2021 Hootin an Hollarin vendors must apply before May 31
The 60th annual Hootin an Hollarin festival will be held on the Gainesville square Sept. 16-18, longtime chairwoman Nancy Walker told the Times Monday morning. Last year’s festival was canceled due to the covid pandemic, but the 2021 “is a go,” Walker said.
Vendor co-chairs Barbara Luna and LaVese Ericksen say those who wish to apply to be a vendor at the three-day festival should submit their applications soon. Vendor applications must be received by May 31 to be considered.
Vendors who were approved for the 2020 festival and chose to have their application and fee applied to this year’s event do not have to fill out a new application.
These guidelines from previous years will continue to be enforced:
All products sold in booths must be handcrafted and indigenous to the Ozarks. No “off the shelf” or manufactured items will be allowed. Booths should not sell consignment items, flea market-type items or items from commercial businesses.
Marshmallow guns, rubber band guns and slingshots are prohibited. The Hootin an Hollarin committee reserves the right to remove any item from the vendor booth that may be dangerous or offensive to festival goers. Music may not be played by any booth or food vendor without prior consent from the booth coordinators.
Vendor fees will be $75 for fundraising and craft booths for a 12-foot-by-12-foot space. Food vendors must pay 15 percent of their gross sales made during the festival with a $50 deposit required. Game booths should contact the booth coordinators for an estimated fee.
Those running a school-organized booth should fill out their own designated form. The reduced rate for a school booth is $30 for a 12-foot-by-12-foot space.
Each booth is allowed one heavy-duty extension cord, the vendors chairpersons say. Surge protectors are recommended inside the booth itself.
The festival officially begins Thursday evening, and vendors can begin setting up Wednesday evening or Thursday morning. No setup is allowed before 6 p.m. Wednesday. Booths and tents should be set up by Thursday afternoon to avoid large gaps in the line of vendors surrounding the square during the festival.
To apply, visit www.hootinanhollarin.com and click the “vendor information” tab. Prospective vendors should print the application, follow the instructions to fill it out and mail it in to Hootin an Hollarin, PO Box 488, Gainesville, MO 65655.
For more information, visit www.hootinanhollarin.com or call LaVese Ericksen at 417-989-0462 or Barbara Luna at 417-712-1946.