Arizona Aloha Festival 2026 Food Vendor Regulations for Participation:

Theme

ALL foods, products, services and entertainment will be chosen by the Arizona Aloha Festival Committee and need to reflect the cultures of Hawaii and/or the South Pacific Islands.

Hours of Operation

Arizona Aloha Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. All vendor booths must be set up and ready to open by 9:30 a.m., remain open, and close promptly at 5 p.m.

Staff are Volunteers

All Event Staff are volunteers...no one is paid. We work for the love of the event. Please make sure all your interactions and conversations reflect ALOHA.

Festival Grounds Restrictions

Arizona Aloha Festival is located entirely within Tempe Beach Park. We must follow all City requirements in order to be issued a Permit and be allowed to have the event.

Below are restrictions that must be followed as a participant in the Arizona Aloha Festival:

• Booth aisles and sidewalks must meet minimum standards of spacing in case of emergencies per Tempe Fire regulations.

• It’s a PARK – do NOT drive on the grass! Transport your items to your booth

• Please don’t tie anything to trees or damage any plants!!!!

• Vehicle entry is limited with only one way in and out. We must carefully control access therefore time will be assigned for load in and out.

• Vehicle sizes can be a problem – we will ask you to provide details to prevent issues.

• Recycle bins and marked dumpsters must be used for all your cardboard and other recyclables. Other containers are available for non-recyclables. Do NOT pile trash beside the dumpster, find another if needed.

•The cost of any damages to the park plants or structures are billed to theFestival and will be passed along to you

Publicity

Publicity for the Festival will be provided by Arizona Aloha Festivals, Inc. through all forms of media. Flyers and posters available for download should be released in January. Other last-minute information will be emailed to you in late February or early March.

We encourage you to like, share, and tag the official Arizona Aloha Festival social media pages!

Items reserved by the Festival

The Festival reserves the right to sell official licensed goods such as t-shirts and any other Arizona Aloha Festival logo or ‘official’ items. The Festival also reserves the right for all soda (cupped, bottled or canned) and bottled water sales. Sales of these items are prohibited for any vendor.

Safety & Security

There is roving overnight security at the Park. However, any items left overnight are at your own risk. Overnight sleeping in booths is not permitted under any circumstances.

Police officers will be on site from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. to ensure a safe and enjoyable event. However, Arizona Aloha Festivals, Inc., the City of Tempe or any other sponsoring organizations are not responsible for theft, loss or damage!

Parking

The cost of parking for vendor vehicles and/or oversize vehicles is your own responsibility. The Festival will attempt to make offsite arrangements for vendor parking and will email instructions to you if arrangements are made.

There is no overnight sleeping allowed in any vehicle on Festival/Park grounds.

NOTE: Limited spaces - for a fee –are available located between the bridges on the east side of the park. These spaces accommodate most trucks or trailers and are perfect for storing excess inventory needed during each day. Each vehicle, trailer, or truck requires a separate fee: A pickup truck with a trailer are TWO spaces.

Oversize trucks (such as big box trucks) or trailers pay by the number of parking spaces they would use in a normal lot or street parking space. Parking fees must be pre-paid with the application! Parking will not be available for sale on-site.

Vehicles parked in this area must arrive on Friday and stay in the same space all weekend, not leaving until load-out on Sunday. Vehicles must have cardboard underneath the engine area in case of an oil leak and their battery disconnected.

Liability

Neither Arizona Aloha Festivals, Inc., the City of Tempe, nor any other sponsoring organizations carry accident insurance to cover participants.

Involvement in the 2026 Arizona Aloha Festival is at your own risk!

Applications:

Application Selection & Deadlines

Applications need to be submitted and booth fees PAID by 5 pm on November 1st!

Applications must be completed and booth fees paid in full by 5 pm November 1st in order to advance to first round for committee review. Any applications received after and paid by November 1st will be placed on the waitlist and only reviewed if space is still available after the first review. Incomplete applications will be declined, and the new completed date will apply if resubmitted.

Vendors are reviewed in the order they are received, we encourage you to apply sooner rather than later.

Confirmation Policy

Applicants will be notified of their acceptance for participation once they are selected and the required payment has cleared. Notification of acceptance or rejection will be handled strictly by email. The first confirmations will not be sent until early December.

Read your confirmation letter carefully. It will list any items from your application that have not been approved.

Cancellation Policy

No rain date is available. Cancellations must be in writing and mailed, faxed or emailed - no phone calls. There are no refunds for cancellations postmarked or dated (via date stamp of the receiving fax or email) after December 31st.

Vendors who cancel after confirmation emails have gone out and before December 31 will be refunded minus a
$25.00per booth processing fee. Vendors may withdraw their application with a full refund before the November 1 application deadline.

Vendors cancelling anytime after December 31 will forfeit their fees! (you can request a review)

Booth Information:

Booth Fees

Please refer to the application for booth fees.

Once applications are verified for completeness and suitability, invoices will be sent to the email provided. Payments are due by credit card or ACH when the invoice is sent to you.

