do you choose your Farmers Market vendors?

The selection process takes into consideration many factors including product quality, sourcing, growing practices, presentation, seniority, safety, compliance, grandfathered vendors, customer service and the right product mix to ensure a successful market for everyone.

Q: Do you close during inclement weather?

Our market is open rain, snow or shine and all holidays. We will only cancel during EXTREME weather conditions. We ask that you check our Facebook Page and/or your email for weather updates.

Q: What is the Denver Tax Rate?

The Denver Tax Rate is 3.65%

Q: Can I come to your market and pass out flyers to promote my new business/non-profit organization/charity event?

We wish to provide market customers with a relaxing and enjoyable experience where they can stroll through the market and interact with the market vendors. NO solicitors or distribution/marketing of non-approved products are allowed at our markets. This includes signature gathering for petitions and voter sign-up.

Q: I do not sell a product. Can I set up a booth at your market?

Our market focuses on food and food related items. Informational vendors are not accepted into any of the markets.

Q: I’ve seen booths set up at your market for items that are not on your vendor list or you’ve said you don’t allow in the market. Can you explain?

In order to support the community, the merchants on the street and the Merchant/Neighborhood Associations, we allow brick and mortar stores on the market streets to set up booths and sell their goods at the market. Therefore, you may see a few items that are not on our list. We also have a handful of wonderful “grandfathered” vendors that have been at the Market longer than HobNob has been managing it!

Q: How do I know if I am a good fit for your market?

First and foremost our Farmers Market focuses on providing fresh and wholesome local food and food related products. We also strive to support the communities and surrounding brick and mortar businesses, by having vendors that complement their businesses, but do not directly compete. Please see below.

Our Market is a producers’ market, interested in showcasing locally grown and artisan-quality, locally/directly sourced and produced foods and will not accept the following items at the markets:

• • Crafts outside of businesses on the street
  • Overly processed foods
  • Nationally distributed packaged foods
  • Businesses that operate under a franchise agreement
  • Food items not grown and/or processed by the vendor (there are a few exceptions to this)
  • Farmers, growers, ranchers and fishers may be asked to go through a phone interview or site visit before final acceptance
  • Hand Crafted Items/Jewelry

Crafted items and Jewelry are ONLY ALLOWED on a VERY limited basis and only at certain markets. Jewelry and Craft items are NOT ALLOWED at the South Pearl Street Market, there will be no exceptions.

Additional Vendor Categories Accepted:

• • Flowers and Plants
  • Pets
  • Bath and Body
  • Green Vendor

Farmers:
Farm products that can be sold at the market include vegetables, fruits, berries, herbs, flowers, plants, honey, seafood, meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products.

Ready to Eat Food, Beverages and Drinks:
All prepared food vendors must show appropriate Health Department certification to the Market Manager. These permits must be displayed in public view during Market hours. All prepared food processor equipment/trailers must comply with Denver County Health Department regulations.

Baked Goods and Other food items:
Our markets accept certain value added items which are grown and/or made by the vendor such as baked goods, preserves, cheese, sausage, and smoked meats. All processed foods must be appropriately labeled with product name, ingredients, net weight, price, vendor’s name and address. We encourage sampling of your products to our patrons. The Colorado Cottage Foods Law: Passed in 2012 allows for the manufacture and sale of some baked goods without any licensing or regulatory requirements. See this link for more information under the “Guidance on Colorado Cottage Foods Bill” heading. Operating under this law will have a number of requirements that must be adhered to, including education requirements and a cap on the amount of revenue generated. Also these foods can only be sold retail—not wholesale. In order to operate under this law at a temporary event, a vendor must have all their food prepackaged (no open food handling at the event) and labeled according to the requirements in the law (see the link for more info).

Q: What are the seasonal fees?

The South Pearl Street Farmers Market charges a season fee, plus collects 10% of daily gross sales at the end of each market day. There is an additional fee if you need electricity, which is available on a limited basis.
$200 full season, standard size (10×10) plus 10% of daily gross sales
$255 full season, 10×20, plus 10% of daily gross sales
$255 full season, 10×30, plus 10% of daily gross sales (available for Farmers ONLY)
$75 full season, electrical (light poles have been updated!)
$30 drop in fee plus 10% of daily gross sales
$10 Non Profit daily fee + 10% daily gross sales
SPSA Members: no seasonal fee, but 10% of daily gross sales applies

Q: If I have a 10×10 tent but need room on the sides of my booth for patrons to shop, am I considered oversized?

Yes, you are. Please mark that request on the application. If space is available we will do our best to accommodate you. If it is a necessity to your selling, you will be considered an oversized booth.

Q: I want to apply to be a vendor but the deadline has passed, can I still apply? Do you have space available?

We accept Farmer Market applications year-round. After the February 15th deadline has passed, we look at applications on a monthly basis and accept new vendors based on space availability and need. If the deadline has passed, we encourage you to still apply as there are times when an accepted vendor must drop out and we will then reach out to our wait list or newly applied vendors to fill any space that may become available.

