About the ASI Julmarknad

Market Description: ASI celebrates the Holiday season with a Julmarknad, or Christmas Market — a common holiday occurrence in Sweden. The ASI Julmarknad features a handcraft market, traditional Scandinavian holiday foods, music, and family activities, both indoor and outdoor. Julmarknad is pronounced "yewel-mark-nahd" (think Yule log)! Our handcraft market focuses on beautiful, fun and useful handmade gifts. 

Friday evening Preview Party: A ticketed event to launch the weekend with shopping, music, and viewing our festive Turnblad Mansion. Capacity of 500 guests. 

Festival Admission: Admission to Julmarknad is ticketed, with a discounted ticket price for ASI members. Again this year, admission will be timed to help manage capacity and flow. We typically welcome 4,500-5,000 guests Friday-Sunday. 

Marketing: Julmarknad is promoted through ASI’s member newsletter Posten (≈5,000 households), ASI’s e-mail newsletter Klipp! (18,000+ subscribers), via social media (26,000+ followers), ASI’s website, and media press releases (Julmarknad is covered in all major local print media). Additionally, ASI will distribute printed postcards to accepted vendors to share with their networks.

Acceptance Qualifications: ASI’s goal is to create a handcraft fair where both established and emerging artists have an opportunity to sell traditional and contemporary craft.

• We only accept artists and makers who make and sell their own work. This means items that are handcrafted or handmade by you, with assistance from your family or employees; or are produced primarily by you with limited collaboration from other local artisans. For example, selling a few greeting cards reproducing your original artwork, printed by another local business are appropriate if sold alongside other handmade items. Vendors applying to sell items that are mass produced commercially, or imported items not made by you will not be selected. 

• Our market focuses on celebrating a mix of high quality, handmade gifts and useful items from diverse craft traditions and cultures. ASI welcomes artists of all backgrounds to apply for the Julmarknad Handcraft Market. Please note: ASI will not accept artists vending handcrafted items similar to or inspired by indigenous people's cultural traditions if that artist does not have roots in that community. 

• Preference for acceptance will be given to vendors that are a part of ASI's handcraft programs teaching roster, artists who share booths, and artists local to the Upper Midwest. 

Please reach out to erinsk@asimn.org if you have questions about acceptance qualifications.  

Exhibitor Spaces and Set Up

Spaces: Exhibitor spaces are in ASI's large auditorium space, Larson Hall, the Promenade (balcony) outside Larson, and the Ballroom (upper level of the Turnblad Mansion). To maximize the number of artists who can participate, we have multiple different sized booths; please read the booth descriptions carefully. 

Tomte Booth in Mansion Ballroom: $150 for one 38" wide shelving unit display
Tomte booths include one 38" wide shelving unit (see measurements and image here) for displaying your product. The mansion ballroom spaces include some provided lighting. This is a great option for vendors who travel light, are flexible with their set up, or are new to markets as everything is provided. These spaces vary in exact layout but are about 6' x 4' and also include a chair (or sub your own) and an optional mini tray table which many artists opt to use for wrapping/check out. Additional inventory storage is available away from your booth. There is no option to sub a table or other furniture and no additional electricity available in this space. 

Tomte Booth on Larson Promenade: $200 for one 38" wide shelving unit display
Tomte booth spaces are 6' wide x 4' deep and include one 38" wide shelving unit (see measurements and image here) for displaying your product. The booth also includes one chair and an optional mini TV tray table which most artists use for wrapping and check out. You may provide your own stool instead of using ASI's chair. There is no option to sub a table or other furniture for the shelving unit. Additional inventory storage is available away from your booth. Electricity is available for an extra charge.  

Julbock Booth in Larson Hall/Promenade: $250 for 8' x 5' with one 6' table
These spots are 8' x 5' and include one 6-foot table and 2 chairs. Vendors are welcome to decline the table and/or chairs and bring their own furnishings. Note, most of these booths are backed by fabric drapes, not a fixed wall. Electricity is available for an extra charge. 

Troll Booth in Larson Hall: $350 ($400 total if shared by two artists). 12' x 8' with one 8' table or two 6' tables
These spaces are 12 'x 8' and include one 8-foot table and 2 chairs. Sharing Troll booths with another vendor is encouraged! Shared spaces include two 6' tables and chairs. Each vendor participating in a shared space must submit this electronic application and pays a fee of $200. Vendors are welcome to decline the table and/or chairs and bring their own furnishings. Electricity is available for an extra charge. 

