The City of Jacksonville's Office of Special Events produces events throughout the year that offer various vending opportunities. All vending (food and/or mechandise) is contracted per event via an application process. Application submission does not guarantee participation.
 

Upcoming Vending Opportunities:

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Updates and Information

Vending Fees

• There will be a fee to participate in City of Jacksonville events. This fee is determined by event and is typically 15% based on gross receipts. Gross receipts are calculated simply by adding all post tax sales invoices, and not including operating expenses, cost of goods sold, or any other charge.
• The City of Jacksonville Office of Special Events will determine whether or not vendors will be self-contained depending on the vendors setup. For non-food truck vendors, a tent, two tables, two chairs, and banner included in the fee. Food truck vendors will receive a menu board.
• The fee is paid directly to the Office of Special Events. The space cannot be sublet, subleased or otherwise resold to another vendor.
• All fees must be made payable to the City of Jacksonville and be in the form of cashier’s check or money order.
• Each participant is responsible for providing trash bins and bags for trash disposal within the vending space. The City will provide trash collection.
• The City of Jacksonville Office of Special Events is not responsible for lost products or merchandise due to inclement weather or other acts out of our control.
• No refunds will be issued.

Vending Rules & Regulations

1. Only licensed food vendors will be considered for participation in any City of Jacksonville Special Events. All food vendors who do not have an annual license will need to apply for and purchase a temporary event license on site at the event from the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
2. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation will be on site at all City of Jacksonville Special Events to inspect all booths.  Please review the guidelines for temporary events provided by the Department of Professional Regulation to ensure that each food vendor is properly set-up. Please note, food vendors may not evoke any rights that may waive the Department of Business and Professional Regulation to inspect your booth. For more information on temporary food service events, click here. 
3. Food vendors will be required to show proof of insurance meeting the City of Jacksonville’s requirements. The City of Jacksonville must receive certificates of insurance within 14 days of vendor acceptance. For general insurance requirements, click here. Please note that these are general requirements and, depending on the specific event, some of these requirements may change.
4. Participating food vendors must comply with the rules and regulations of the State of Florida Health Department and any other governmental body with jurisdiction over any City of Jacksonville special event.
5. The City of Jacksonville Municipal Code 250, Part 12 and the Florida Fire Prevention Code, NFPA 1, Chapter 50 – Commercial Cooking, lists the requirements for Mobile and Temporary Cooking Operations. The City of Jacksonville Fire Marshal’s Office requires an inspection and permit prior to the start of an event. Upon a satisfactory inspection, the permit will be valid for one year from the date it was issued.  Food vendors can contact Chief Mason with JFRD Fire Prevention at amason@coj.net for further information, steps on how to schedule an inspection and how to obtain a permit.
6. Only approved food items listed on the application may be sold. Only participants with written approval by the Special Events Manager may sell non-food items (cups, t-shirts, aprons, etc.). Special Events Manager must approve, in advance, any promotional items given away at the event.
7. No roaming vendors will be permitted, unless otherwise approved by the Special Events Manager prior to the event.
8. Solid Waste Disposal; Grease and Grey Water Bins should be provided by the vendor. The city will provide receptacles, and these will be located onsite. You must use these to dispose any waste (grease and dirty water only). You must bring your own water supply as well as liquid soap, paper towels, and any other items to wash. The City of Jacksonville will NOT provide potable water unless approved through the Office of Special Events in advance.
9. Please be aware that the City of Jacksonville Fire Department will inspect your booth/area. If you bring your own tent, it must be labeled as fire retardant. Fire extinguishers meeting your vending operation are required for ALL booths.
10. Vendor shall obtain all required permits, licenses or approvals and shall comply with all applicable laws, rules, regulations and ordinances applicable to their activities related to this event. Vendor must furnish copies of all required permits, licenses or approvals for vending.
11. Vendor will sell products directly to event consumers. Vendor must furnish their own cash banks and credit card processing systems. Vendor shall be responsible for reporting and paying any applicable sales tax on their sales.
