Yes! Our 2025 Vendor Applications are open from February 7th - March 10th, 2025.
Anyone wishing to become a vendor must sign up for a free vendor profile through managemymarket.com, submit a completed application, and be selected through a committee approval process. A completed application includes an application, photos of the product, photos of the booth set-up, and a signed contract. Vendors wishing to sell food or beverages will be asked to submit samples. To ensure a wide variety of goods in the market, the number of vendors in each product category will be limited.
Applications for the season are available February 7th and can be found in our application section here
All vending questions may be directed to our Market Engagement Manager, Tomasa Lane, at Tomasa.Lane@rrdp.org
The Rockford City Market prioritizes vendors within a 150-mile radius. Local products and vendors receive priority. The event strives to work with small business owners and entrepreneurs in the area who produce their own items.
Our *NEW* Rockford City Market Nonprofit Tent is the perfect opportunity for 501(c)(3) organizations to connect with the community in a live setting! Apply for a single Friday in this rotating booth to showcase your services.
All outdoor (non-food truck) booth spaces are 10ft x 10ft. Vendors can rent multiple spaces, which are assigned by market management. If vendor space needs to exceed 10ft x 10ft, vendors will be charged for multiple spaces, with a 20% discount for spaces 2 and beyond.
Please note: We do not allow vendors to park their vehicles within the grounds (unless you are a food truck), so spaces are for tents or trailers only. Trailers will need to be unhooked from their vehicles, and vehicles will be parked in the nearby vendor lot.
Food Truck Vendor (Full Season)
$2,000
Prepared Food Vendor (Full Season)
$1,000
Art, Jewelry, and Other Processed Items or Foods (Full Season)
$800
Produce Farmer
$50/week
Outdoor Local Retail Space (Full Season)
$1,000
*NEW* Rockford City Market Nonprofit Tent
One-Week Session: $100
Rockford City Market Incubator Tent
Non-Food One-Week Session: $100
Applications must be in by March 10th to be considered a vendor for the 2025 season. If approved, the deposit and vendor fee must be paid by April 25th. To receive an early bird discount, the deposit and vendor fee must be in by March 28th.
To ensure consistent attendance, the market requires a $150 attendance deposit from every vendor. The deposit will be returned in full within 60 days of the market's close, provided the vendor participates in the required amount of the selected Market season (14 of 16 weeks). Once the application is approved, the deposit is due along with vendor fees.
Electricity is available at no cost but is limited, and vendors with high usage may be required to supply generators. Vendors are designated spots based on their electric needs, which must be clearly stated on the application. Fines will be assessed if vendors exceed stated needs. All details are on the vendor application.
Generators used at the market must be “quiet” (70 decibels or lower) for the safety and comfort of surrounding vendors and customers. Quiet boxes and enclosures are permitted.
The vendor shall obtain and maintain general liability insurance covering bodily injury, personal injury, or property damage with limits of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence and a $2,000,0000 general aggregate. Certificates must list Rock River Development Partnership as the certificate holder and additional insured.
It is the vendor's responsibility to obtain and provide to the Market Manager copies of all licenses and permits required for the sale of the vendor's products at the Market in addition to the basic application.
If you have questions or concerns about food product regulations and/or licensing, you should direct them to the Winnebago County Health Department.
Vendors selling food or beverage items or giving samples of these must meet current Winnebago County Health Department food guidelines and have applicable operating permits. Vendors must keep a copy of these permits at their market stall at all times. All Winnebago County health permits must be acquired at least three weeks prior to the event. For more information on health permits, contact the health department at 815-720-4000 or contact the market vendor manager for an email from the assigned market inspector.
Unfortunately, not every person who applies to be a vendor will be accepted. Every year, we receive more applications than we can accommodate. All applicants will receive an email with their application status, whether approved, wait-listed, or denied. Applicants are welcome to reapply for the following season. Please see the Application page for guidelines on how applications are vetted. There is no application fee, and no fees are invoiced until after a vendor has been approved.
All applicants will be notified of their application status on Friday, March 14th.
Please contact Tomasa, our Market Engagement Manager, at Tomasa.Lane@rrdp.org or 815.315.1337 if you have any questions!
The Rockford City Market is a downtown market that focuses on local small businesses that produce (make, bake, grow, etc.) their own goods. Vending booths are not available for services, political organizations or campaigns, franchises, third-party or multilevel marketing/hostess companies (ex, Lularoe, Doterra, Avon, etc.), or not-for-profit organizations. For the full list of criteria and how applications are prioritized, please see our vendor guidelines section.
Vintage and Small local retailers are welcome to apply for our Outdoor Local Retail Spaces.
We have a couple of great opportunities for nonprofits and schools to promote upcoming events or their organizations. If you're a nonprofit organization that would like to promote your organization at the market by being gatekeepers or running a children’s activity booth, please see our nonprofit volunteer opportunities section here or contact Tomasa at Tomasa.Lane@rrdp.org for more information.
We have a *NEW* Nonprofit Tent opportunity starting in 2025! Pick a Friday that works for you, and be on-site to showcase your services and connect with the community! Apply for our Nonprofit Tent here or contact Tomasa at Tomasa.Lane@rrdp.org for more information.
We welcome these business leaders' requests for sponsorship opportunities. For more information, please contact Becca at Becca.Bartels@rrdp.org.
For the current vendor rules and guidelines on what types of vendors we approve, please go to our application page here
The Rockford City Market has a 24-hour commercial kitchen available for rent in its indoor market building adjacent to the outdoor Market. For more information, please contact Tomasa at Tomasa.Lane@rrpd.org or click the link HERE for rates and general information.
The state requires all vendors to have their own Tax Numbers and pay their own sales tax for their market sales. Vendors can find out how to apply for a tax number by going to the IL Department of Revenue website at www.revenue.state.il.us or by calling the local branch at 815.987.5210.
The City of Rockford requires market vendors to pay the 1% redevelopment (metro) tax in addition to their state sales tax. This affects vendors selling beverages or prepared food for consumption on-site. It does not affect sales of produce or other goods. For more information or links to the Redevelopment Tax Form, click here. For additional questions, please call the City of Rockford Revenue at 779.348.7165 or email them at metrotax@rockfordil.gov
