2011 Native Rhythms Festival Vendors

The following vendors have registered to participate in the 2011 Native Rhythms Festival. Watch this page as new vendors come on board to join this year's list of outstanding artists and craftspeople. Join our Yahoo! group at
                                      groups.yahoo.com/group/nativerhythmsfestival
to receive notification when new vendors are added to this list.

We encourage you to visit our vendors' websites often and stop by their booths during our event.

Vendor Area Map

Note that not all vendor area booths are for our arts & crafts (including flute maker) vendors. Booth locations on the map are also allocated for performers (to sell their CDs and other merchandise), food vendors, educational and service organization exhibitors, and event "official" tents. As we get close to the November festival weekend, check back and the new map will be posted here.

ATM located at the Raffle Tent

Rules for Vendors

Requirements for all Artists

o   This is a juried event. No new application will be approved without the submission of photographs of the artist/craftsman’s work and booth. These photographs must accompany the registration application, but alternatively may be sent by e-mail at the same time. Previous year vendors do not need to submit photographs. To ensure the highest quality of artists/craftsmen, we will be limiting the total number of arts/crafts vendors to 40. This number does not include performers who are provided a complementary booth in appreciation of their performing.

NOTE: The total number of booths will include food vendors, performers, and exhibitors (cultural, archaeological, environmental, sponsors, etc.) in addition to the 40 arts/crafts vendors. Therefore, our vendor area map will list more than 40 booths.

o   The requirements of this document will be strictly enforced on all vendors. All booths will be monitored by the organizing committee during the festival to ensure compliance with the rules set forth in this document. Any infractions noted must be corrected on the spot. Those who fail to comply will be asked to leave the festival grounds immediately.

o   Each artist/craftsman must have his/her own booth. Requests to share a booth must have prior approval by the Organizing Committee. When accepted by the Organizing Committee, sharing will be limited to a 10’x10’ booth, and incurs a $50 “sharing fee” above the standard booth fee.  There will be no exceptions.

o   There will be no walk-on artists/merchants permitted.

o   All arts and crafts sold and displayed must be produced by the artist or his/her authorized representative in compliance with the following guidelines.

o   Although artists/craftsmen themselves need not be of Native American ancestry, all arts and crafts must be handmade and of traditional Native American style or maintain a Native American or nature theme. We are looking for artists and craftsmen, not commercial resellers. Commercially purchased supplies used in the creation of your art/craft are acceptable, but no resale of just the supplies will be allowed during this event. No items made outside of the North or South American continents, including the islands of the Caribbean, the Bahamas, and Hawaii, will be allowed.

o   All artists/craftsmen must comply with the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990. The provisions of this Federal law are included for your convenience at the end of this document. Compliance is the responsibility of each participating artist/craftsman and not the NRF Organizing Committee.

o   If the artist/craftsman responsible for the creation of the items in a booth is not present to certify the origin of his/her items, a written certification by the artist/craftsman attesting to the conformity to these rules must be available for examination by the Organizing Committee.

o   We reserve the right to approve the sale of specific commercial resale items that are deemed by the Organizing Committee as appropriate for the event and that do not conflict with other items sold by the other vendors. Vendors who wish to sell such items must submit a written request and then must have available in the booth the returned, signed approval of that request.

o   A small table of inexpensive items, which may include tasteful but cheap imported items, may be set up to sell to children. The Organizing Committee reserves the right to disallow specific items that are deemed inappropriate. Such a table must be separate and distinct from the vendor’s primary offerings. A sign on this table designating it as “Kids Corner” or some similar wording should be clearly visible.

o   We encourage demonstration of skills whenever possible.

o   Grounds & Booth Security – Your cooperation is requested to enhance the security for all vendors and event visitors.

o   The full names of all the persons who will be operating the booth must be included on the registration form. Each identified person will be issued a Native Rhythms Festival security badge. Only people with an official security badge will be permitted to operate booths. Please have your security badge ready to present to roving security personnel, including after hours.

o   On-site security personnel will be present beginning on Thursday, November 10^th, and will patrol the grounds on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Their primary function, especially overnight, is to ensure that unauthorized people do not gain access to vendor booths.

o   Please leave one or more lights on in your booths overnight. People who enter your booth will cast shadows and be easily identified and challenged by security personnel.

o   All vendors must check in with the organizing committee at the registration tent before beginning setup. Each vendor must set up in the location assigned by the organizing committee.

o   Set-up time starts at 10AM on Thursday. All vehicles must be removed from the vendor area by 11AM Friday. Booths must be ready for business no later than noon Friday.

o   An informal reception/jam session will be held on Thursday evening for all vendors, performers, and guests. Please check at the registration tent for details (details will also be available in the vendor packet you will receive when you check in).

o   The vendor operation hours are as follows. All vendors are expected to be open for business during these hours:

o   Friday: 12 Noon – 9PM

o   Saturday: 10AM – 9PM

o   Sunday: 10AM – 5PM

o   Quiet time begins each day at 10PM each evening. All loud noises must cease by this time. This includes the vendor and vendor camping areas.

o   Please do not begin teardown earlier than 5:00PM Sunday. Vehicles will not be permitted in the vendor area for teardown before 5:30PM Sunday. Always be extremely careful when driving in the vendor area during setup and teardown. This area is likely to be congested with people not watching for vehicles.

o   No loud drumming, flute playing, or other loud noises (including CD playing) will be allowed during scheduled concert performances. Please be respectful of the other vendors around you at all times. Please address complaints to NRF officials (including security personnel who will relay the complaint), who will assess the situation and take appropriate action.

