Vendor Information
Frequently Asked Questions about becoming a vendor
Interested In Becoming A Vendor?
Vendors may apply for full time or part time participation in the Albemarle Farmers Market. A completed application must be submitted, approved and vendor fees paid prior to selling at the market.
If you would like to become a vendor please first read the Vendor Information below then access and complete the application. Be sure to sign the two spaces indicated on the application - one for the application and one for the indemnity agreement, pay the fee due and submit the application for review to be considered as a vendor for the upcoming 2025 market season.
If you have any questions you can contact the market manager at 434-531-2733 or alisawildman@gmail.com
VENDOR INFORMATION : ALBEMARLE FARMERS MARKET
The purpose of the Albemarle Farmers Market is to support local farmers and artisans in Albemarle and surrounding counties. WE STRIVE TO BE A PRODUCER MARKET. Vendors will be considered for space assignment once a completed, signed application and payment is received. The Market Manager will solely be responsible for determining acceptance of a vendor into the market based on several factors, including but not limited to date application received, products to be sold, and dates of requested participation. Returning full time vendors will be offered space first.
How do I become a vendor?
Submit a completed vendor application and fees for vendor acceptance. You can apply to become a vendor on this website under the vendor application tab.
Where is the market located? The market is located in the gravel lot across from Starbucks in the Hollymead Towncenter shopping center. This is an open air market on gravel.
What are the Vendor Fees?
The full time vendor fee for participation on each Saturday of the market is $175 total, paid at time of application for a single space, $350 total if requesting two spaces for the season. The part time vendor fee is $17.50 per date of participation paid at time of application.
How and when are vendor fees paid? Vendor fees are paid online at time of vendor application. If you are not accepted as a vendor you will also be notified within 5-7 days, or sooner and your payment will be fully refunded back to you to the manner in which it was paid.
Why can't i pay by check or money order? Returned check fees are $36 and the market is no longer willing to incur these fees from vendors who apply and have insufficient funds to cover those checks . Checks and money orders can and have been lost in the mail. Unfortunately mail service is just not reliable at this time. If you do not have a credit card you can purchase one at a grocery or convenience store and load funds onto it and use that for payment of vendor application fees.
When will I know if I have been accepted as a vendor for the season? You will be notified if you have been accepted as a vendor within 5-7 days (or sooner) of receipt of your completed application and vendor fees paid.
What if am accepted as a vendor and I decide I don't want to participate, will I get a refund of fees paid? If you are accepted as a vendor you will receive an email notifying you of that acceptance. You have 10 business days to email me back to decline participation as a vendor in order to receive a refund of fee paid. If you do not email me within 10 business days of receiving email notification that you have been accepted as a vendor into the market it is assumed that you have received the email and that you are not declining to participate. The email will be sent to the email address that you list on the application so do watch that inbox for the email. You may contact me at alisawildman@gmail.com if you have any questions.
When is the market in session, and hours?
The Market runs each Saturday from 8:30am - 12:00pm (noon), the first Saturday in May (5/3/25) to mid September (9/13/25).
What is provided to the vendor at the market?
Vendor space only is provided. Any materials needed for vendor to set up and or display and sell their products must be supplied by vendor. Electricity and Wifi are not provided at the market site.
What is the size/description of the vendor space? A single vendor space is 12' wide and 15' deep. A vendor may apply to use one or two spaces (fees double for two spaces). The vendor spaces are gravel base and will be marked and numbered.
Can I park in my vendor space? Yes you can park in your vendor space however you may not extend into the market area past the marked limit of your space into the center of the market where customers move around. If you are in a space that has a sidewalk at one end of your space you may in no way block or cover the sidewalk with your vehicle or displays or merchandise (the sidewalk is not on the "set up/display" side of the space). If you are assigned a space in the center of the market area you are not able to park in your space. You will need to pull in and then drop off your items and then either park off to the side in a space the manager has assigned to you (most likely about 20' away) or if you choose in the parking lot.
