Cricket's Nest

Festival Location
All Cricket’s Nest Festivals are held inside the South Fork Community Center. Select festivals also extend into the surrounding park areas.

Festival Days / Hours
All festivals are held rain or shine.

• Festival hours for Friday 9am – 6pm
• Festival hours for Saturday 9am – 3pm
• Absolutely no early break down, early packing or thinning allowed. This includes consolidating items on your table or taking items to your vehicle. Early packing triggers a chain reaction with other vendors packing and causes customers to leave thinking the event has ended. You will not be eligible for future events if violated.

Festival Fees

• Member Fee $40
• Non-Member Fee $45
• Kitchen Fee $75
• Cash or check accepted for festival fees. Checks should be made payable to Cricket Craftsmen, Inc.

Outside Spaces – Fall Festival Only

• Space Size 10 x 10 feet (size is approximate and will vary)
• Spaces limited to maximum of 3 per vendor

Inside Spaces

• Space Size 8 x 8 feet (size is approximate and will vary)
• Spaces limited to 1 per vendor (25 available)
• 2 chairs provided per vendor, tables not provided

Kitchen

• Kitchen Space Size 22 x 20 feet (approximate)
• Space limited to 1 vendor
• 2 (8 foot) tables provided
• 2 chairs provided
• Trash bags provided
• Appliances Provided: One wall oven, one range oven, one 4-burner electric flat surface cooktop, refrigerator, ice maker, two sinks. (Note – South Fork does NOT have a commercial kitchen.)

No Refunds

• Festival fees cannot be refunded.
• Verify your availability for an event and make sure you agree with vendor guidelines before submitting your festival application.

All potential vendors must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Festivals are open to vendors over 18 years of age who create high quality, hand-made items.
• Vendors do not have to be a Cricket’s Nest member to participate
• Vendors are not required to live in Forsyth County.
• Food vendors are required to comply with NC/Forsyth County food safety practices.
• Only handcrafted items or food products created by the vendor applicant are allowed.
• Items must be a minimum of 75% handcrafted.
• Retail, collegiate, and yard sale items are not allowed.
• Copyright items are permitted only with Proof of Licensing. Proof must be submitted with payment of festival fees.
• Violation of the guidelines will result in a closure of vendor booth immediately and must wait until the end of the day to pack their products to avoid disrupting the festival, forfeiture of all fees, and banned from future events.

Festival participation does not guarantee sales

Food vendors are responsible for contacting the appropriate government agencies to verify tasks necessary to meet the required compliance. Questions pertaining to Food Service or Sales should be directed to the following agencies:

• NC Department of Agriculture 984-236-4820
• NC Cooperative Extension 336-703-2850
• The Forsyth County Health Department 336-703-3100

Home Based Food Vendors

Home Based Food Vendors are not required to have food permits but must be compliant with food handling procedures and complete the following:

• Complete a Home Health Inspection with the NCDA
• Obtain a Home Based Health Certificate from the NCDA
• Submit your Home Based Health Certificate to Cricket’s Nest with your Festival Application
• Label all packaged prepared foods according to NC guidelines.

Temporary Food Vendors (Off-Site)

Temporary Food Vendors selling baked goods and canned items must comply with the guidelines provided by the NC Department of Agriculture program. Visit nchomeprocessing.com for more information on compliance guidelines.

• Label all packaged prepared foods according to NC guidelines.

Temporary Food Vendors (South Fork Kitchen)

Temporary Food Vendors preparing food items on-site in the South Fork Community Center Kitchen are not required to have food permits or health inspections but must be compliant with food handling procedures. All items prepared outside of the South Fork Community Center Kitchen must comply with the guidelines provided by the NC Department of Agriculture program. Visit nchomeprocessing.com for more information on compliance guidelines.

• Label all packaged prepared foods according to NC guidelines.

Mobile Food Vendors (Food Trucks)

All food trucks operating on public property must comply with the following guidelines to ensure the food trucks meet all state health and safety standards.

