Boston Local Food Festival

• Please note that we only accept businesses that are independently owned and operated within New England, in alignment with our program's mission to promote our regional food system.

• Local Sourcing: All vendors must either have 50% of their product grown/caught/raised in New England, or they must have 3 significant ingredients grown/caught/raised in New England. Exceptions may be made for products that are culturally relevant and whose ingredients cannot be grown/sourced from this region and for Packaged Foods that cannot readily change their ingredients, but are looking to source locally and are making plans to do so in the next year.

• Zero Waste: All disposable cutlery, cups, plates, and bowls must be certified compostable or made of 100% paper. Exceptions are made for recyclable products that include aluminum foil, cardboard, aluminum cans, plastic bottles, and glass bottles. Exceptions are also made for Packaged Food products that are only to be consumed at home.

• Glass: Glass bottles must be served in a bag for risk of them breaking. Vendors serving in glass, must have a sign notifying customers that they should only open/consume at home.

• Financial Accessibility: All vendors must have at least one product that is $8 or less. Exceptions are made for Packaged Food products that have fixed container sizes and cannot readily adjust their sizing to meet this requirement. Also, prices/menu must be posted to be easily viewed without waiting in line.

• Ready-to-Eat/Drink: Any food or drink designed to be consumed at the festival. This price category (and the food truck/cart category) reflects the experience that ready-to-eat/drink vendors typically sell a lot with at the festival ~40,000 visitors.

• Food Truck/Cart booths do not come with a tent or tables/chairs, unless you request an extra tent (at an extra cost).

• Packaged Food: These are foods and drinks that are to be taken home and prepared before consumed. This price category reflects the reality that this is more of a marketing opportunity for packaged food vendors. These vendors are most successful when they sell products that make easily-transportable gifts or souvenirs, and/or have materials for festival goers to take with them and order online in the future.

• Farm Vendors that grow, raise, catch 50% or more of the product they sell at the festival. These include orchards and vegetable farms, meat and dairy farms and fisheries, maple and honey farms, etc.

• * Shared Tent: These larger tents are at the beginning and end of the Greenway where the festival takes place. Booths come with 1 table under a large 20'x40' tent shared with up to 8 other vendors. These vendors will at least approximately 70 sq. ft. of space, depending on layout. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions about this option. 

Sales at the festival can vary quite a bit and are influenced by a few key factors: your booth setup, the weather that day and more generally, and your ability to engage and draw in a crowd. While we can’t provide an exact estimate of how much product to prepare, we can share that ready-to-eat food/drink and items that can be given as gifts or keepsakes are the events highest performers.

We encourage all vendors to create a visually engaging and sensory-rich display. The atmosphere of the festival is more akin to a lively street fair or carnival than a traditional farmers market. While farmers market shoppers often take time to browse and connect with each vendor, our attendees behave more like tourists—many arrive on foot or by public transportation, and they make spontaneous purchases. They’re often drawn in by smells, visuals, and standout presentations rather than planned shopping lists.

In addition to food vendors, we have entertainment and interactive activities throughout the festival, which help create a fun and bustling environment for attendees.

If you're looking for a lower-cost option, we offer a shared tent space. This provides you with a ~7' x 10' space within a larger 20' x 40' tent shared with up to 11 other vendors. This is a great way to be part of the festival experience at a reduced cost.

If you apply before May 31st, you’ll receive our early-bird discount of $50, and if you become a member of SBN, you’ll receive an additional $50 off your vendor fee. The prices listed on our application reflect these early-bird rates.

The City of Boston requires permits for every vendor at the festival. These are city requirements, and we must comply.

If you plan to serve or sell any food or beverages at your booth, you must provide us with the proper documentation and applications. Please refer to the table below to confirm which documents your business needs.

Note: Per the City of Boston’s request, we will submit all vendor permit applications together. To make this possible, your completed application(s) and supporting documents must be sent to us within one week of your registration call.

Table of REQUIRED PERMITS

While vending fees include the tent, tables and chairs, it is not mandatory that you use our tents. If you have a branded 10'x10' tent (or smaller), and you have sufficient weighting for the Greenway's requirements, you can use your tent instead. Please bring this up in your registration meeting so that we can confirm size and weighting requirements, and logistics, and so we can mark it on your registration and move accordingly.

We cover the tent, table(s), chair(s), and health permit. We also provide extensive promotions for the event and for every vendor.

Additional costs exist if you need an Extra Tent, Extra Cooking Space, Electricity, Oversized Parking, Ice, Fire Permits (Open Burn/Cooking or Generator), or want to place a Program Ad.

The City of Boston only permits generators that are either propane, diesel, or electric. Gasoline generators are NOT allowed.

We will need detailed information about your generator, fuel, etc., to get the permit/ok from the Boston Fire Department at Inspectional Services.

Yes, if you are serving unpackaged, cooked, ready-to-eat food or drink.

If you are only sampling, hand sanitizer and gloves are sufficient.

A handwashing station usually includes:

• A minimum two-gallon insulated container with a spigot. The container shall be filled with warm water 100°F to 120°F. A hand washing sign must be posted.

• A basin to catch waste water

• Soap

• Disposable towels

• Waste bin for paper towels

Yes. You will need to put down protective cardboard under your whole set up.

The Boston Local Food Festival would love to showcase our state's urban agricultural movement and farms. The festival is a one-day event celebrating the bounty and diversity of local food in our city, state, and region. Across four parks of the Rose Kennedy Greenway in downtown Boston (near the waterfront), the festival hosts nearly 100 food vendors, two demo kitchens (one for a seafood cook-off, and one for chef demos), a family fun zone, and more. The thousands (~40,000) festival goers typically are tasting liberally, purchasing ready-to-eat/drink products and souvenirs/gifts, and exploring future purchases (subscriptions, CSAs, online sales, etc.) They come from across the Greater Boston area, state, region and occasionally farther afield.