Q: I have been accepted to be a vendor at another market managed by HobNob. Can I get a discount on the fees?

Vendor fees do not go to HobNob, they go to the neighborhood association or sponsoring organization, therefore we cannot offer any discounts for participation in multiple markets or events. A neighborhood association owns each market that we operate and the role of HobNob Events is to support and coordinate the markets to ensure an enjoyable experience for everyone. The mission of the market is to raise money for each individual neighborhood association so that they can utilize funds for local improvement projects.

Q: I’m interested in being a vendor at one of your Markets or Specialty Fair at the Market (Health Fest, Pet Fair, Flea Market, etc.). What is the process?

All Market applications must be filled out online. Specialty Fairs have their own applications which can be found under each event listing.

Q: How do I obtain a temporary retail food license?

To obtain a temporary retail food license, you must:

1. Complete an Affidavit of Commissary. A commissary kitchen is a licensed, inspected commercial kitchen that is used for food and equipment storage, food preparation, and ware-washing. The affidavit of commissary must be completed by you in conjunction with the commissary operator. If your commissary kitchen is outside the City and County of Denver, the establishment must be currently licensed with the proper regulatory agency.
2. Complete the Temporary Restaurant Acknowledgement Letter. This letter specifies requirements pertaining to the operation of your temporary restaurant. Please be aware that in addition to the requirements outlined in the acknowledgement letter, the temporary restaurant shall operate within the rules and regulations of the City and County of Denver Food Establishment Regulations.
3. Submit the completed forms to the Denver Department of Environmental Health, Public Health Inspection at 200 W. 14th Ave, Suite 200 via fax at 720-865-5532 or via email at phicomments@denvergov.org. After review of both documents, an approved Affidavit of Commissary and a copy of the acknowledgement letter will be returned to the operator. A copy of both documents will be kept on file at the Denver Department of Environmental Health.
4. Submit the approved Affidavit of Commissary to the Denver Department of Excise & Licenses, located on the 2nd floor at the Wellington Webb Building at 201 W. Colfax Avenue, to obtain a Temporary Restaurant License.

For more information on temporary restaurant licenses please visit: Temporary Restaurant License Application

Q: I do not have any photos of my booth to upload for the application, what should I do?

Take some nice photos of your product(s).

Q: How do I apply to be a vendor at a South Pearl Street Festival?

Festivals all have their own application and deadlines. Please check the HobNob website for both. If the deadline for a Festival has passed, we encourage you to still apply as there are times when an accepted vendor must drop out (sometimes at the last minute) and we will then reach out to our wait list or newly applied vendors. If you would like to have HobNob Events help with your event please contact Nicole via Email at Nicole@HobNobEvents.com or by phone at 303.734.0718.

We often get asked to elaborate on what makes for a great application, so we thought it would be helpful to pass along some of our top tips:

Follow Directions

This may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many applicants don’t do this. Please read through the application carefully, supply all of the required information, and if you need clarification, feel free to look at the Policies and Procedures and/or FAQs for answers prior to emailing us requests. Emailing doesn’t always get you the quickest answer – we receive over 500 applications and you can imagine how that affects our inbox!

Be Sure All Credit Card Information On Your Application Is Correct And Current!

Select Photos Carefully

Since we receive many more applications that we have spaces, the photos will be one of the primary ways to gauge the quality and range of your items and how they fit with the overall aesthetic of the Market. Please send in simply composed, clear, well-lit photos with plain back grounds which let your products shines. Natural light often works best. iPhone photos can work just fine as long as they are focused and well-lit.

Don’t forget to include a clear booth shot or a vignette created for the application; applications without them will not be reviewed. How your inventory is presented and your tents styled – or proposed to be styled – is a very important consideration. We want to see how you will set up your “shop for the day” and strive to create an atmosphere where the vendor tents are creative, carefully styled, and unique in presentation.

The most successful vendors and applicants have a strong visual “voice” or “look” and a clear focus in their items. This also includes the smaller but equally important details like packaging, both presentation, signage, website, etc. Authenticity to your work is also very important: be yourself and let your own individual creative voice shine through.

Keep Up To Date

Again, this may sound obvious, but if you are going to include links to your website or other shop pages, please be sure they are current, easy to navigate and have a good number of your items shown. Although these pages are not the primary means to evaluate your application, they can be considered as complement to your work beyond the submitted photos and can further help to tell your brand story.

Demonstrate Growth And Evolution If You Are A Returning Vendor

Vendors who have participated before and are most likely to be selected again are those who are continually evolving their product line. For example, continuing to evolve display and merchandising, adding new products/keeping inventory fresh, tweaking designs, etc. Ultimately this will help to keep things fresh and interesting which will not only benefit the Market, but it will benefit YOU as a seller!