o   Each artist/craftsman must supply his/her own tables, chairs, lighting fixtures, extension cords, power strips, packing materials, backdrops, etc. (We can provide you with information about renting tables, tents and chairs locally). Note that this event continues after sunset on Friday and Saturday. Vendors will be responsible for extension cords and lighting fixtures for their booth. Power outlets are located at several points around the vendor area. The Organizing Committee will ensure each booth has access to at least one 110v outlet.

o   Booths must be neat and orderly throughout the Festival. Artists/merchants are responsible for collection and disposing of their own trash. Trash collection points will be provided.

o   Three booth sizes will be offered this year.  County budgetary constraints have forced the Brevard County Parks & Recreation Department to withdraw as an NRF event sponsor, increasing our event expenses. Therefore we must reluctantly increase our booth fees by $25 over the last two years’ rates. NRF 2011 booth fees will be:

o   10’ x 10’ - $175.00

o   10’ x 20’ - $200.00

o   20’ x 20’ - $225.00

Send your check/money order (made out to NHGI for the correct amount in full) with completed application and photos of the merchandise and booth (see note below) to:  

Native Rhythms Festival
c/o Turtle Mound Flutes
4100 N. Wickham Rd. Ste 102 #108
Melbourne, FL 32935

o   Merchandise & booth photographs

o   Vendors must submit clear photographs representing their merchandise and booth with their vendor application. Returning Native Rhythms Festival vendors need not include photos of their merchandise and booth.

o   Hard copy prints of photos may be included with the vendor application. Alternatively, .jpg image files may be e-mailed to webmaster@nativerhythmsfestival.com. Please keep individual files to less than 1 MB and the total attachment to less than 6 MB. Clearly identify the business & contact names for the vendor when submitting photos by e-mail.

o   Please e-mail a .jpg or .gif image (logo or photo) that you would like to see with your listing on the NRF website’s vendor web page to webmaster@nativerhythmsfestival.com.

o   Primitive (no water or electrical hook-up) camping will be available for vendors only near the vendor area for $12.50 per night. Please include this camping fee with your registration form and fee. We will collect this fee and pass it along to the park.

o   Paying this fee authorizes vendor campers to use bathroom & shower facilities in the park’s nearby regular campground.

o   Once parked, vendors using this area must leave their RVs or other vehicles in place and will not be permitted to come and go during hours the festival is open.

o   Campground 10PM “quiet time” applies to the vendor camping area as well.

o   Camping with hook-ups and for all non-vendors must be reserved through Wickham Park for their regular camping area.

o   Each craftsman will be requested to donate to our raffle/auction. All proceeds from the raffle are used to support the event and keep the event free to the public. A portion of any funds raised in excess of actual expenses will be donated to a Native American charity selected by the Organizing Committee.

o   Native Rhythms Festival has exclusive rights on the sale of all drinks, including bottled water and soft drinks. Food and drinks will be provided by our food vendors.

This will be an alcohol-free and drug-free event. Any vendor violating this rule will be asked to leave.

Requirements for Food Vendors

General requirements include the following:

o   Food vendors must comply with all applicable Brevard County health codes. Health inspectors will be on-site to check compliance and the vendor’s county food vendor license.

o   Access to running water is limited. Food vendors needing access to water must document this in their vendor application so that booths can be located appropriately.

o   All sites will have access to standard 110V electrical outlets. Access to 220V outlets is limited and must be identified as a need in the vendor application.

Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 Compliance

All vendors are expected to abide by the terms of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990. Responsibility for compliance is with the vendor and not the NRF Organizing Committee.

“The Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 (P.L.101-644) is a truth-in-advertising law that prohibits misrepresentation in marketing of Indian arts and crafts products within the United States. It is illegal to offer or display for sale, or sell any art or craft product in a manner that falsely suggests it is Indian produced, an Indian product, or the product of a particular Indian or Indian Tribe or Indian arts and crafts organization, resident within the United States. For a first time violation of the Act, an individual can face civil or criminal penalties up to a $250,000 fine or a 5-year prison term, or both. If a business violates the Act, it can face civil penalties or can be prosecuted and fined up to $1,000,000.

Under the Act, an Indian is defined as a member of any federally or State recognized Indian Tribe, or an individual certified as an Indian artisan by an Indian Tribe.

The  law  covers  all  Indian  and  Indian-style  traditional  and  contemporary  arts  and  crafts produced after 1935. The Act broadly applies to the marketing of arts and crafts by any person in the United States. Some traditional items frequently copied by non-Indians include Indian-style jewelry, pottery, baskets, carved stone fetishes, woven rugs, kachina dolls, and clothing.

All products must be marketed truthfully regarding the Indian heritage and tribal affiliation of the producers, so as not to mislead the consumer. It is illegal to market an art or craft item using the name of a tribe if a member, or certified Indian artisan, of that tribe did not actually create the art or craft item.

For example, products sold using a sign claiming "Indian Jewelry" would be a violation of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act  if  the  jewelry was produced by someone other  than a member, or certified Indian artisan, of an Indian tribe. Products advertised as "Hopi Jewelry" would be in violation of the Act if they were produced by someone who is not a member, or certified Indian artisan, of the Hopi tribe.”

Download Vendor Rules and Vendor Agreement

Vendor Rules

Click here to download the Vendor Rules in Microsoft Word format.

Click here to download the Vendor Rules in Adobe PDF format.

Vendor Agreement

Click here to download the Vendor Agreement in Microsoft Word format.

Click here to download the Vendor Agreement in Adobe PDF format.

Click here to download the Non-Attending Artist Statement of Compliance in Microsoft Word format.

Click here to download the Non-Attending Artist Statement of Compliance in Adobe PDF format.