Who is the organizer of the Festival?

• SantaCaliGon is presented annually by the Independence Chamber of Commerce.  In addition to staff, over 400 volunteers work to make the successful an incredible experience for all attendees.

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Where is the Festival located?

• Historic Independence Square, Independence, Missouri 64050. (Osage to Memorial Drive, between Truman and Walnut streets)

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What are the Festival hours of operation?

• Friday, August 29th - 12:00 pm-11:00 pm

• Saturday, August 30th - 10:00 am-11:00 pm

• Sunday, August 31st - 10:00 am-11:00 pm

• Monday, September 1st - 10:00 am-5:00 pm

 

Vendor Setup Information:

• Vendors are required to be present Thursday, August 28th, at the allotted setup time after 4pm, determined prior to the festival and communicated via email.

• Vendor inspections begin Friday morning at 8am. Vendors are expected to be present for inspections and can begin sales afterward.

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How much does it cost to become a vendor?

• Vendor prices vary based on product and location. Some locations offer coverings that are associated with a cost to the festival, so those booths are offered at a higher rate. However, the base prices for vendors selling out of their own tent on the street are as follows:​ ​

  • 10x10 Arts & Crafts Vendors: Starting at $550 - MORE INFO

  • 10x10 Game Vendor: Starting at $650 - MORE INFO

  • 10x10 NON-PROFIT Food Vendors (limited availability): Starting at $550 - MORE INFO

  • 10x10 Square Merchant:  MORE INFO

• 10x10 Commercial Vendors: Starting at $1150 - MORE INFO

• 10x10 SCG Food Vendors: Starting at $1150 - MORE INFO

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• The categories are defined as follows:

  • Arts & Crafts:  Artists contracting with the Chamber to sell products hand made by that vendor (does not include vendors who sell in bulk or sell products made by others).

  • Non-Profit: Legally formed, state of Missouri 501C3 organization providing charitable services contracting with the Chamber in order to raise funding to provide Independence community support exclusively (limited availability).  Non-profit vendors may be admitted at commercial rate.

  • Commercial: Organization or person contracting with the Chamber to sell or display commercial products or services (includes small businesses, buy/sell vendors, those who assemble purchased components, and food vendors, without non-profit status).

• Vendors who have questions or uncertainty about their vendor category or location options should email amy@ichamber.biz or call 816-333-4850.

 

 

 

 

How do you register to be a vendor?​

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• Vendors should select “Book Event Space”, find your vendor type and “Add to Cart”. For vendors who would like multiple booth spaces, after you have selected your type, you should click “Add Another” until you have selected the amount of booth spaces you are registering for. (For example, a vendor who sells handcrafted metal artwork and requires a 10x20 booth space should select 10x10 Arts & Crafts Booth “Add to Cart” and then select “Add Another”) Once you’ve selected the amount of booth spaces you require, you will move forward with your Checkout.  Please keep in mind that the last page of your registration submission requires a credit card payment and the checkout process does not save your progress, so do not begin the registration process until you are prepared to make full payment.

• If you are a first-time vendor, you will be asked to provide your contact information. If you are a returning vendor, you should be able to login and the registration will auto-fill your contact info.

• Once you have submitted your full registration including payment information, the festival office is contacted to either approve or reject your submission. All registration submissions are considered pending until approval or rejection.  If your registration submission is approved, you will be notified and your payment will be processed. If your registration submission is rejected, you will be notified and your payment will not be processed and payment info erased.

• Some banks will withdraw the funds and notate them in the “pending” category of your account prior to our approval.  If we reject your registration afterward, the funds will show back up in your account within the day of the rejection. If we approve your registration, the payment will move to the “completed” category of your account. Reasons for rejection include but are not limited to excess of product, limited space available, prohibited product, etc.

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When does vendor registration close?

• Vendor registration continues until full. However, prices go up 10% on June 1st, 2025.