• Obtain a permit from the City of Winston-Salem. Submit a copy of your permit to Cricket’s Nest with your Festival Application.
• Pass regular health inspections conducted by Forsyth County Officials.
• Obtain a Mobile Food Unit Permit from the NC Department of Health and Human Services.
• Secure a license from the vendor’s local government.

Marketing & Promotion:

When participating in a Cricket’s Nest festival, vendors are required to help with promotion of the event via social media and by word of mouth. You will not be eligible for future events if you do not assist with this critical task.

Though we do not dictate exactly how you advertise, we have a list of recommendations that will explain what is expected of you.

Inside Spaces:

• Festival setup is scheduled from 1pm – 6pm on the day before an event starts. Space locations are assigned by Cricket’s Nest staff and communicated at setup.
• Pre-approval is required for inside setup on the morning an event starts, prioritized for out-of-town vendors
• 2025 Setup date for Fall Festival – Inside September 26
• 2025 Setup date for Holly Jolly Festival – Inside November 6
• 2025 Setup date for Santa’s Winter Festival – Inside December 5

Outside Spaces:

• Festival setup starts at 7am (when the park opens) on the day of the festival. Outside spaces are filled on a first come basis within the marked areas of the park.
• Tents must not damage surroundings.
• 2025 Setup date for Fall Festival – Outside September 27

South Fork Community Center kitchen:

• Festival setup is scheduled from 1pm – 6pm on the day before an event starts.
• With pre-approval, Kitchen vendors can have the entire day to prepare on the day before the event starts.
• With pre-approval, Kitchen vendors can set up on the morning an event starts.

All vendors are responsible for planning and preparing for all event details. Consider everything you may need for the day (not limited to the following examples):

• Space display – tent, tables, table coverings, chairs
• Packaging – bags, boxes, tissue
• Sales – cash, change, credit card processor (if offered)
• Taxes – collection, reporting, and payment
• Permits, License, Inspections – Food Vendors ONLY
• Vendor food needs – lunch, snacks, water

Kitchen vendors are ALSO responsible for planning and preparing for kitchen food needs:

• Food Preparation – supplies for all items needed for food preparation and clean-up
• Serving – utensils, plates, cups, napkins
• Setup – kitchen display signage

Vendors are welcome to configure their space and product displays at their discretion. Layout must fit fully within your assigned space and must allow entrance/exit within your space. Do not encroach into another vendor’s space or into common areas without first getting permission from Shop staff. However; you can adjust your booth space with your vendor neighbor, if they are willing.

• Kitchen setup must not impede entrance or exit from hallway or ballroom.
• Vendors must bring tables, unless otherwise noted for Kitchen vendors.
• Table coverings must extend to the floor on all sides visible to the public. Corners must be secured to prevent a tripping hazard.
• Electrical cords must be taped to the floor.

Help Cricket’s Nest to promote each festival by going to the Cricket’s Nest social media accounts to “like”, “love”, comment, and share the event posts to your social media accounts. This helps the algorithms to display the event in more feeds. It also helps to bring more foot traffic to the festivals.

Variety is Key

• Offer a variety of items within your crafting theme. For example: If you make jewelry, consider offering necklaces, earrings, bracelets, or pins. If you primarily make wood cutting boards, offer bowls, pens, and keychains.
• Bring items at different price points to attract buyers in different budget ranges. If most of your items are $25 or higher, consider selling some items at $10-$15.
• Consider making items for younger shoppers who may have an allowance burning a hole in their pocket.

Be Attentive

• Minimize phone use when shoppers are present. They may keep walking if they feel they are interrupting you.
• Focus on keeping a positive attitude even when attendance or sales are low. Projecting a negative or frustrated attitude will make customers uncomfortable. They see you and remember how you made them feel.
• Make an effort to talk with everyone who visits your space during an event. It can be as simple as sharing a “Hello, thanks for coming out today.” We want our shoppers to feel welcome, valued, and appreciated.
• As we mentioned in a previous section, your goal is to learn what shoppers need so you can offer products that meet those needs. Sometimes this may mean recommending another vendor. Directing a shopper away from your table is difficult, but they will remember you put them ahead of your sales and will likely reward you with a future purchase or referral.