Connecting with customers in an authentic, cultural context

Vendor Application

Cleveland Kurentovanje aims to curate a vendor village that complements the grassroots nature of this cultural event by celebrating the creativity and ingenuity of local artisans. To maintain the festival’s unique character, vendors not offering handmade goods, small-batch food items, on-site food sales, services from non-profits, or small-scale entrepreneurial products will not be accepted.

If you meet the above criteria, we invite you to participate in the 14th Cleveland Kurentovanje on Saturday, February 14, 2026 from 10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

How to Apply:

1. Read the Important Vendor Information

2. See the 2026 Vendor Fees Below

3. Fill out the Application at the bottom of this page

4. Applications will close on January 30, 2026.

Important Vendor Information for Cleveland Kurentovanje 2026

Submitting an application does not guarantee participation at the 2026 Cleveland Kurentovanje. If your application is accepted, you will be contacted by the Cleveland Kurentovanje Vendor Coordinator no later than February 2, 2026.

Table fees should be paid by February 6, 2026. Payment instructions will be provided once your application has been approved. All registration fees are non-transferable and non-refundable unless there is a government-mandated shutdown. Failure to receive full payment by February 8, 2026 can result in forfeiture of the reserved space.

Vendor Promotion:

Once accepted, each vendor is expected to share at least one social media post promoting Cleveland Kurentovanje during the week leading up to the festival.
Posts should mention your participation as a vendor and encourage attendance.
Vendors must tag Cleveland Kurentovanje in the post so we can reshare and amplify your content.

Cleveland Kurentovanje may reshare vendor posts on our official social media channels.

Specific social media handles, hashtags, and optional promotional graphics will be shared with accepted vendors closer to the event date.

Space & Tables

All vendor participants will be located in our Vendor Village, which is in the parking lot directly behind the Slovenian National Home.

All vendors will be assigned a space in advance. There is no guarantee of vendor location from year-to-year either stated or implied and no space shall be sublet. Vendor applications are non-transferable without permission of the festival organizers. Vendors may not exceed the reserved size of their booth and may not impede walkways. Any vendor using more footage than what they have purchased will be required to move their property into the allotted space or will be charged for the additional space. Vendors shall respect the space of other businesses around them, not poach customers, or do anything to impede traffic to another booth.
All Vendor Village spaces will be approximately 10’ x 10’ space and be provided with one 8ft table and 2 chairs. All other equipment must be provided by the Vendor. It is strongly suggested that vendors bring their own 10’ x 10’ pop-up tent.
Any vendor may elect to purchase and additional table rental at the cost of $10. If you would like a second table, please select this option in the application below.
Electricity may be available for vendors based on specific requests and the availability of power sources, but it is not guaranteed. If you require electricity, be sure to indicate this clearly on your application.

Day of the event

Vendors can access their space on Saturday, February 14, 2026 starting at 8am and should have their spaces prepared to kick off the day by 10am. Further instructions for load-in and parking will be provided as the event nears.
We ask all vendors to move any vehicles immediately upon unloading so that others may use the space and we can accommodate cross-traffic.
Vendors should remain in their space for the duration of the event.
Cleveland Kurentovanje strives to maintain accessible pathways throughout the Vendor Village. Vendors may not block walkways or access routes.
There will be no refunds of table fees in the event of inclement weather. The festival will occur regardless of rain, snow or temperature. We encourage vendors to plan accordingly.
At the close of the festival, please clean up the area around you and ensure that no trash is left behind. Trash receptacles will be available onsite.
Any damage to the property of Cleveland Kurentovanje, Slovenian National Home, the landscaping, grass, sidewalk, roads, parking lot, other vendors’ equipment and products, or any other items belonging to the festival and its participants will be billed to the vendor responsible for damage.
We encourage all vendors to carry liability insurance.
Cleveland Kurentovanje may take photos or record video during the festival and the likeness of any individual may be used for marketing and promotional purposes. Subjects are not eligible to receive any sort of compensation or royalties.

Food Permits

Food vendors will be located in either the open areas behind the Slovenian Museum and Archives and surrounding the Diemer Mansion, or in the main parking lot behind the Slovenian National Home complex (food trucks will be grouped there).
Food vendors are required to have their City of Cleveland food handler, health, and/or fire permits. This is inclusive of permits for propane tanks (Hazardous Substance permit). The permits should be visible in your booth area. All food vendors are required to obtain permits on your own efforts.
Cleveland Kurentovanje maintains no responsibility or liability for vendors obtaining (or neglecting to obtain) the necessary permitting for food sales.

Restrictions

Prohibited Items and Services
- Vendors may NOT promote, distribute, or sell the following items:
  - No vendor, under any circumstance, may sell or otherwise furnish open alcohol for onsite consumption or take-away (retail).
  - Drugs (even recreational), cigarettes, vapes, other tobacco products, or any related paraphernalia.
  - Guns, knives, or other weapons.
  - Fireworks or other explosives.
  - Live animals of any kind.
  - Pornography or adult media.
  - Items or media that promote any political party or political ideology.
  - Items featuring vulgar, obscene, or sexually explicit language or images.
  - Items promoting violence, bullying, or other aggressive and negative behaviors.
  - Anything illegal or illicit.
  - Items which break copyright rules or infringe upon the rights of the original creator or manufacturer.
Vendor Conduct
- The following items and behaviors are strictly prohibited by all vendors and their staff:
  - Use of obscene or vulgar images, gestures, and language.
  - No fire, firecrackers, caps, blanks, incendiary devices, or other frightening equipment.
  - Themes or behaviors exhibiting bullying, violence, or any other negative or harmful behavior.
  - Aggressive or manipulative sales practices.
  - Behavior that doesn’t exhibit civility and a spirit of community.
  - Smoking at your booth.

If you intend to sell raffle tickets, please explicitly include details of your intentions in your Vendor Application.
All sold or distributed materials must belong to the company or organization that reserved the vendor space and cannot come from a separate business or organization. Distribution of materials outside of the vendor’s assigned space is prohibited, and materials may not be affixed to any structures, trees, fixtures, etc. within the festival grounds.
All vendors are responsible for reporting sales tax to the State of Ohio.
Cleveland Kurentovanje reserves the right to immediately remove offending individuals and/or shut down any vendor who does not comply with these rules and regulations at any time during the festival. This may include forfeiture of vendor fees and disqualification from future Cleveland Kurentovanje events.

2. Vendor Fees for Cleveland Kurentovanje 2026

Category	Description	Cost
Food Trucks	Food Trucks will be located in the Slovenian National Home parking lot in a closed off area not accessible to traffic.	$250
Food Vendor	Vendors who are selling food that will be prepared for consumption onsite (i.e. sausages, pierogies, hamburgers, coffee, baked goods, etc.)	$200
Service Provider or Merchandise Vendor (Artists and Artisans)	Vendors who are selling t-shirts, jewelry, books, pet wares, novelties, etc., or consumables that are pre-packaged and not for onsite consumption (i.e. honey, spices, bags of coffee, etc.)	$85
Non-profit Organization or Service Provider	Government, Schools, 501(c)(3)s, etc.	$50