Walls: Tomte Booths, Julbock Booths, and Troll booths may be situated in front of windows, drapery, or solid walls. Vendors may not attach anything to a wall without permission, and may only use adhesives approved by ASI staff. If you need to be able to lean any part of your display against a wall for stability, please note this in your application. 

Set-Up: Set up/staging will be available Thursday from 3-8 pm, and Friday day from 9 am-4:30 pm. Elevators and stairs are available to reach your market area. Please bring your own hand-trucks or carts. All artists must be set and ready by 4:30 pm on Friday, December 5, and 9:30 am on Saturday, December 6, and Sunday, December 7. Doors typically open 15 minutes before official start times. 

 

Vendor Terms and Conditions

Deadline: All application forms must be submitted by Thursday, July 31, 2025. Notification of acceptance will go out to applicants by August 15th. 

Payment & Cancellations: Upon acceptance, confirmation and full payment will be required by August 31st. Electricity and additional tables for Troll booths are available for an additional fee. There is no application fee. Cancellations prior to October 31st will receive a 50% refund on their entry fee. No refunds will be granted after October 31st.

Safety Disclaimer: ASI reserves the right to adjust these plans as needed due to laws, regulations, and best practices for community health and safety or severe weather. 

Selling Handmade Items Only: By submitting an application to the Julmarknad Handcraft Market, you as an artist vendor agree to only sell handcrafted or handmade items that you have produced. Items that you co-produce with other local artisans are also allowed with prior approval from ASI staff.  

Insurance: Insurance must be provided by the exhibitor themselves. The American Swedish Institute assumes no responsibility for personal injury or damaged/stolen items.

Tax Forms: Accepted artists will be required to provide a completed Form ST19 to ASI and are responsible for collecting sales tax as dictated by MN law. 

Questions about the application or market? Contact Erin at erinsk@asimn.org. 

 

Ready to apply? You'll need your business contact information, a short description of what you sell, your website and social links, and 3-4 images (titled with your business name, please!) to fill out the application. Make sure you receive a follow up email after you submit the application confirming we have received it. 

Please attach 3 to 4 images of your work using the buttons below. Do not forget to hit the upload button after you select a file (the arrow icon above your image). Please rename your photo files with your Business name before you upload them into the application. Example: Business name_1.jpg, Business name_2.jpg, etc.

By sharing these images with ASI, you are giving us permission to use these images in marketing materials if you are accepted as a Julmarknad vendor. ASI credits images to businesses in all print and digital marketing. 

Please rank all booths you would consider using below. Note that ASI's Julmarknad typically has below a 50% acceptance rate for all applicants, and being flexible and open to more booth sizes increases your chance of acceptance. 

Chairs provided for free. Additional tables available for $10 for Troll booths only. Electricity provided for an additional $30 fee (not available in Mansion ballroom).

If a shared Troll booth space is a good size for you, but you don't have another artist in mind to share with, feel free to indicate it as a choice below and ASI staff will do some match making!

Tomte booths consist of a provided shelving unit, chair, and tray table. The complete tomte booth shelving unit measurements can be viewed here. You may not substitute another type of display furniture (e.g. your own table) in this booth set up. 

Deadline: All application forms must be submitted by Thursday, July 31, 2025. Notification of acceptance will go out to applicants by August 15th. 

Payment & Cancellations: Upon acceptance, confirmation and full payment will be required by August 31st. Electricity and additional tables for Troll booths are available for an additional fee. There is no application fee. Cancellations prior to October 31st will receive a 50% refund on their entry fee. No refunds will be granted after October 31st.

Safety Disclaimer: ASI reserves the right to adjust these plans as needed due to laws, regulations, and best practices for community health and safety or severe weather. 

Selling Handmade Items Only: By submitting an application to the Julmarknad Handcraft Market, you as an artist vendor agree to only sell handcrafted or handmade items that you have produced. Items that you co-produce with other local artisans are also allowed with prior approval from ASI staff.  

Insurance: Insurance must be provided by the exhibitor themselves. The American Swedish Institute assumes no responsibility for personal injury or damaged/stolen items.

Tax Forms: Accepted artists will be required to provide a completed Form ST19 to ASI and are responsible for collecting sales tax as dictated by MN law. 

Questions? Contact us directly at foodhandcraft@asimn.org - questions listed in this form might not be answered until August.