105 2nd Street Clarksville, VA 23927 PO Box 1017
HOW TO APPLY
- Complete the application in full.
- Include a check/money order (payment must be included for Festival Jury’s consideration). All payments must accompany the application. NO payments are allowed on the day of the show!
- Include three (3) “COLOR PHOTOS of your product with your application. Include pictures of products or crafts and a picture of the outside booth display. We are not able to return pictures. Even if you have been a vendor in the past, your application must include three current photos.
- Notification of acceptance will be emailed after the Jury Committee has met. (Note: The 1st Jury Meeting will be held in February 2025 and thereafter as needed until spaces are filled).
- Deadline for applications is June 25, 2025. Review of applications after that date will be considered if space is available. Applications after June 25th require an additional late fee as noted in pricing.
- Important communication from our office is through email, so please provide a legible email address on the application. You may send application and pictures via email but applications will not be processed until a Check/Money Order is delivered to the office for the appropriate amount. Payment must accompany application to be considered. We do not cash checks until applications have been accepted by the Festival Jury.
- Please read all of the Rules and Requirements. Beginning June 20th, fees are non-refundable in the event of cancellation on your part – or in the case of inclement weather during the event.
- There is s $50 service charge for any returned check.
- We will take applications until all spaces are filled. Food Vendors are usually filled by May, so we encourage vendors to call to check status on availability of space. We urge applicants to apply early. Vendor spots are limited and reserved upon approval from the Festival Jury.
- Extended stay on Saturday evening 5pm-10pm is available on a limited basis. Please request an extended stay application on your initial application if interested. Space is limited and is only for vendors placed between 2nd to 5th Street locations. Fees for extended stay are determined at a later time and will be provided with an extended stay application if space is available.
FESTIVAL PLANNING INFORMATION
The Virginia Lake Festival is a community celebration organized by the Clarksville Lake Country Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 1017, 105 Second Street, Clarksville VA 23927.
For more information please visit the website at www.ClarksvilleVA.com or call 434.374.2436. You may also email: Director@KerrLake.com.
FOOD VENDORS
- BUSINESS LICENSE: The Clarksville Lake Country Chamber has purchased a “BLANKET” business license for the Virginia Lake Festival. Approved vendors are NOT required to purchase one.
- All food vendors must apply for VDH Permits one month prior to the event.
- Water & electricity are not provided.
- Only quiet-clean running generators are permitted (You may be asked to leave if generator is excessively noisy as deemed by the event planners).
- All food vendors accepted MUST meet all Virginia Department of Health requirements and if a food vendor does not pass inspection, the vendor will not be allowed to operate during the festival. No refunds will be given for food vendors that do not pass the health inspection.
- All food vendors must have current permits and fire code requirements per VDH and VDFS.
- *New*. All food vendors must submit a copy of Food Establishment Permit & Food Safety Certificate with application and apply with the Virginia Health Department to participate at the event.
- We will accept food vendors until the event is full. A completed application does not guarantee acceptance into the festival. We will notify you if you are accepted.
- All food vendors must provide ground cover inside their booth and cooking area for the absorption of grease. No food vendor will be allowed to open for business if the ground cover is not in place. No grease or gray water can be poured onto the ground or down any drains. Anyone found violating this policy will be asked to leave the event will not be allowed to return. Vendors are responsible for any and all environmental clean-up costs.
- Each vendor is responsible for disposing of any waste water (not in drains).
- All food vendors are required to submit a menu with descriptions and include prices with the application.
NON-FOOD VENDORS
- Please note: To be considered a “Craft” vendor, ALL ITEMS MUST BE HANDCRAFTED BY SELLER. Nothing can be mass produced by an outside distributor. Judges will determine if items are considered handcrafted. For example, a cup mass that was produced and simply has a “sticker” attached which was made by the vendor will NOT pass as a handcrafted vendor.
- IMPORTANT! The Jury Committee makes every effort to select only crafters/artisans whose work is their own, and not commercially purchased or manufactured. Likewise, commercial vendors are required to sell only top-quality products. On occasion, vendors may be asked to verify that the work is their own (crafters/artisans) or the products (commercials) are authentic. If Festival Officials discover that any vendor has misrepresented himself/herself to the Jury Committee, the vendor will be asked to leave immediately and no refund will be granted.
SPACE REQUIREMENTS
- Exhibit tables must be covered with fabric/table cloths
- Vendors must remain open during all hours of the show (no early set-up or take-down)
- All vendors are assigned spaces by the Clarksville Lake Country Chamber staff. We do not guarantee specific space requests.
- Vendor Hospitality Room is open in Town Hall from 6am-4pm with air conditioning, restrooms and cold bottled water at 321 Virginia Avenue.
PARKING
Approved vendors are allowed to unload their vehicles at their designated vendor space.
Immediately following download of merchandise, vehicles must be moved and parked on a side street as designated by Festival Officials.
CHAMBER MEMBERSHIP
BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP
Membership is open to all area business owners, civic organizations and interested members of the community who maintain their annual dues investment in the Chamber. Membership benefits include:
- Advertising opportunities
- Employee benefits
- Community involvement
- Information on current events & policies
- Networking opportunities
- Promotion opportunities
- Marketing opportunities
- Referrals
- A voice in the legislative process
- Coordination of ribbon cuttings
- Use of the copy machine to produce multiple quick copies
LAKE REGION
WELCOME TO LAKE COUNTRY
The natural beauty of this region has drawn people for centuries. Originally, the Lake Region was home to the Occoneechee tribe of Native Americans, and the site of a major trade path connecting the east coast to the interior of North America. While the Occoneechee were attacked and driven off the land in 1676 by British forces led by Nathaniel Bacon, the area would became a significant site for trade site again.
Settlers soon populated the Lake Region because it offered the perfect climate and soil for growing Virginia’s most important cash crop: tobacco. Throughout the 1700s, the region grew as farmers, laborers and merchants responded to the demand for tobacco.
