Welcome to Carolina BalloonFest 2026!

Thank you for your interest in participating as a Vendor at the 2026 Carolina BalloonFest, taking place October 16–18, 2026, at Statesville Regional Airport in Statesville, North Carolina.

Carolina BalloonFest is one of the Southeast’s premier hot air balloon festivals and a major tourism driver for Iredell County. Each year, tens of thousands of visitors travel to Statesville to experience a weekend filled with hot air balloons, live entertainment, artisan shopping, food and beverage experiences, family activities, and community celebration.

The 2026 Carolina BalloonFest welcomed approximately 40,000 attendees from 47 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico and generated more than $4.1 million in economic impact for the local BalloonFest attracts a highly engaged and desirable consumer audience:

• 91% of attendees are primary or shared household purchasing decision-makers
• 68% report household incomes exceeding $80,000 annually
• 60% hold a bachelor’s degree or higher
• 73% traveled to Iredell County specifically because of Carolina BalloonFest
• 92% report being satisfied or very satisfied with their festival experience

Held on a scenic 35-acre venue at Statesville Regional Airport, Carolina BalloonFest features more than 50 hot air balloons, spectacular morning launches, evening Balloon Glows and Drone shows, live entertainment, shopping opportunities throughout the Artisan Village, Marketplace, and Corporate Row, a Kids Zone, and a wide variety of food and beverage offerings that encourage attendess to explore and engage throughout the festival.

As a nonprofit organization, Carolina BalloonFest has contributed more than $1.15 million to local charitable organizations over the past decade and distributed an additional $125,000 from the 2026 event to support local nonprofits and community programs.

Whether you are introducing a new product, growing brand awareness, generating sales, or engaging directly with consumers, Carolina BalloonFest provides a unique opportunity to connect with thousands of enthusiastic attendees throughout an unforgettable festival weekend.

Why Exhibit at Carolina BalloonFest?

Participating in Carolina BalloonFest offers vendors the opportunity to:

• Reach approximately 40,000 attendees over three days
• Connect with visitors from all across the United States
• Engage with affluent consumers, with 68% reporting household incomes above $80,000
• Market directly to household purchasing decision-makers (91% of attendees)
• Showcase products and services in a highly rated event environment with 92% attendee satisfaction
• Benefit from exposure to visitors who specifically travel to the region for BalloonFest
• Build relationships with families, retirees, professionals, and tourists from across the Southeast
• Support a nonprofit organization that has contributed more than $1.15 million to local charities over the past decade

Thank you for your interest in Carolina BalloonFest! We look forward to reviewing your application and potentially welcoming you as part of the 2026 festival experience.

Vendor Categories

Artisan Village

The Artisan Village is a juried marketplace featuring artists, makers, and craftspeople who create original, handmade products.  Artisan vendors should be directly involved in the design and creation of the items they sell.

Examples include:

• Fine art and paintings
• Pottery and ceramics
• Handmade jewelry
• Woodworking
• Fiber arts and textiles
• Glass art
• Handmade home decor
• Photography
• Specialty handcrafted products

Preference is given to vendors offering unique, original, handcrafted items that are not widely available through traditional retail channels.

Commercially manufactured products, resale merchandise, and corporate marketing exhibits do not qualify for Artisan Village placement.

Marketplace Vendors

The Marketplace is designed for independent retailers, specialty merchants, direct-sales businesses, and small businesses selling products directly to festival attendees.

Marketplace vendors typically focus on retail sales and customer engagement rather than brand promotion alone.

Examples include:

• Boutique retailers
• Specialty food products
• Gourmet and packaged foods
• Home decor retailers
• Clothing and accessories
• Specialty gift items
• Books and educational products
• Direct-sales businesses (MLM)
• Small businesses selling commercial products

Marketplace vendors are expected to offer products available for immediate purchase and take-home by festival attendees.

Corporate Exhibitors

Corporate exhibitors are businesses, organizations, institutions, and sponsors primarily focused on brand awareness, lead generation, customer acquisition, community outreach, product demonstrations, or service promotion.

Corporate exhibitors may sell products or services but are not required to have retail inventory available for purchase.

Examples include:

• Financial institutions
• Insurance agencies
• Automotive dealerships
• Home improvement companies
• Healthcare providers
• Colleges and universities 
• Tourism organizations
• Utilities and telecommunications companies
• Real estate agencies
• Government agencies
• Event sponsors

Corporate exhibitors are encouraged to create interactive displays, demonstrations, giveaways, contests, and experiences that engage festival attendees.

Placement Determination

Carolina BalloonFest reserves the right to determine the appropriate category and placement for all applicants.  Placement decisions are based on product type, exhibitor objectives, overall event balance, sponsorship relationships, space availability, and the goal of providing attendess with a diverse and high-quality festival experience.

Submission of an application does not guarantee acceptance into a specific category or location.

 

 

Booth Space 

• Standard booth spaces measure 10' x 10'
• Multiple spaces may be purchased, subject to availability.
• Booth assignments are determined by festival management.
• Vendors must provide their own tents, tables, chairs, displays, and equipment.
• All tents must be secured with a minimum of 40 pounds per corner. Stakes are not permitted.
• Vendors are strongly encouraged to lower tent canopies overnight.