Nonpayment within that time frame will result in the application being declined. Your payment does not guarantee a space in the Festival! Any paid fees will be refunded if you are not accepted as a vendor.

Products

All applications MUST enclose a list of proposed products, even if you are a returning vendor.
Photos of your booth set up and/or proposed products (up to 10) will increase your chance of acceptance.
If you point to a web page as your example, please be clear which products are being proposed for the event.

Booth Size and Space

The Merchandise Vendor booth fee covers one space 10’ wide by 10‘ deep and includes a tent-top covering. If you need extra space, order an additional (spaces) as needed. A crowded booth limits space inside for potentail customers to see everything you have. You will be directly sharing space beside and/or behind your booth space with no sidewall or divider to separate your booth from the booth next/behind you. It is your responsibility to order or provide white sides if needed.
• No racks, tables, merchandise, or storage is permitted outside of the 10 x 10 space!

Booth Restrictions

Space beside, in front, along side of, and/or behind the booth may not be used no matter your placement. Fees are assessed for violations. Aisles are made for fire emergency lanes as required by Tempe Fire Department and because attendees complain of aisles too crowded to shop in.

As always, you are responsible for any damage to tents, sides, tables, chairs, park property or plants and will be billed by the Festival or City of Tempe.

Booth Location Placement

Booth location assignment will be at the discretion of the Arizona Aloha Festival Committee. If you have a preferred booth location, please indicate the request IN WRITING with your application. We will take all requests into consideration, but no requests are guaranteed.

Note: All both layout plans MUST be approved from the Fire Marshall, which is usually not obtained until late February.  We will not release any booth location assignments until the layout has been approved. There will be an onsite inspection as well before permits are issued. We will not make any changes to booth locations once the permit has been issued.   Complaints must be received in writing to craftvendor@azalohafest.org

Booth Space Restrictions

Space beside, in front, along side of, and/or behind the booth beyond your space may not be used no matter your placement as they may narrow or block an aisle or public space. Fees are assessed for violations. Aisles and easements are made for fire emergency lanes as required by Tempe Fire Department. Also becausae attendees complain of aisles too crowded to shop in.

As always, you are responsible for any damage to tents, sides, tables, chairs, park property or plants and will be billed by the Festival and/or City of Tempe.

Subletting Prohibited

Selling part of your booth space to another vendor is expressly prohibited. Only vendors named on the application form are permitted. If subletting is discovered, all involved vendors will be barred from future participation in the Festival. Only items approved and listed on the application may be sold.

Materials and Supplies

You will need to bring all supplies and materials to hang your signs, cover your tables, and conduct business, including a fire extinguisher if electricity is used.

Violations

Vendors that utilize ANY space outside of their assigned 10x10 booth will be charged for the use of that space - NO EXCEPTIONS! Please do not put tables, grids, display racks, merchandise, registers, chairs or other similar items outside the space. If a 10x10 space is insufficient to contain your planned merchandise sales and storage of your stock, you need to order more than one booth space.

A vendor's refusal to remove any items outside the space will result in an additional fee charged on a per square foot basis and payment will need to be made immediately. If the fee is not paid, the vendor will not be accepted to participate in any future festivals until the balance has been paid in full.

Equipment Rentals


** Pre Order ONLY**

Tables, chairs, tent sides, and electricity are available for an additional cost and ordered on the application. These items will not be available last-minute at the event. Do not take them from your neighbor!
If equipment is ordered and you do not use it, there are no refunds – including for electricity.

If we find tables, chairs, electrical connections or sides for which you have not paid, they will be charged to you at twice the preorder price with payment due immediately.

Electricity

You must provide your own 100 foot heavy duty (12 – 14 gauge) extension cord for each electrical circuit requested.  All electrical boxes will be pre assigned with your booth number.  Do not plug into any outlet that is not assigned to you.

All cords will need to be tagged at the electrical box. Any untagged cords will be unplugged - NO EXCEPTIONS!

• No individual generators are allowed under any circumstances!

Gauge your electric needs carefully.  If your equipment only lists watts and volts (usually on a plate or sticker on the back or bottom), then use this formula to calculate your electric needs for the appliances you wish to use:
          • Convert Watts to Amps by the equation: Watts divided by Volts = Amps.
          • For example: 110 watts divided by 110 volts = 1 amp 

When a vendor does not calculate their needs correctly and the circuit breaker trips, it stops service for ALL vendors hooked up to that circuit. This does not make friends for you.

Permits & License Requirements:

Sales Tax License


All pertinent fire codes, laws, ordinances and regulations pertaining to health, fire prevention and public safety shall be strictly observed.

Arizona Aloha Festivals, Inc. is required to provide a list of vendors’ license numbers to the State of Arizona and to the City of Tempe for sales tax collection purposes.

Arizona Aloha Festivals is NOT responsible for your license; you must file this yourself.

You will be denied participation in the Festival if you have not provided your tax number to the Festival by the due date AND Booth fees will not refunded.

Sometimes they tell us last minute, and we can’t let you set up if this happens. Please take care of your obligations once you are accepted into the event.

