Clone of Craft Vendor APPLICATION

Food Vendor APPLICATION

In October of 2026, Oktoberfest will celebrate its 39th year in Downtown Hickory. This festival celebrates Hickory’s German heritage. It attracts approximately 60,000 people over the span of 2 & 1/2 days. We are excited you are considering joining us!
HICKORY’S OKTOBERFEST • October 9th, 10th, and 11th, 2026

Festival Vending Hours:

Friday, October 9th: Noon - 11pm
Saturday, October 10th: 10am - 11pm
Sunday, October 11th: noon - 5pm

We have 3 types of food vendors! You will be selecting one of the categories below. All fees must be paid in advance of the festival. Please make sure you have all the necessary permits to serve food in Catawba County and that you have accurately measured the linear feet you will need. We have strict guidelines from the fire department about spacing between vendors who are cooking.

If you are accepted as a Vendor, you must open promptly and remain open and serving customers for the entire festival. You may not close or leave early.

Final Application Deadline: Monday, July 13th, 2026.

If accepted, you will be emailed with cost of participation in Hickory’s Oktoberfest 2026.

Notifications of Acceptance and Fees will be sent out (via email) on or before Friday, August 14th.

All Vendor fees must be paid online and received no later than 5pm on September 11th, 2026.

Late Application Deadline: By Friday, September 4th, 2026. Additional fees will be assessed. Full payment due by Friday, September 11th.

If accepted, you will be emailed with cost of participation in Hickory’s Oktoberfest 2026.

Vendor logistical details will be emailed out promptly upon acceptance

Our email is info@downtownhickory.com
Festival Guidelines

Click here to read the Festival Guidelines
I acknowledge that I've read the Festival Guidelines and agree to all the terms and conditions within. Please acknowledge this statement by clicking "I Agree" below.
Business Info
Business Name*
Non-Profit BusinessFor Profit Business
Federal Tax Number *
Booth Name (Please list the name that will appear on your booth signage.)*
Contact Info
Contact Name*
Email Address*
I agree
Work Phone*
Format: (000) 000-0000.
Cell Phone*
Format: (000) 000-0000.
Best Days & Times To Call*
Mailing Address*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code
Website
Business website
Facebook
Business Facebook Link
Onsite Manager Contact Info

This information is only required if different from above
Onsite Contact Full Name*

First NameLast Name
Onsite Contact Phone*
Format: (000) 000-0000.
Food - Menu List

We are a German festival and priority will be given to vendors providing food with clear German heritage. We attract approximately 60,000 participants over the course of 2 1⁄2 days so you must be prepared for a high volume event. Please take careful note that you will not be allowed to close early, leave early or stop serving at any point during the event.
Please list ALL items you wish to sell. Please include the price range for each item (PRICE MIN & PRICE MAX).Additions or changes are strongly discouraged after application is submitted and must be approved in advance of the festival. Please see food vendor guidelines.
Examples:

Hamburger: $3.00 - $4.00
Hotdog: $2.50
Fries: $2.00 - $3.00
Upload Menu price if you have it in a digital format below or list items in the area below.
Menu List and Pricing
Upload Digital Menu Prices (MS-Word, PDF)*

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Food - Handcrafted Beverage List & Pricing

All vendors who wish to sell beverages (including bottled water) must sell Pepsi products, UNLESS the Festival deems the vendor’s handcrafted drink is a specialty beverage (e.g. lemonade, snow cones, etc.) Please include the price range for each item (PRICE MIN & PRICE MAX)
Examples:

Cherry Lemonade: $3 - $5
Snow Cone: $2.50
Handcrafted Beverage List and Pricing*
Upload Beverage List (MS-Word, PDF)*

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Food - Specialty

Please describe thoroughly - this is your time to get us excited about what you do! What do you do really well? What is your specialty? What do people rave about? What items make you stand out from other operations like yours?
List your Food Specialty*
Food Vending Experience

Please list your Previous Festival/Event Vending experiences. We require sincere experience so please be thorough. Include the name, location, year, estimated attendance, and estimated crowd size.
Examples:

1) NC State Fair / Raleigh, NC / 2017 / 1,000,000
2) Hickory Oktoberfest / Hickory. NC / 2016 / 90,000
3) National Folk Festival / Salisbury, MD / 2018 / 150,000
1. Please list your Previous Festival/Event Vending experiences.*
2. Oktoberfest can draw approximately 60,000 people over 2½ days. At peak times, how many entrees can your operation serve in a one-hour period? *
Peak Capacity
3. How many people would be working on site*
People Working On Site
4. In your operation, what is the typical time from when an order is taken to when that order is served? *
Typical Time
Food - Service and Size Specifications
Multi-Item Food VendorFood TruckOne Item Food Vendor
Food vendor space is allocated by the frontage foot. Standard booth spaces are 10 frontage feet and 20 frontage feet. Standard vendor spaces are 12’ deep. For food trucks, the frontage foot allocation is based on the bumper to bumper length. For trailers, frontage foot allocation is the total length including tongue.

Please make sure you measure accurately. If you arrive needing more frontage feet, we may not be able to accommodate you based on the space required between each food vendor by the Fire Department.

Unique space requirements? Contact us at:info@downtownhickory.com
1. How many feet long is the front of your space, as measured on the side from which you serve? (Remember: Trucks – measure from bumper to bumper. Trailers – measure from back of trailer to nose of hitch). List length in feet.*
Space Length
2. What side of the trailer or truck do you serve from? (if applicable)*
Side Served From
3. Do you have an awning or condiment table that extends beyond your serving line? If yes, please describe thoroughly. *
Awning or Table Beyond Serving Area
Food - Electricity

No charge for electrical hookup. We include one 20 Amp, 110 VAC connection. 220 Volt and 50 AMP set ups are extremely limited. Please let us know exactly what you need. All vendors must supply their own 3 prong #10 or #12 power cords. Please don’t show up with a #16 or #14 cord or one not in good repair, the inspector will not let you hook up in this case. Plan NOT to use quartz lights. This will ensure we have enough electrical capacity for everyone.
How many 20 amp lines will your operation require? Do you require 220 Volt or 50 Amp? Please be specific.*
Number of Lines & Type
Food - Water
YesNo
Food - Ice
YesNo
Food - Additional Information
Is there any additional information about your business and/or product that you would like the review committee to know? *
Awning or Table Beyond Number of Lines & Type
Food - Disclaimer
Disclaimer: I agree to abide by the 2026 Food Vendor Application Guidelines and all policies and guidelines developed by Hickory's Oktoberfest Festival planning committee. Further, I understand that failure to follow these regulations can mean expulsion from this year's or future Festivals.

I hereby release and agree to hold harmless all indemnified parties from any damage to my property or any personal injury which I or my helpers may sustain while participating in the Hickory's Oktoberfest Festival October 9th, 10th and 11th, 2026.

Confirm the above by typing your full name and date in the spaces below.

QUESTIONS? CONTACT US AT: info@downtownhickory.com
Name*

First NameLast Name
Date*

MonthDayYear
Date
Certificate of Insurance
If accepted as a Vendor for Oktoberfest, we will need a certificate of insurance provided to Oktoberfest producers, Hickory Downtown Development Association, within two weeks of acceptance. The Certificate of Insurance must name:

HDDA Oktoberfest 2026 - as additionally insured.

If you have the certificate of Insurance in digital format, you can email it to: info@downtownhickory.com

or mail to:

Hickory Oktoberfest
PO Box 9086
Hickory, NC 28603

You will not be allowed to set up if we have not received a copy of your certificate of insurance.

All Food Vendors attending Oktoberfest will need to complete an Application for Temporary Food Establishment Permit and submit the paperwork and fees. Please make sure they have time to arrive through the mail at least two weeks prior to the festival, by September 25th. Note: inspections can be booked for opening day of Oktoberfest. If done ahead of time please send a copy of passed inspection to the Food Vendor Coordinator, Lance lriddile@hickorync.gov The links below are for your convenience.

Catawba County Temporary Food Establishment Requirements

Application for Temporary Food Establishment Permit required for each booth in Catawba County.
If accepted, you will be emailed with cost of participation in Hickory’s Oktoberfest 2026.
Should be Empty:

Food Vendor APPLICATION

Onsite Manager Contact Info

Food - Menu List

Food - Handcrafted Beverage List & Pricing

Food - Specialty

Food Vending Experience

Food - Service and Size Specifications

Food - Electricity

Food - Water

Food - Ice

Food - Additional Information

Food - Disclaimer

Certificate of Insurance