Electricity

• Limited generator-powered electrical service is available for an additional fee of $50
• Electrical requests are assigned based on availability and are not guaranteed 
• Electrical needs must be specified on application
• Vendors may bring their own quiet generators rated below 60dB

Vendor Hours & Set-Up

Vendors must remain open and staffed during all required operating hours.  

Late arrivals, early departures, unauthorized breakdowns during festival hours, or unauthortized vehicle access may result in removal from the event and denial of participation in future events.

Thursday, October 15, 2026

Vendor Setup: 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM

 

Friday, October 16, 2026

Vendor Setup: 7:00 AM – 12:30 PM

• All vendor vehicles must be removed from the festival grounds and in designated parking areas by 1:30 PM

Festival Hours: 3:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Required operating hours: 3:00 PM - 6:30 PM

Saturday, October 17, 2026

Festival Hours: 6:30 AM - 8:30 PM

Required operating hours: 8:30 AM – 6:30 PM

• Vehicles must be off festival grounds by 8:00 AM

Sunday, October 18, 2026

Festival Hours: 6:30 AM - 6:00 PM

Required operating hours: 8:30 PM - 4:30 PM

• Vehicles must be off festival grounds by 8:00 AM

Breakdown

• Breakdown may begin only after festival closing on Sunday
• All booths must be removed between 4:30 PM and 8:00 PM Sunday
• Vendors are responsible for leaving their space clean and removing all trash

 

Product & Display Requirements

Vendors are responsible for maintaining a professional, clean, and attactive booth throughout the event.

• Products and services must be family-friendly and consistent with the festival atmosphere
• Vendors may only display and sell products approved through the application process
• Booth sharing, subleasing, transferring, or reselling space is prohibited
• Vendors may not expand beyond their assigned spaced without written approval
• Carolina BalloonFest reserves the right to remove any product, display or activity deemed inappropriate or inconsistent with event standards
• Solicitation outside of assigned booth space is prohibited

Insurance Requirements

All approved vednors must provide a Certificate of Insurance no later than August 31, 2026 showing:

• Commercial General Liability Coverage of at least $1,000,000 per occurence
• National Balloon Rally Charities, Inc. d/b/a Carolina BalloonFest listed as Additional Insured
• Coverage effective for all dates the vendor is onsite, including setup and breakdown
• Insurance carrier rated A- or better by AM Best

Failure to provide proof of insurance by the deadline may result in forfeiture of booth space without refund.

ADDRESS:

National Balloon Rally Charities, Inc., DBA Carolina BalloonFest
PO Box 267
Statesville, NC 28687

 

Vendor Credentials & Parking

For each rented booth space, vendors will receive:

• Four (4) weekend vendor wristbands
• One (1) on-field vendor parking pass
• Two (2) off-site parking passes

Each additional booth space includes:

• Two (2) additional vendor wristbands

Additional wristbands may be purchased for $10 each.

Important Notes

• No pets are permitted on festival grounds
• No overnight parking is permitted on-site
• Limited RV camping is available separately through the festival
• Vendors are responsible for distributing wristbands and parking passes to their staff before arrival
• There is no vendor will-call after Friday setup

Event Dates: October 16-18, 2026

Application Deadline: August 15, 2026

Notification of Acceptance by: August 31, 2026

 

Artisan Village: $350 (10'x10')

Original handmade artwork, crafts, and artisan products created by the applicant.

Marketplace Vendor: $650 (10'x10')

Retail businesses and specialty merchants selling products directly to attendees.

Corporate Exhibitor: $1000 (10'x10')

Businesses, organizations, sponsors and service providers focused on marketing, lead generation, demonstrations, or community outreach.

Terms & Conditions

As a vendor of the Carolina BalloonFest, I understand and agree that the National Balloon Rally Charities, DBA Carolina BalloonFest is not liable or responsible for any delay, change of dates, limitation or alteration of attendance due to guidelines and regulations, or cancellation of the 2026 Carolina BalloonFest due to the following force majeure events: (a) acts of God; (b) flood, fire, earthquake; or (c) other potential disaster(s) or catastrophe(s), such as epidemics, pandemics or explosion.

Release

I have read and do understand the rules and regulations of the Carolina BalloonFest for Vendors and agree to abide by them.  The undersigned shall indemnify and hold harmless the Carolina BalloonFest Board, National Balloon Rally Charities, Inc., the City of Statesville and all sponsors and volunteers from all claims, liabilities, costs, expenses, and damages which may result from the operation of my concession.  I certify that the information furnished on this application is true to the best of my knowledge and represents the craftsmanship and/or quality of items to be represented at Carolina BalloonFest.  I further agree that any items deemed "inappropriate" by organizers of the event will be removed from the sales area, and that I will adhere strictly to the rules, conditions, and guidelines of the festival.

We look forward to seeing you in October and thank you for contributing to the success of our event! Please keep a copy of your completed vendor agreement for your records.

Please review the checklist below and email all required documents to: vendors@carolinaballoonfest.com

• Insurance Certificate (needed by August 31, 2026)
• Signed Vendor Guidelines & Application
• Photographs of exhibits/craft/artwork (new applicants only)

Vendors spaces are not considered officially reserved until payment has been made in full (after confirmation of acceptance) and all necessary documentation has been received.