If I am a vendor and am set up at the Market can I leave early? No if you are set up in the market area you need to stay until the end. In the case of an emergency yes we can get you out however there are people moving around in the market area and it is not safe for vendors to be driving their vehicles in the area while customers are moving about the market also.
What time do I need to be there? If you are a vendor you need to be set up and ready to sell by 8:15-8:20. If something out of your control occurs please contact me via text or call and let me know that you are on your way. Do not just not show up.
Can yard sale type items be sold at the market? No, any used items or items that may not be used but have not been made, grown or otherwise changed by the vendor to create a new product substantially different from its origin is not allowed to be sold at the market.
Are there any other items not allowed at the market, to be sold or otherwise? You may not sell at the market any animals that are not small livestock that are not already described in this section. You may not sell any items illegal to sell in the state of Virginia or in the USA, you may not sell or display weapons or firearms. You may not consume alcohol while operating as a vendor at the market or on market premises. The market area is private property and you may not have a firearm at the market or on your person unless you have a concealed carry permit issued by the state of Virginia to have such and firearm must be concealed while on market premises, not openly carried.
Can items not made by the vendor be sold at the market? Items not made by the vendor may only be sold at the market with prior approval from the market manager. Our goal is to sell from local artisans, farmers, and bakers - HOWEVER, if there is an item or type of items made be others you wish to sell it may be allowed - Examples: Embroidered goods, Woven baskets. Approval of items made by others is at the discretion of the Market Manager. Contact Lisa at Alisawildman@gmail.com to discuss.
Can livestock be sold at the market? Small livestock (chicks, rabbits, ducklings) may be sold at the market only on a per date approval from the market manager if adequate space is available. Vendor must provide adequate space and humane conditions while displaying the animals for sale. Shade must provided while on display at market if a hot or sunny day. Water for animals while on display at market is required to be provided to animals by vendor. If excessive heat expected or if animals are showing signs of distress they will not be allowed at market.
Is there a bathroom at the market? A portable toilet will be at the market. The toilet is scheduled to be cleaned prior to each market date. Other nearby stores have restrooms available to/for public use. However you must consult store policies if you wish to use their facilities as they may be for customers use only. Harris Teeter has public restrooms that do not require you to be a customer in order to use facilities.
Is there Electricity or Wifi at the Market? No. If you need wifi to process card payments at the market you need to provide your own internet connection. If you need to run equipment on a generator please contact the market manager for approval first so that you are put into a space that is adequate for placing the generator far enough away from your neighboring vendors so that the noise is not a disturbance to them. You may be required to place it a distance away and use longer extension cords to access the generator if the noise is excessive or disturbing to your vendor neighbor.
Will the market manager be able to make change for me at the market? No, you will need to bring adequate change and small bills in order to make change for your customers at the market. While your neighboring vendors and the market manager may be able to help here and there this is not a guaranteed solution.
Am I required to have a business license or insurance to participate?
It is up to each vendor to determine if they are required to have a business license in order to operate their business. You are not required to provide that license to the market manager however if you are required to have a license and or Permit from or obtained by the local Health Department or VDACS (Virginia Dept of Agriculture and Consumer Services) if you are a food/Drink service based business you will need to provide copies of those permits and or licenses to the market manager.
Does the market collect or handle my sales tax payables? The vendor is responsible for determining if they are responsible for collecting sales tax, the amount of that sales tax if they are collecting it and the submission of that sales tax to whom it is payable.
Does the market accept SNAP? The market does not accept SNAP however individual vendors that may be qualified to accept SNAP depending on the type of items that they are selling are encouraged to submit an application to accept SNAP benefits on an individual basis.
Does the market collect a fee on any part of my sales? No.
