become a vendor
About our festivals
​Occoquan festivals are hosted by the Town of Ococquan government and are located in historic downtown Occoquan, Virginia, 20 miles south of Washington, DC. Located close to I-95 in Prince William County, the Town has been producing well-attended festivals and art shows for over 50 years!​​
Fall & Spring Festivals
RiverFest & Craft Show typically takes place the first weekend in June and the Fall Arts & Craft Show takes place the last weekend in September.
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These events have FREE admission for visitors, with free offsite parking and optional paid shuttle service into town (currently $10 roundtrip for visitors 13+ years old).
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These festivals are heavily marketed by a professional marketing team. They include both digital and print advertisements in the greater DMV area.
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Social media campaigns start 6-8 weeks from each festival, with save-the-date and participant marketing in advance of that. High quality, compelling images supplied by vendors may be used in our promotions.
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Promotional graphics are supplied to all vendors.
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Attendance is typically 10,000-15,000 visitors throughout the weekend, depending on weather.​​
​Holiday Artisan Market
The Holiday Artisan Market typically takes place the first weekend in December.
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This event has FREE admission for visitors, with free offsite parking and optional paid shuttle service into town (currently $5 roundtrip for visitors 13+ years old).
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This event are heavily marketed both digitally and in print, including paid advertisements, in the greater DMV area.
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Social media campaigns start 4-6 weeks from the event, with save-the-date and participant marketing in advance of that. High quality, compelling images supplied by vendors may be used in our promotions.
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Promotional graphics are supplied to all vendors.
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Attendance is typically 2,000-4,000 visitors throughout the weekend, depending on weather.
Details:
Fall & Spring Festivals
vendor Categories
Makers & Creators Category: All work must be original, handmade, and created by the artist. Examples of vendor types include, but are not limited to: 2D/3D artwork in any medium, jewelry, fiber arts, home fragrance, gourmet food, wood/metal work, stationery/paper goods, and more. We will limit the number of similar vendors in the same category and always attempt to spread similar booths across the festival area.
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No imported merchandise or resale items are allowed in this category. Vendors acknowledge the handcrafted nature of their own products by completing the application. Early entrants’ artwork may be featured in promotional materials.
Note: the majority of booth spaces are reserved for vendors in this and the Food Truck/Tent categories.
Food Truck Category: Food trucks help us provide a fun and tasty food court section of the festival! Submit in this category if you cook and serve food from a completely self-contained food truck.
Food Tent Category: Apply in this category if you want to cook and serve food for consumption on the premises. This category includes a $200 refundable clean-up fee, payable at the time of application. Note: This category does not include selling prepackaged foods that are not cooked and served on site for immediate consumption.)
Non-Profit Category: Non-profit organizations may apply to exhibit at no cost. Space is not necessarily guaranteed and wholly dependent on open spaces available. No spaces will be allotted for political parties. One space per non-profit. Organizations will be contacted 6 weeks in advance of the show with a confirmation.
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Junior Entrepreneurs: Aged 16 and under junior business owners may be considered for booth space at our shows at a reduced rate. Limited spaces are available and entries will be juried. Interested parties should contact the director at events@occoquanva.gov.
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Direct Sales/Commercial: Direct Sales reps, AI creators, and independent designers with ethically sourced or lightly manufactured goods that fit into the show aesthetic should also submit in this category.
Note: Commercial product vendors must have tangible products (not services) for sale at the event.
Town Business: Town businesses with a current Occoquan Business License, in good standing with the Town of Occoquan, may apply for a booth space at a reduced rate.
​Booth info
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Booth spaces are 10' x 10' and are located on paved roadways.
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Vendors must provide their own tents, tables, chairs, and displays. Tents are required to be weighted and do not have the ability to be spiked into the pavement.
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Booth spaces are limited and categories tend to sell out. Early applications are recommended.
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Please check the relevant application and read the policies & procedures before committing.
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Festival Logistics
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All roads in historic Occoquan are closed during our Fall and RiverFest festivals. Vendors have the option to purchase in-town parking or may park at any of our three off-site parking lots for free.
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Vendors will receive a limited number of free shuttle passes to ride into town from the off-site parking lots.
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Load in for most booth spots begins on the Friday night before the festival.
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Application & Payment
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RiverFest & Craft Show 2026:
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Applications close on May 22, 2026, unless the show fills before that date.
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Accepted vendors with unpaid booth fees by May 1, 2026 will not receive a booth space and will be removed from the vendor list.
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Fees processed after May 1, 2026 will incur a late fee of $50.
