culinary

Please read the 2019 DMAF Food Vendor Rules & Regulations below prior to applying.

Notification of Acceptance: March 22, 2019
2019 Festival Dates: June 28, 29, 30

The twelve-time Grand Pinnacle Award-winning Des Moines Arts Festival presented by Nationwide will be held June 28-30, 2019. 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 DMAF 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.
• Booth placement is at the sole discretion of the DMAF.
• 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 plastic novelty 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.
• Each food court will have water accessibility.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

The DMAF offers payment by online credit card or check:

• Food Truck/Trailer/Booth (Food Only): $1,950
• Specialty Beverage Truck/Trailer/Booth (Beverage Only): $1,950
• Food Truck/Trailer/Booth with Food and Beverage: $2,450
• Grill Space: $500 (6'x10')
• Additional Storage Space (optional): $500 (6'x10')
• Electricity Fee: $40
• Clean up deposit: $500 (send check to Des Moines Arts Festival)

Please review the Iowa Food Safety and Protection Task Force guide lines:
https://ia.foodprotectiontaskforce.com/resources1/temporary-event-food-stands/#tab1
Please note: Beginning January 1, 2019, temporary food license fees will increase to $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

To apply for a food vending operation at the 2019 DMAF, you follow this LINK to Events Locker*. You must create a profile on Events Locker and then log in to complete the application.

On the DMAF Events Locker homepage, look for the "Opportunities" box on the right hand side of the screen. Click "Booths & Participation" and select your space type, click "add to cart". Follow the prompts. When you get to the submission page, select "pay by check" to submit. There is no payment due with the application. If you are selected as a vendor you will have the option to pay by check or credit card.

*New for 2019 is a new cloud-based management platform called Events Locker. This system will allow us to provide you better service and efficiencies as we prepare for the annual event. The system will allow you to store all important documents relevant to your participation and for us to effectively and efficiently communicate with you.