Can I sell food items under the Va Food Kitchen Bill Exemption at the Market? Yes, however all items sold under the Va Food Kitchen Bill Exemption must be packaged and labeled correctly. Please refer to the "Going to Market" pdf as a reference for labeling and or consult the VDACS website for more information. Here is a link for the Going to Market pdf that you can copy and paste. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/pdf/kitchenbillfaq.pdf
Where can I find the labeling information that I need to put on the products I am selling under the Va Food Kitch Bill Exemption? You can find labeling information on the "Going to Market" pdf as well as at the VDACS website. here is the copy and paste link for the pdf. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://vafma.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Going-to-Market-Chart-Food-Safety.pdf
Can I sell dog treats that I make? Selling dog treats requires licensing and testing in Virginia. If you have obtained the required licensing and testing you may sell dog treats.
Can I apply to sell certain items and then decide to sell something different during the market season? If you are accepted as a vendor you are accepted to sell those items listed on your application. If you want to add additional items not listed on the application you must get approval first from the market manager.
Is this a "Rain or Shine" market? Yes, for the most part. Unless there is heavy rain in the forecast the market is open. If it is raining at your house it is not necessarily raining at the market site. If the forecast is one that does not look very good an email will go out to vendors that are scheduled let them know the status of the market for that date and if the participation is optional for vendors that date due to the forecast. We recognize that if the weather is bad - excessive rain or wind - that the customers will not want to come out to the market any more than the vendors do and will take it on a case by case basis.
Am I required to put up a tent/Canopy? No, however in the hotter summer days the sun is very hot and you will want one. Also if light rain you want the cover. Not wider that 12' if you are in a single space. If you do have a tent or up you are required to put weight on it of some sort to keep it down. We often have gusts of wind that are able to pic up tents and toss them on windy days and even on days that we are not expecting wind a gust of wind has been known to come over the hill and pick up a tent that was not weighed down. A tent can injure, you, merchandise, and others or their property. Any damage caused would be the liability of the owner of the tent NOT the market. WEIGH THE TENT DOWN! Sand bags, weights, water jugs, tied down to your vehicle, etc. It is not adequate to using tent stakes hammered into the ground - our ground is very hard and is gravel, not easy to get anything in to and does not hold on to anything to well either.
Missed dates a vendor is scheduled to participate. If a vendor misses more than 2-3 dates that they are scheduled for participation they may be removed from the market as a vendor without a refund of any fees paid. It is necessary for the vendors to come to the market and participate on the dates that they have scheduled to be there. That said, I do understand that at times emergencies or illnesses do occur. If something comes up communicate with me in advance if possible so we can find a solution. If we can reschedule you to another date where space is available I will do my best to do so if you know of an upcoming change to your schedule of participation. It is very important for you as a vendor to understand that if you sign up to participate as a vendor at the market that we count on you to show and be a vendor for that date. If you do not show up at the market it hurts the market as a whole. Customers come to the market and wonder where the vendors are - then they do not come back - vendors come and then wonder where the customers are. If you are not sure you will be available for a date do not sign up for a date. If your plans change let me know well in advance so we can try to find a substitute vendor to fill the space.
If I cancel a date far in advance will I receive a refund of fees for that day? No
THIS LIST OF INFORMATION, RULES, GUIDELINES CAN CHANGE OR BE ADDED TO. IF YOU ARE A VENDOR AND INFORMATION IS ADDED TO THIS DURING THE MARKET SEASON A COPY OF WHAT IS ADDED WILL BE EMAILED TO THE EMAIL ADDRESS ON YOUR MARKET APPLICATION. ANY NEW RULE OR GUIDELINE WILL ADDED DURING A MARKET SEASON WILL BECOME APPLICABLE TO THAT MARKET SEASON ONCE DISTRIBUTED TO MARKET VENDORS VIA EMAIL.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS YOU CAN CONTACT THE MARKET MANAGER AT ALISAWILDMAN@GMAIL.COM or 434-531-2733 if texting please be sure to include your name and business name. If calling, leave a message if the call is not answered.