The National Folk Festival is coming to Jackson, Mississippi, from 2025-27, with Jackson’s inaugural festival launching November 7 – 9, 2025. The festival is now accepting vendor applications for the festival food courts and the festival marketplace. Downtown Jackson will come alive for three days of FREE outdoor music, non-stop dancing, family activities, storytelling, crafts demonstrations, parades, and so much more—don’t miss out on being part of this transformative cultural experience. Vendor applications are available via the festival website.
Food Vendors
The National Folk Festival seeks food vendors that can provide high quality, diverse, efficient, friendly service to thousands of festivalgoers. The festival features a wide variety of regional foods, as well as classic festival fare that will take diners on a culinary journey around Mississippi, the United States, and the world.
Food vendors will be chosen for the following food vendor categories*:
Food specialties from across Mississippi and the Deep South
International flavors from the state and region
Snacks/Desserts
“Fair” foods
Other main dishes
Specialty beverages
*Note: All vendors will be given an opportunity to tell the committee reviewing applications about any specialty items on their menu. This is your opportunity to tell us what you do really well. This is especially important for vendors who have large menus that may cover multiple categories. We want to know what your specialty is!
Applicants MUST read through the Food Vendor Guidelines BEFORE they consider applying. The guidelines may be found and downloaded on the festival website at:
Marketplace Vendors
The Festival Marketplace at the National Folk Festival exclusively features the juried, handmade creations of the finest artists and craftspeople from the State of Mississippi and the Deep South. Priority will be given to artists from Mississippi. The Marketplace will include both deeply traditional crafts and more contemporary artistic expressions.
In order to ensure quality and integrity, a committee selects vendors based on a set of criteria that includes:
artistry
distinctiveness
craftsmanship
traditionality (if applicable)
connection to state/regional/local traditions
artist’s relationship to his/her/their cultural/artistic community
booth presentation
The committee reviews all applications and selects vendors who best meet these criteria.
Eligible items include, but are not limited to:
pottery
jewelry
paintings*
quilts
custom furniture
sculpture
mixed media*
textile art
stained & blown glass
photography
woodwork
packaged made-in-Mississippi/Deep South food products
*For vendors interested in selling paintings or mixed media, the artist may sell prints of an original work as long as the original work is displayed at the festival.
Ineligible items include, but are not limited to:
work made from store-bought kits or molds
commercial reproductions
alcohol or tobacco products
imported finished goods
manufactured items that have been assembled
Applicants MUST read through the Festival Marketplace Guidelines BEFORE they consider applying. The guidelines may be found and downloaded on the festival website at: https://www.nationalfolkfestival.com/marketplace-vendors