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Are vendors provided electricity at their booth space?

• Yes. All vendors are provided 100 watts of electricity directly to their booth space, which covers basic needs like lights, a phone charger, a fan, etc. Food vendors are provided 500 watts. Vendors who may require more electricity to their booth should contact Amy Knipp by email - amy@ichamber.biz or by phone - 816-333-4850.

 

What are the insurance requirements for vendors?

• All vendors are required to be covered by liability insurance during the Festival and set-up times. Vendor may choose to provide a certificate of insurance or pay a liability insurance user fee.

• Vendors who choose to provide a COI should submit to the Chamber no later than August 8, 2025 including:

1. The City of Independence and the Independence Chamber of Commerce listed as additional insured.
2. General liability coverage limit of no less than $1,000,000 covering August 28th to September 1st, 2025.
3. Name of vendor or organization on each document.

• In the event the Vendor elects not to provide evidence of insurance coverage, Vendor shall pay the Chamber a liability insurance user fee of $150 to be paid by August 4, 2025. If Vendor has multiple booth spaces and they do not adjoin the Vendor shall pay a liability insurance user fee of $150 per location.

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Do vendors choose their booth spaces?

• No—the festival office makes decisions on all vendor booth spaces. However, vendors may make general booth requests (for example, “we’d prefer to be near the carnival”, “we’d prefer the farmer’s market lot”, “we’d prefer to be near the stage”, etc.) Paid returning vendors are offered seniority over booth spaces they currently utilize. 

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When will vendors know their booth space?

• The festival staff begins to assign booth spaces in May. Not including unexpected circumstances, all vendors who have paid by May 1st, 2025, should receive their booth space prior to the refund deadline June 1st, 2025.

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Are vendors required to be open during all hours of the festival?

• Vendors are not required to be open after 10pm Friday through Sunday. However, vendors are required to be open during all other hours of the festival. If a vendor shuts down their booth early or arrives late, they are at risk for not returning the following year.

 

What do vendors need in order to pass inspections?

• Electrical: A GFI extension cord between 3 and 50 feet is required in every booth to plug appliances, lights, devices, etc. into. Any vendor who does not know if their allotted electricity will power their booth should contact amy@ichamber.biz or 816-333-4850.

• Fire: A minimum of a 2A10BC fire extinguisher is required in every booth with an inspection tag showing that it has been inspected within the last 12 months. Food vendors cooking with grease or oil must also have a class “K” extinguisher.

• Health: Vendors selling or sampling food and/or beverage products shall be required to obtain a food permit from the City of Independence Health Department (816) 325-7803. There is a $100 fee assessed by the city for this permit.

 

When is the latest day to ask for a refund?

• Vendors can request a full refund until June 1st, 2025. 

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Where can I park?

• Free parking is available at the Community of Christ Auditorium parking lot located at 1001 W. Walnut. The auditorium has four entrances: west, east, south, and north. The west entrance is the main parking area (off Crysler Street) of the auditorium. Shuttles are available for $1 per person for shuttle ride to the festival grounds, Shuttles run every 15 minutes. Handicap accessible shuttles are available.

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Are there any restrictions we should be aware of during the festival?  

• For the safety of all our guests, we ask that festival attendees be aware of the following things which are prohibited.

  • NO smoking on festival grounds

  • NO weapons allowed on the festival grounds

  • NO animals allowed on the festival grounds.

  • NO open containers outside of the designated beer garden and wine garden

  • NO cycling, skateboarding, or other recreational transportation allowed on festival grounds.

 

How can I search for vendors and products?

• An interactive map will be available two weeks prior to the start of the festival and can be accessed from your phone or desktop web browser.  This will allow you to search to find your favorite food, merchandise or a specific vendor. 

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Other Questions?

Contact the Chamber of Commerce at 816.252.4745 for additional information.  The Chamber offices are located at 210 W. Truman Road and serves as the central headquarters during the event.​