culinary

Please read the 2020 DMAF Food Vendor Operation Requirements below prior to applying.

Applications close: March 13, 2020
Notification of Acceptance: March 31, 2020
2020 Festival Dates: June 26, 27, 28

The twelve-time Grand Pinnacle Award-winning Des Moines Arts Festival presented by Nationwide will be held June 26-28, 2020. This free, annual three-day arts and culture festival will surround the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park. DMAF invites you to “…go where it takes you…” by engaging with 180 invited professional visual artists, emerging Iowa artists, the cutting-edge Interrobang Film Festival, live music, performing arts, interactive arts activities, award-winning community outreach programs, live artist workshops and demonstrations, artisan food and beverages for every taste.

The Des Moines Arts Festival (DMAF) prides our food vending operations on aesthetic appeal and menu selection across the site, including two food courts and a handful of stand-alone booths. We offer our guests an eclectic variety of food to hit every taste bud. Our Food Vendors are also leading the charge in sustainability efforts by using all compostable serving materials for the over 200,000 guests who visit the DMAF each year.

• For safety and aesthetic purposes, the Des Moines Arts Festival will provide vendors in the East and West Food Courts (excluding food truck/trailer) with a 10x10 tent, tent sides, weights, table, chairs, tent light, a serving counter, menu boards and vendor name boards. Vendors selected as stand-alone booths are “sweets and treats” vendors and may utilize their own tents if approved by DMAF. PLEASE NOTE: Stand-alone vendors who bring their own tents are not permitted to use light-weight, accordion-style, pop-up tents. All tents must be weighted properly with a minimum of 40lbs of weight on each tent leg. This helps ensure the highest degree of safety to the food vendor, their neighbor, and Festival guests. Do NOT rely on us to provide sandbags. The proper tent with the proper weights is entirely the responsibility of the food vendor. Severe weather can hit at any time. The Fire Department will inspect weights on the tents at set up. The DMAF staff will not place their lives at risk to secure a tent.
• To maintain DMAF aesthetics, concession trailers are not allowed. If your concession trailer can break down to look like a food truck/trailer, please note in application.
• Booth placement is at the sole discretion of the Des Moines Arts Festival.
• All food vendors are required to use compostable materials to serve food and beverages. All items must be purchased through Iowa-Des Moines Supply (DMAF will provide you contact information). This ensures the lowest price for you and eliminates confusion for guests when disposing of waste.
• Uniquely branded containers and refillable cups are not allowed at DMAF regardless if they're compostable.
• Storage on-site: you will have 4'x10' feet of storage behind your booth. Items in that space must not spill onto the sidewalk or outside of that space, if they do you will be asked to leave the site. If your items exceed this space, consider purchasing a 6'x10' grill space for additional storage.
  • There are two refrigerator trucks available for your storage use on-site. You are responsible for those items.
  • Each food court will have water accessibility
  • Each food court will have oil waste and waste waster disposal available
  • Each booth will include a landfill and compost bin including bags
• DMAF manages the following beverages on-site: water, soda, beer/wine/spirits. Vendors are not allowed to sell any of the items listed.
• Menu items are limited to six (including food and specialty beverage).
• Food vendors have the opportunity to reach 1,000-2,000 transactions on Friday and Saturday and 500-1,000 on Sunday. Please make sure you are capable to serve at that capacity and speed.
• Selected food vendors are required to attend one of two Food Vendor Meetings. We offer a conference call meeting for our out of state vendors.

Please review the Iowa Food Safety and Protection Task Force guide lines:
https://ia.foodprotectiontaskforce.com/resources1/temporary-event-food-stands/#tab1
Please note: City of Des Moines temporary food license fees are $50.

Please review the City of Des Moines Fire Safety Rules and Regulations
https://www.dmgov.org/Departments/Fire/PDF/Outdoor%20Event%20Packet.pdf

Food Truck Vendors: please review the City of Des Moines Mobile Food Vendors rules and regulations:
https://www.dmgov.org/Departments/Fire/PDF/2016-1%20Mobile%20Vendors.pdf