GFREE FEST VENDOR APPLICATION

VENDOR APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR GFREE FEST 2027!

GFree Fest is a fun and educational food-focused festival held annually in Providence, RI, bringing together dozens of pop-up restaurants, bakeries, makers of artisanal and gourmet food products, and other gluten-free businesses from throughout New England and beyond.

All products sold, sampled, or served at GFree Fest must be entirely gluten free. Vendors are required to attest to their commitment to providing gluten-free goods by signing a vendor agreement after acceptance and again upon arrival at the venue.

For vendors who also prepare or produce foods containing gluten outside of GFree Fest, appropriate cross-contamination prevention measures must be in place throughout sourcing, preparation, storage, transportation, and service. Vendors are required to provide the GFree Fest team with details about the procedures they use to prevent cross-contact, including information about shared kitchens, equipment, preparation surfaces, fryers, utensils, storage areas, and other potential sources of gluten exposure when applicable.

These requirements help us create an event where gluten-free attendees can shop, eat, learn, and discover new products with greater confidence, while also encouraging transparency and thoughtful food-safety practices from every participating vendor.

Please read all of the event information below before applying:

• GFree Fest takes place at WaterFire Arts Center at 475 Valley Street in Providence, RI on March 20th and 21st, 2027 from 11am-5pm. This is a two-day event and all vendors must commit to participating for the entirety of both days, as we cannot load out Saturday and cannot load in or set up vendors on Sunday morning.

• ALL PRODUCTS SOLD MUST BE GLUTEN FREE.

• This is an indoor event and will be held rain or shine.

• Tents and balloons are not permitted at this indoor venue.

• Standard booth size is 9 feet wide x with 7 feet deep. Larger spaces are available for sponsors of GFree Fest. A very limited number of 18 x 7 double booth spaces are available for restaurants and bakeries only.

• Vendors who are selected to participate must arrive at 8:00 am Saturday for load-in. It is possible that a Friday night load-in will be available.

• Restaurant vendors are not permitted to cook with propane or open flames on the venue’s campus, though Sterno is acceptable with advance approval.

• We strive to create an eclectic group of vendors, which means that we'll only be able to accept select vendors from each category (non-profits, makers, artisans, restaurants, food trucks, bakeries, etc) We recommend applying as early as possible!

• GFree Fest is a curated event and filling out the form below does not guarantee that you will be selected to participate.

• Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis beginning in late summer. All applicants will be notified via email.

• We cannot accept multi-level-marketing vendors for this event.

  VENDOR & EXHIBITOR COSTS

  9 foot wide x 7 foot deep booth spaces

  • Non-food retail: $275 (art, makers, clothing, etc)

  • Non-profit Organization - $150

  • Food-based Retail: $275 (packaged, boxed foods, or room temperature non-bakery food items such as produce, crackers, candy, chips)

  • Beverage: $275 (please note that this event has a full bar, and we do not accept vendors of cocktails/mocktails)

  • Food Truck: $400 (outdoor location, very limited space)

  • Restaurant/Bakery/Catering/Food Service pop-up cooking or serving hot/warm or cold foods: $400 SINGLE BOOTH

  • Restaurant/Bakery/Catering/Food Service pop-up cooking or serving hot/warm or cold foods: $800 DOUBLE BOOTH (18 feet wide x 7 feet deep - very limited availability)

Food vendors/restaurants must provide a certificate of insurance and a RI Dept of Health certification in order to participate. There is a $50 additional power fee for vendors who require electricity greater than what is needed to charge a phone or POS unit. Once accepted, we will provide more details.