12. Vendors are not permitted to sell beverages unless approved within your agreement. The sale of alcoholic beverages by a food vendor is never permitted.
13. Many events are scheduled to be open as a rain or shine event, unless lightning is spotted in which outdoor activities will be suspended for 30 minutes from the time of the last strike. No refunds will be issued for inclement weather.
14. All booths, carts and trucks must be designed, constructed and operated in good taste and in the best interest of the event and the public. The City of Jacksonville Office of Special Events reserves the right to prohibit or restrict Vendor determined to be objectionable due to noise, method of operation, materials or any other reason. In the event that The City of Jacksonville Office of Special Events restricts or prohibits Vendor, no refund of Vendor Fee or other expenses will be issued. Carnival tactics, the use of public address systems or other similar activities are not permitted. The City of Jacksonville Office of Special Events does not guarantee exclusivity of products sold. Vendor may not sublease, license or allow the use of any portion of their vendor space to a third party. The sale of beverages is strictly licensed and controlled through The City of Jacksonville Office of Special Events. No sale of beverages by vendors will be permitted. Food Vendors may not run onboard generators.
15. Food Vendor must put down non-porous flooring to cover cooking areas. Grease spills and any other spills by a Vendor will be the responsibility of the Vendor to clean. If Vendor space is not cleaned, Vendor will be billed cleaning fees. GREASE MAY NOT BE POURED ONTO THE GRASS OR INTO STORM DRAINS and vendor must use appropriate grease receptacle provided by them or provided by The City of Jacksonville Office of Special Events. Vendor will have access to dispose of grease on site at no additional fee. Vendor must bag all trash and breakdown boxes for pickup by the City of Jacksonville.
16. Food Vendor must comply with all written rules and regulations as noted in acceptance letter and The City of Jacksonville Special Events website. 
17. Except for medical service animals, animals are not permitted to be present in vendor booths.
18. The City of Jacksonville Office of Special Events will provide limited roving security. Vendor is solely responsible for the security of Vendor’s area, products and property.
19. The City of Jacksonville Office of Special Events will assign vendor locations no less than 2 weeks prior to the event. There is no assignment priority given to vendors and vendors may not select their space. The City of Jacksonville Office of Special Events reserves the right to make modifications to the assigned vendor locations in its sole and absolute discretion. No vendor may obstruct another vendor or impede other vendors operation or space.
20. Vendors must be open to the general public during all mandatory event hours.  Vendors must stop the use of all heated cooking equipment 30 minutes prior to end of each event day.
21. No items may be served in a glass container of any kind.
22. Food vendors must supply all food-service equipment necessary for the operation of their respective booths.  Service equipment must be in good working order.
23. Food vendors must obtain all of their own supplies and sanitary eating utensils. 
24. Tents, provided by the City of Jacksonville, must be clear of all soot, grease, and debris at the conclusion of the event.  Any tents found to be left unclean by the vendor will incur a $1,000 cleaning fee.
25. The City of Jacksonville Office of Special Events will provide electrical connections for vendor equipment. All electrical needs must be listed within the agreement. Extension cords will not be provided by the City.  Food vendors using bottled gas must adhere to all restrictions specified by the Fire Marshall and refueling during the event hours is prohibited.
26. You must bring your own water supply as well as liquid soap, paper towels, and any other items to wash. The City of Jacksonville will NOT provide potable water unless approved through the Office of Special Events in advance.
27. All food vendors must be completely set up for inspection one hour prior to the start of the event.  All vehicles must be removed from the set-up thirty minutes prior to the start of the event.
28. Illegal vehicle, trailer, or RV parking is subject to any towing regulations enforced through the City of Jacksonville.  The Office of Special Events will not be responsible for any loss or towing fees incurred by the vendor’s negligence.
29. The event committee will review applications; specific foods must be listed on the application to ensure a balanced selection of menu items per vendor. Food vendor selection will be subject to a thorough menu review. If multiple vendors apply to sell the same products the most appropriate vendor will be accepted. Remember, we are always looking for unique vendors who offer multiple options to create a great experience for attendees.

Resources & Information

Department of Business & Professional Regulation (DBPR)