Holiday Festival of the Arts: Vendor Information & Guidelines
PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE APPLICATION CAREFULLY!
If you have any questions about any part of the application please contact us at holidayfestival@alliedarts.org
The Holiday Festival of the Arts is a five-week-long indoor arts festival featuring 100 artisans from our region. Aside from vendors selling their wares, the festival boasts live music and workshops for children on the weekends. The booths are unstaffed, with central checkout, meaning we stay the long hours for you.
NOTE: This is a highly competitive juried festival. Allied Arts strives to choose a varied selection of new and returning exhibitors in a wide range of media and price points. Participants from last year are not automatically accepted again this year.
2026 Jury Timeline
Friday, April 24
Deadline for applications
May
Jury decisions made
June/July
Notification letters sent to all applicants
2026 Holiday Festival Timeline
Festival Dates:
November 20 – December 24.
Set up:
Set up is usually the two days before the festival opens.
Festival Hours:
November 20 – December 24
Seven Days a Week 10am – 6pm
Closed Thanksgiving Day and closing at 3pm on December 24
Take-down & Clean up:
December 24, 26 & 27.
Booth Fees and Commission Rates
Booth Fee: $210
Size: 3’ x 6’
All vendors must supply their own tables and display furniture.
No jury fees but you must be an Allied Arts Business member, $85/year, to apply.
Power is available but you need to supply your own 3-prong extension cord and power strip with fuse.
You are welcome to use locked cases, and we will have a dedicated person with keys. An effort will be made to place booths with higher value items closer to the register area.
30% commission will be taken from vendors at the Holiday Festival. All vendors are required to work a minimum of three (3) 3-hour security shifts (six shifts for double booths). If you do not complete all of your shifts, you must pay $50 per hour of security shift missed.
If you do not coordinate missing security shifts ahead of time, your participation in future festivals will be jeopardized.
Guidelines for the 2026 Holiday Festival
By applying to the 2026 Holiday Festival, you are agreeing to comply with the following guidelines:
- Application deadline Friday, April 24, 2026 by 4pm. To be considered for the Holiday Festival all applications must include images, application form, and needed membership.
- Take note: CBD, THC, and marijuana products are not allowed at this time.
- Artists may only display work in the categories in which they are accepted.
- All work must be hand-made by the artist applying: no work from kits, commercial plans, mass produced, factory made or assembled items are permitted. The artist must have direct, hands-on involvement over the creative and production processes. Soap, bath and body, and food vendors must submit ingredient lists for their products.
- Artists may not exhibit the work of other artists.
- All work displayed must be of the quality submitted for jurying. Allied Arts reserves the right to require removal of items that are not of the quality and/or category approved through the jury process.
- In order to sustain a high quality of work, everyone must jury, regardless of past participation.
- Work must be merchandised within the allotted booth space in a creative and artistic manner.
- Allied Arts of Whatcom County reserves the right to make any necessary alteration to a booth to attain the highest level of presentation.
- Inventory must be maintained at a reasonable level throughout the duration of the show. Allied Arts of Whatcom County reserves the right to refuse future participation to any artist not maintaining their inventory.
- All Vendors are required to complete three (3) 3-hour Security Shifts PER BOOTH. You may delegate this shift to friends or family as long as it is coordinated ahead of time.
Membership Requirements
Allied Arts requires that everyone who applies for the 2026 Holiday Festival, must be an Allied Arts Business Member ($85/yr). To upgrade your membership to become a Business Member please check the appropriate box on the application form and include your dues payment with your submission.
Application Guidelines
To be considered for the 2026 Holiday Festival your application must include:
- 4 – 10 current images (taken within the last 2 years), either high-quality photographs or digital (at least 300dpi) in jpg format. If you have participated in other festivals, please include at least one picture of your display (if accepted, images may be used for publicity).
- An image list with descriptions of each piece (include size, medium, price and year produced).
- A brief description of your technique and/or artist’s statement. Soap, bath and body, and food vendors please include ingredient lists for your products.
To fill out a paper version of our form, please click here.
Mail packets to: Allied Arts of Whatcom County
2026 Holiday Festival
PO Box 2584
Bellingham, WA 98227
Drop off packets at: The Allied Arts of Whatcom County offices, located at 1213 Cornwall Avenue, in Downtown Bellingham. We are open Wednesday through Saturday 11am to 4pm.
Please include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you would like your photographs or CDs returned. If you are accepted to participate, your portfolio will not be returned until after the festival.
If you have any questions about any portion of this application, please call Allied Arts at 360-676-8548, or email us at holidayfestival@alliedarts.org