UPDATE – Vendor Invitations for 2024
We have sent invitations to selected craft vendors as of 2/15/2024 for participation in the 2024 festival on April 27th. If you have not received an invitation, we regret that we cannot include you in this year’s festival. You are always welcome to fill out the Interest Form below to let us know about you for future events. Please see below for more information on upcoming changes to the festival.
IMPORTANT CHANGES FOR 2024
Participation for craft vendors in 2024 will be by invitation only and will be limited to 8-10 vendors.
The New Jersey Folk Festival, led by faculty members and students in the Department of American Studies at Rutgers University, is embarking on a new chapter, implementing key operational changes on Rutgers Day, including shifting to a new performance venue located at the heart of Ag Field Day and revising its partnerships with vendors.
Location Change
The New Jersey Folk Festival main stage and artistic programs will move from the Eagleton Lawn to a new location in the Passion Puddle on Cook Campus.
Artists, Musicians, and Performers at the New Jersey Folk Festival
The Main Stage and our Cultural Heritage Area will continue at the new location. The festival theme for 2024 is “Garden State: Cultures of Cultivation”. The New Jersey Folk Festival is also growing its program beyond Rutgers Day, including a series of Artist Encounters in collaboration with Rutgers Student Affairs, the New Jersey Folk Podcast, available on Spotify and Apple podcasts, and exhibits and programs with local cultural partners.
Craft Vendors at the New Jersey Folk Festival
The Folk Festival’s team will carefully select a smaller pool of vendors whose arts and crafts closely align with the festival’s current or recent themes. Participation for craft vendors will be exclusively by invitation with a restricted number of 8-10 vendors.
Questions?
For the latest information about our programs, visit our website: www.njfolkfest.org, and follow our social media @njfolkfest on Facebook and Instagram. To contact us, please email njfolkfest@amerstudies.rutgers.edu
How Will We Choose Craft Vendors?
Our team researches artists through our community and local arts networks. A slate of potential craft vendors will be assembled and juried by a committee comprised of students, faculty, and members of our non-profit board. We will continue to draw on our existing database of past vendors and welcome interest from new vendors in making our selections. New craft vendors may use our interest form to make themselves known to us. You may fill out the interest form at any time to add your information to our database. Invitations will be will be sent by March 2024, at which time we will request payment of the booth fee and signature of a vendor contract.
Craft Vendor Interest Form
Previous Vendors: If you have applied to festivals between 2020-2023, we already have your information on file. You do not need to resubmit your information to the interest form unless there has been a significant change in your business.
Typical Criteria In Our Selection Process
1) Cultural / ethnic / heritage craft traditions: The craft represents a tradition based in a cultural or ethnic community and/or is a heritage craft with historical precedent. Artists based in the United States, especially those based in the New Jersey region, are prioritized. *In some cases, imported handmade crafts demonstrative of a particular culture, ethnicity, or heritage tradition may be allowed, but rigorous standards will be upheld prioritizing: a) handmade materials and b) fair and just supply chains between the vendor and international makers. Please contact us with questions. Additional application materials may be requested to evaluate vendors of international products.
2) Distinctively New Jersey products: The craft highlights materials, concepts, or traditions unique to the state of New Jersey; The craft is made with New Jersey materials and/or by New Jersey artists.
3) Highly skilled / handmade crafts: The craft is a handmade work of art and demonstrates a high level of skill, artistry, and craft.
4) Relevant to festival theme 2024: “Cultures of Cultivation”. The craft is relevant to the particular festival theme for the year.
5) Long-term NJ Folk Fest vendors: Vendors who have long-term relationships with the festival (10 years +) will be given special consideration.
6) Ability to sell products online: Though we anticipate the festival will be in-person, vendors are encouraged to have their own sales platform online. We will link to your platform where possible on our website and social media.
7) Book Vendors: We will consider vendors selling new and used books relevant to the mission of the New Jersey Folk Festival on topics such as: 1) Histories of New Jersey 2) Folk Music, Dance, Arts, Crafts 3) Studies of cultural groups or issues pertinent to the theme of the festival (2023: “New Directions in Folk” and “Cultures of Cultivation”) 4) Topics relevant to the disciplines of Folklore and American Studies. Please be prepared to give a list of potential titles you plan to sell.
Craft vendors should be selling hand made items they have created. No mass produced items are accepted. Very limited exceptions for internationally produced crafts may be permitted for individuals with long-term equitable relationships with artists in other countries. We strictly enforce the limitation of artists who represent themselves or their art as Native American to those individuals who can demonstrate affiliation with a recognized tribal nation. https://www.doi.gov/iacb/act
EVENT LOGISTICS
In our new location, vendors will be located under a large tent provided by the Folk Festival. Vendors will not provide their own tents. We will discuss specifics of event logistics with invited vendors.
Questions about the application, criteria, or event logistics, please contact njfolkfest@amerstudies.rutgers.edu