All Vendors and Participants

Please read this document thoroughly.

 The Laurel Main Street Festival is an annual family-friendly festival with thousands of people attending each year, and several hundred vendors, located along Laurel’s Historic Main Street.

All vendors are responsible for their designated booth space. company, employees, contractors, food service, products, and/or service by following all current City of Laurel, PG County and CDC regulations & guidelines. This includes social distancing guidelines, reasonable sanitation options available for patrons and staff, and any other recommended precautions to keep all attendees reasonably safe. 

Certificate Of Insurance (COI)

All vendors are required at time of application to provide a COI listing the “Laurel Board of Trade” as an Additional Insured with schedule festival date.

Types of Vendor / Participants

Main Street Merchant Definition 

Main Street Merchants are those businesses whose places of business are physically located on Main Street, C Street, Tolson Alley and Post Office Avenue in Laurel, MD. No distinction is made for the type of business; the classification is based solely on the physical location of the business.  

Food Vendors

Food vendor means any person, public or private, who offers for sale or gives away food 

or beverage products including the cooking, heating, frying, refrigeration, and frozen food products intended for consumption at this event. Cottage food vendors are included in this category and must meet the definition as outlined by the State of Maryland: Maryland Cottage Food Businesses

Categories of Food Vendors

- Open flame grills, propane or generators providing cooking on site are provided with two 10-foot spaces (see rules and regulations) $620

o Per additional 10 foot space: $206

o Fourth 10 foot space for safe distance: $150

- Cottage Food Vendor/Food Handout Vendor $206

(i.e. Lemonade stands, popcorn stands and baked goods)

o Additional Spaces: $180

- Cold Food Truck or Trailer over 8 feet in length

(i.e. smoothie, ice cream truck and beverage truck) 

(Two – 10-foot spaces are provided) $412

o Additional Space: $206

All food vendors must provide COI at time of application and go through Fire Marshal Inspection process prior to ignition of any equipment. The Certificate of Insurance must list the Laurel Board of Trade as an additional insured. If you fail your inspection and cannot make required adjustments prior to being at the festival, you will be asked to leave, and no refund will be provided. 

General Sales / Commercial Cost $412

General Sales/Commercial are T-shirts, Clothes, Sunglasses, and Manufactured Products. A mixture of arts & crafts and general is included in this category. 

o 2nd space: $206

Examples of General Sales would be: Verizon, Gutter Helmet, Sneaker Shops and Sunglass Hut 

o 2nd space: $206

o 3rd space $206

Direct Sales Consultants Cost $206

Direct sales are organizations such as Mary Kay, Avon, 

Tupperware, Arbonne, Tastefully Simple, Thirty-One, Lula Roe, etc. No more than (3) Direct Sales vendors of the same products are allowed at this event. 

o 2nd space: $180.25

o 3rd space $180.25

Arts and Crafts Vendors Cost $206

Arts and Crafts must be handmade and/or assembled by the Vendor. First time Vendors may be requested to provide samples or pictures of items to be sold. 

Vendors whose items are not handmade or assembled may be asked to pay the difference at the festival or be shut down with no refund. If you have questions, ask ahead of time. Face Painters, Henna Artist and Sand Art fall under Arts & Crafts.  

o 2nd space: $180.25

o 3rd space $180.25

Games and Activities Cost $412.00

Activities include pony rides, mechanical rides, games of skill (i.e.: fishing ponds, ring toss) or any activity that is “Pay to Play” for entertainment or chance of winning a prize.

o 2nd space: $206.00

o 3rd space $206.00

Handouts Vendor

(Non-Profits Organization/Politicians/Religious Organizations) Cost $206.00

* Handouts: This is for businesses ONLY providing business cards, brochures and marketing literature for their business and not selling items. 

* Non-Profit: Politicians, Religious, Schools and Service Groups (you must provide your non-profit tax ID number on the application). 

o 2nd space: $180.25

o 3rd space $180.25

General Regulations

The Main Street festival is a Rain or Shine event. No refunds will be provided because of weather, changes of plans, illness, not going to be in town etc. Once you submit payment, refunds will not be made. All vendors should be unloaded and vehicles off of Main Street by 8:00 a.m. and cleaned up and off Main Street by 5:00 p.m. at the end of the festival. 