Differentiate

We encourage all applicants to demonstrate in their photos and descriptions how their products stand out uniquely. This will be especially important in categories where we are heavily oversubscribed (jams? or sauces/salsas?). We encourage you to stay on top of your competition and show/tell us what makes you different in your application.

Show Commitment To Your Business

Investing the time to set up and manage a professional looking website (and/or Facebook page, etc) and in putting together professional looking signage, packaging, and booth setups shows us that you are putting the time and energy into the business versus dabbling as a hobbyist/passing time. We also really appreciate applicants who are active on social media and understand the importance of these marketing tools to help promote your events and your business as well as the Market.

A Word On Conduct And Burning Bridges

Maintaining a professional tone in your communication – and at the Market itself is incredibly important. If you have badmouthed the Market publicly after not being accepted or have sent unkind or angry emails regarding your status (yes, this happens!), you should probably think deep about applying again.

Similarly, if you are a returning vendor, you are expected to have read and to adhered to the vendor Policies and Procedures (or any other communication from the Market) and to have resolved any issues professionally, cooperatively, and reasonably with Market staff, your fellow vendors and customers.

KINDNESS, respect and being gracious matter. A lot. We work very hard to maintain a positive, professional, and collaborative vibe at our Markets and we want to continue to have vendors who will do the same.

You don’t like to work with mean people, nor do we!

If At First You Don’t Succeed . . .

And finally, if you are not accepted, we truly hope you won’t be discouraged from trying again. Try to attend some of the Markets throughout the season to “feel” the Market vibe. Get a sense of your friendly market “competition”. We absolutely accept vendors who have applied more than once, but can also say that they are typically ones who demonstrate progression in their work, a commitment to business, AND a positive and professional attitude in communicating with us.

A Final, Personal Note . . .

As you can imagine, the evaluation process is quite difficult and it is certainly not perfect. Difficult choices often have to be made between very qualified vendors due to the simple constraints of space, desire for variety, and a commitment to allowing opportunities for new vendors to participate.

The evaluation process is accomplished thru many, many hours and thoughtful efforts as well as an unwavering commitment to creating the best experience for our customers AND vendors. The ongoing management and promotion of the Market and vendors (who are its heart and soul) is our full time job and one that we do with a great deal of passion and commitment. We review each and every application in detail, check websites, dig as deeply as we can when need be.

We are incredibly thankful for the support we receive from the community and vendors and feel very fortunate to spend our time doing something we truly love and are totally committed to.

It’s always humbling and an honor to review the applications. We recognize and appreciate all of the hard work and efforts put into your businesses.

Thank you for taking the time to read thru all of this information. We wish you the best of luck in all of your creative endeavors!

Warmly,
Nicole and Marilyn
Market Directors

The Market Manager and the individual market committees select vendors annually. Selection will be based on product quality, sourcing, growing practices, presentation, seniority, safety, compliance, grandfathered vendors, customer service and the right product mix to ensure a successful market for everyone. No vendor will have guaranteed return rights to the Market from season to season or from Market to Market. The Market generally does not offer exclusive rights to vendors to sell any one product. Market customers generally benefit from having a choice. However, if the Market Manager believes the number of vendors offering the same or similar products is excessive, duplicate products may be denied entry.

When filling out the application, please give examples of where you source (or plan to source) your ingredients, listing the names of farms or other local-direct sources where possible.

After entry deadlines, new applications will be reviewed on a monthly basis.

The South Pearl Street Farmers Market is one of several vibrant Farmers Markets managed by HobNob Events. HobNob proudly serves as a small business incubator for the many wonderful farms and local vendors our area has to offer. Every vendor is carefully screened with a commitment to creating a diverse marketplace with the highest quality of locally produced products available.

The Farmers Markets produced by HobNob Events strive to support and enhance the surrounding communities by providing a Farmers Market experience where a great variety of fresh and wholesome products are available. We believe it is important to support our local community, therefore, all products must be grown, raised, produced or gathered by the vendor in the State of Colorado or in counties bordering the State of Colorado (although rare, a few exceptions may apply).

These Markets reserve unconditional discretion to accept or refuse anyone as a market vendor, the selection process takes into consideration many factors including product quality, sourcing, growing practices, presentation, seniority, safety, compliance, grandfathered vendors, customer service and the right product mix to ensure a successful market for everyone.

Supporting Documents will be checked on the first day of each market, you do not need to include them with your online application.
The following documents are required (please note, not all documents apply to all vendor types, check with the Denver Permitting department if you have any questions):

• • State Sales Tax License
  • City of Denver Sales Tax License
  • Temporary Retail Food License (if needed)
  • Fire Permit (if needed)
  • Liability Insurance
  • Certificates of Insurance additionally insuring: SPS Merchant Association and HobNob Events & festivals

(All vendors are required to obtain general liability insurance. Please name the South Pearl Street Farmers Market as additionally insured. HobNob Events and the South Pearl Street Farmers Market are not responsible for any loss or damage incurred or caused by vendors.)

Please refer to the Market Policies and Procedures for more information.