NOTE: The state of Arizona handles the administration and collection of sales taxes for the cities. Instructions are online at https://azdor.gov/business/transaction-privilege-tax/special-events-craft-shows-trade-shows.

Vehicles on the Park:

Load-in on Friday: Vehicle Permits needed to drive onto the park

Access permits will be issued for one vehicle at a time per vendor and only when the vendor is ready to set up or leave. Please plan your staffing, setup, takedown, and travel arrangements to accommodate having one vehicle on site at a time.

Access onto the park is limited by the City of Tempe and controlled by park access permit ‘passes.’ We can only allow a limited number of vehicles on the park at one time so passes are limited and controlled at the Park gate on Rio Salado. You must pick up and return your vehicle pass to the Security Team at the check-in location.

No motorized carts are allowed on the site during the Festival, except those operated by the Festival! This includes staging them at any Park entrance.

NOTE: On-site (including behind the bridge) paid parking passes are NOT vehicle access passes. You still need to be checked in by Festival Staff to drive onto the grounds.

Park Entry & Exit

Entry and exit is controlled at the Gate.
The Security Team will look for you to display your pass provided during the event load-in/load/out process. If you have not received clearance from your Vendor chairperson, you will not be permitted on the festival grounds.

Festival staff are there to issue AND collect vehicle passes in order to control the number of vehicles on the Park.

Park Access Hours

Festival volunteers will be on site at 7 a.m. daily. Vehicle entry into the park will not be available until after that time.

All vehicles should be OFF the Park by 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday or risk being locked in overnight

Friday Load In - Observe the one-way traffic rule!
All vehicles must park in the same direction to facilitate ease of load-in and allow emergency evacuation if necessary.

Vendor load-in information details will be sent in February, please watch your emails for more information!

  • All vendors must check in and obtain a vehicle pass to access the park. Appointments will start at 8:00am on Friday and will continue on the hour until 4:00pm.

All vehicles must be off the Park by 7 p.m.
Space for vehicles on the on the Park grounds is limited. Please unload and move the vehicle off the Park within one hour of your scheduled appointment time.

There are Parking garages and street parking in the area.

You can stay on site longer to setup your displays and arrange merchandise but the vehicle must leave.

Please plan your staffing, setup, takedown, and travel arrangements to accommodate having ONLY one vehicle on site at a time on Park premises.

Saturday & Sunday
Morning

Vendors access is limited! Vendors can ONLY come onto Park grounds on Saturday or Sunday morning or evening by pre-arrangement. Your Committee chair will make that arrangement.

All vehicles with Saturday and/or Sunday morning appointments must be off the Festival premises by 8:00 a.m. Saturday and Sunday morning. The gates are locked no later than 8:00 p.m. each night.

Sunday Load Out: Let's get organized!

Closing schedule

STOP selling at 5 pm!! We can all get out easily and quickly...
The Lakeside Stage Performances usually end around 4:30 p.m. and the Keiki area closes.
Food vendors usually start their clean-up about 4:30.

The public will move up toward the Mountain Stage (near the street exits) for the last performances to end at 5pm and clear out a bit later.
STOP selling at 5 pm!!

Load-out Access to the Park

Absolutely NO vehicles are allowed ON or OFF the park until most of the public has left after the close of the Festival.

This is never before 6:00 p.m. and will be released strictly at the discretion of Police, city staff, and the Festival Planning Committee. Please plan your travel accordingly.

Once your booth has been dismantled and items packed, please contact your Vendor Chairperson for approval to bring ONE vehicle at a time onto the festival grounds.

If you have a vehicle parked under the bridge - you are NOT to move the vehicle without prior approval from the Staff! NO EXCEPTIONS!

Load Out Pass needed for Vehicles

 Staff will come by and notify you when it’s okay to go to the Gate, get a Load-out pass, and you can drive onto the Park to Load Out.

Observe the one-way traffic rule!

Observe the one-way traffic rule Vehicles MUST follow the one-way traffic pattern - the same as used for Load-In.

All vehicles are parked in the same direction and Load-Out goes so much faster!! There's no blocked access and everyone can load up and go!

Garbage & Trash Disposal:

Vendors are responsible for the daily clean-up of their assigned space and area must leave their booth space clean and empty. Don't overfill trash bins, please! 

 You can use the nearby ‘rollie’ bins for your own trash during the day but bulk trash (boxes, large items, plastic wrap, display items, etc) must be taken to the dumpsters provided and marked for trash/recycling.
 

Please roll any bins that are near your space at the end of day out to the nearest sidewalk for emptying.

Leaving your space clean

Please fold any rented chairs and tables and prop them against a pole. Leave your space clean when you move out on Sunday.

Festival Contacts

 

Make sure you check your email regularly as this is the main communication from the Festival Committee. You can also call the office at 602 697 1824 if you have an urgent question.

Your primary email to use for the Arizona Aloha Festival is craftvendor@azalohafest.org

All communication is done using the email you provided on the application, check it often.

Web Problems? Email us! Last Page Update: November 4, 2016 ©2025 Arizona Aloha Festivals, Inc.