All Vendor spaces are ten (10’) feet wide, and a maximum of (10) feet deep from curb. If you need a space wider than 10 feet, you must purchase the required number of spaces to accommodate your needs. 

If you encroach on the adjacent space, you can be removed from your location and the Festival if no accommodations can be made. You will be charged for any additional space required. 

Your canopy must meet current CPAI-84 and NFPA701 Fire Resistant Requirements. No exceptions can be made.

The Fire Marshall will be inspecting all canopy/tents on the day of the Festival are compliant. If you are non-compliant the canopy will need to removed. Please ensure your canopy is weighted down sufficiently for wind weather conditions, we recommend no less than 15 pounds per contact point. No refunds are provided due to non-compliant implementation.

Prohibited at this Festival –Firearms possession, sales and distribution including replicas, look a-likes, or anything that resembles a weapon is prohibited. Please contact the Laurel Police Department https://www.cityoflaurel.org/police for firearm safety rules and regulations. All Alcohol sales, distribution or giveaways are prohibited at this event. Pornographic material, products, literature, giveaways, gifts, or anything that can resemble this is prohibited. Body piercing or tattoos on premises are prohibited. 

Apply online only. Have all required information ready, including payment details and a Certificate of Insurance (COI) naming the Laurel Board of Trade as Additional Insured with the correct festival date. Deadlines are strict—no exceptions.

A 3% handling fee has been added to the cost of vendor spaces for online payment processing. 

You must include a menu description on your application if selling or giving away food. Some foods require a health permit—violations may result in fines and closure without refund. Review the Food Vendor Application, pay fees according to space used, and list all foods you will provide.

Individuals who intend to sell or distribute food are required to contact the Prince George’s County Health Department to obtain information regarding applicable regulations and to secure all necessary permits and certifications. Full compliance with these requirements is mandatory. For further guidance, please reach the department at (301)-883-7690 or online at:

https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/1979/Food -Service-Requirement. 

LBOT members in good standing can receive a 25% discount on their first space only. Membership dues must be current on the date you complete your application and the date of the festival. Currently serving LBOT Directors can receive a 50% discount on your first space. LBOT members can only receive a (1) discount. Main Street merchants who are LBOT members cannot receive both discounts. 

First-time Main Street festival vendors may need to submit merchandise samples or images. Vendors must collect and report Maryland Sales Tax. The Laurel Main Street Festival Committee, Laurel Board of Trade, and City of Laurel are not liable for damage, loss, or theft of items.

The Laurel Main Street Festival is designed as a community-focused and family-friendly event. Accordingly, the Laurel Main Street Festival Committee and the Laurel Board of Trade evaluate vendor applications to ensure they align with the festival’s values. The Committee or LBOT retains the right to revoke a vendor permit if a booth or its activities are deemed unsuitable for the event. Neither the Committee nor LBOT will be held liable for any loss of revenue or fees arising from such withdrawal of participation permits. All decisions made by the Laurel Main Street Festival Committee and the Laurel Board of Trade are considered final.

Indemnification: 

The vendor agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Laurel Board of Trade, their officers, directors, employees, and agents from any and all claims including, but not limited to, those based upon property damages, personal injuries, taxes and/or loss, in any way related to the Festival including reasonable attorney’s fees, unless such loss or injury is directly the result of negligence on the part of The Laurel Board of Trade and their officers, directors, employees, and agents assume no liability for loss of, or damage to, vendor’s property. 

Force Majeure: 

The Event Sponsor unilaterally reserves the right to cancel the festival at any time during the planning, preparation, and actual occurrence when the Event Sponsor’s performance shall be impracticable or impossible by a Force Majeure event beyond its control. Said event may include but not limited to health pandemics, epidemics, quarantine restrictions, fires, earthquakes, unusually severe weather, wars, insurrections, terrorism, and civil unrest. The sponsor shall notify the Applicant when such an event has occurred stating the circumstances of cancellation. This is a No Refund, rain or shine event. If conditions outside the Laurel Board of Trade’s control causes cancellation of this event any vendor application fees paid will be redirected to the next scheduled festival event or a 50% refund may be requested. 

Any questions should be emailed to the Laurel Board of Trade at [email protected] or phone at (301) 483-0838.