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Fall Arts & Crafts Show 2026:
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Applications close on September 11, 2026, unless the show fills before that date.
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Accepted vendors with unpaid booth fees by September 1, 2026 will not receive a booth space and will be removed from the vendor list.
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Fees processed after September 1, 2026 will incur a late fee of $50.
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Vendors who are accepted into the show and selected "pay via check" have 30 days to submit payment before being transferred to the wailtist.
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While vendors may cancel at any time, there are no refunds and no transfers from one show to another once the application has been processed, unless the show is canceled due to health and safety reasons.
rates
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Early applications are recommended. Booth spaces are limited and tend to close early in popular categories. A waitlist may be available in some categories.
Details: Holiday Artisan Market
vendor Categories
Makers & Creators Category: All vendors for this event must be handmade original, handmade, and created by the artist. Examples of vendor types include, but are not limited to: 2D/3D artwork in any medium, jewelry, fiber arts, home fragrance, gourmet food, wood/metal work, stationery/paper goods, and more. We will limit the number of similar vendors in the same category and always attempt to spread similar booths across the festival area.
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Vendors acknowledge the handcrafted nature of their own products by completing the application. Early entrants’ artwork may be featured in promotional materials.
Note: the majority of booth spaces are reserved for vendors in this category.​
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rates
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All booth spaces are $175. Early applications are recommended. A waitlist may be available in some categories.
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Application & Payment
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Applications will open in Spring/Summer 2026. Sign up for our vendor email list at the bottom of this page to receive an email of the application opening!
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Booth info
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Booth spaces are 10' x 10' and are located on paved roadways.
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Vendors must provide their own tents, tables, chairs, and displays. Tents are required to be weighted and do not have the ability to be spiked into the pavement.
-
Booth spaces are limited and categories tend to sell out. Early applications are recommended.
-
Please check the relevant application and read the policies & procedures before committing.
​
Festival Logistics
​
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Some roads in historic Occoquan are closed to accommodate this event. Vendors have the option to purchase in-town parking or may park at any of our off-site parking lots for free.
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Vendors will receive a limited number of free shuttle passes to ride into town from the off-site parking lots.
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Load in for booth spots begins on the Saturday morning of the event. No Friday night load in is available.​
FAQ
application & Payments
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I submitted my application, but I haven't paid yet. Is my spot officially reserved? No. Your space is not confirmed until we receive both your application and full payment.
For RiverFest 2026, this deadline is May 1, 2026. For Fall Arts & Crafts Show, this deadline is September 1, 2026. Any application without payment by these dates will be canceled.
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How do I pay? You may pay via credit/debit card, check, or money order. Credit/debit card payments will be subject to 3% non-refundable fee.
Check/money order should be made out to "Town of Occoquan" and may be mailed to Town of Occoquan, P.O. Box 195, Occoquan, VA 22125 or dropped off in person at Occoquan Town Hall, 314 Mill Street, Occoquan, VA 22125. A $35 fee will be charged each time a check is returned for insufficient funds. Checks must be submitted no later than 14 days prior to the first day of the event.
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I don't see a button to apply, why is that? If there are no buttons on this page with links to apply to an event, it means that event is currently sold out or the application process has not begun yet.
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What if I don't have images of my booth set up or display to include in my application? If this is your first show or you don't have images of your booth set up, please take pictures of how you plan to display your products. This can be done as a "mock up" on your desk or work table. Booth and display presentation is an important part of the vendor application as it gives us a feel for not only your products, but your ascetic as well!
booth spaces
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What type of surface are booth spaces? All booth spaces and food truck areas are on pavement. Due to the nature of our historic town, most areas are not perfectly level and a few have a gradual incline.
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What do you provide? We provide an assigned 10' x 10' spot of pavement. You will need to bring your own tent, tent weights, tables, chairs, display, etc. No electricity is available.
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Is there public wifi? No, unfortunately we do not have municipal wireless internet available.
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Where will my booth be? Can I request the same space I had last event? Creating the festival map is a massive undertaking! Vendors will be given their booth assignment roughly two weeks prior to the event. While you may request a specific space or area, there are no guarantees of booth location, due to the dozens of factors that go into the vendor map planning.
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My friend and I want to be next to each other, is that possible? While we can't guarantee it, you should certainly request it in your application and we'll try our best!
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logistics & communication
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If accepted to the event, what information can I expect to receive? The events team will send a series of logistical emails to all vendors in the weeks leading up to the event. In addition to this information, we will email you:
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Graphics to use for marketing
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Load in/out maps
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Shuttle/parking passes for you and your team
