top of page

MARKET INFORMATION

2024 Houston Mediterranean Festival Market Merchant Details

 

Location and Hours

  • The Houston Mediterranean Festival Market (“Market”) is held at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, 5311 Mercer Street, Houston, TX 77005.

  • Festival and Market hours are 11:00 AM- 10:00 PM, Saturday, October 26, 2024.

  • All merchants or merchant representatives must be present in their assigned booths by 10:45 AM.

 

Application Process

  • Applications must be submitted through the application portal.

  • Payment details will be sent via email once application is received.

  • Applications will only be considered when all of the following have been received:

    • Payment has been made;

    • All parts of the online application, including all agreement contracts (will be emailed); and

    • All applicable certificates and permits and photos of booth setup have been emailed to stgeorgehoumarket@gmail.com.  

  • The Houston Mediterranean Festival Market application deadline is Friday, September 13, 2024.

  • The selection process is made by a committee.

  • Applicants will be notified by Friday, September 20, 2024 via email of acceptance or waitlist status.

  • Notification of contact information changes in the application, especially regarding email or mailing address, must be emailed as soon as possible to stgeorgehoumarket@gmail.com. Please use an email that is checked frequently and ensure that the emails from Houston Mediterranean Festival Market are not going to a spam or junk folder.  

 

Merchandise and Products

  • Merchandise and products must be original.

  • No imitation designer items will be allowed.

  • All merchandise and displays must be appropriate for a church setting. The Market is a faith-based event and is held on a church campus. Products that are political in nature or considered inappropriate are not allowed.

  • Burning candles and incense are prohibited at the Market.

  • Every effort will be made to avoid duplicating merchant offerings; however, Houston Mediterranean Festival cannot guarantee product exclusivity for each merchant.

  • Houston Mediterranean Festival reserves the right to ask merchants to remove merchandise deemed inappropriate.

 

Booth Dimension, Pricing and General Information

  • Houston Mediterranean Festival is requiring a minimum donation of $200 for a single booth. Single booths are approximately 8’ x 10’ and have the option of adding access to electricity for an additional fee. Each booth comes with one (1) six-foot uncovered table and two (2) chairs.

  • Vendors have the option of adding access to 300 watts of electricity at 120V for an additional fee of $25- this must be requested and paid for by September 27, 2024.

  • All electronics must be plugged in by 10:00 AM. An on-site Festival Representative will check each booth after 11:00 AM. The per-booth maximum of 300 watts,120V of electricity will be strictly enforced.

  • Individual booth spaces will be taped off. A site map will be provided with the location of your booth. Houston Mediterranean Festival will not be posting signage. Merchants may provide their own signage.

  • Maximum booth height is 8’. Merchants will be asked to move or remove walls and other obstructions over this requirement. No tents will be permitted inside the Market.

    • If your booth layout includes large or tall displays that may hinder a neighboring vendor, we ask that you email a layout of your booth to facilitate booth placement. Emails may be sent to stgeorgehoumarket@gmail.com.

  • Only approved merchants may use a booth space. Merchants may not share a booth space with a merchant not approved by Houston Mediterranean Festival.

  • Additional uncovered, 6’x 30” tables are available to rent at $25 each, payable in advance. Rental tables must be reserved and paid for by August 30. Tables will be placed in booths by check-in times.

  • Houston Mediterranean Festival has a limited number of chairs available (in addition to the two provided) only on a first-come, first-serve basis for $5 per chair, payable in advance.

  • Merchants must provide display materials such as tablecloths, drapes, lattice, display racks, etc., and any equipment needed for hauling, building and decorating their booth. Booth trash cans are not provided. General-use trash cans are placed throughout the Market areas. Merchants must also provide sales materials, such as calculators, pens, any point-of-sale devices, and a cash bank. Houston Mediterranean Festival cannot provide monetary change or POS systems.

 

Selling Food and Beverages/Food Permits

  • Vendors are not permitted to sell any ready-to-eat food or drink items, unless approved by event organizer and with appropriate licensing/permit from the city.

 

Publicity

  • Saint George’s parishioners as well as parishioners from the other Orthodox churches in the Houston area will receive frequent announcements, mailings and emails.

  • The Market is publicized on Facebook and Instagram. Merchants are encouraged to tag our social media pages, to post photos of products and share booth information for Market patrons. Facebook: @houstonmedfest and Instagram: @houstonmedfest

  • There will be posters with the list of merchants posted at the entrance to the market.

 

Refunds, Empty Booth Policy and Inspections

  • Refunds of booth fees will be granted on a case by case basis.

  • All merchants must be present in their assigned booths for electrical inspection by 10:00 AM. Set up must be completed and each merchant must be in their booth by 10:45 AM. In case of an emergency, merchants should notify Sheryl or Elise Namee at stgeorgehoumarket@gmail.com.

  • Merchants who have not checked in with Sheryl or Elise Namee by 10:00 AM will forfeit their booth space and all fees unless the Merchant Chair approves an exception.

 

Merchant Check-In and Unloading

  • The Market will have a designated move-in schedule. Each merchant will be assigned a specific window of time to move in that must be strictly observed. If a merchant misses the assigned time, the merchant must wait until after the last group has moved in.

  • Designated unloading areas and times will be emailed to merchants by October 12, 2024. The merchants’ designated unloading area will also be the same designated loading area when the Market closes.

  • Merchants will be checked in at their designated unloading area before unloading. Sheryl Namee, Market Chair, or Elise Namee, Market Co-Chair, will be at the unloading areas to greet merchants and hand out Welcome packets. The Welcome packet will contain Market information, a map of the market, and name tags (name tags must be worn during set up and throughout the duration of the Market),

  • Merchants must provide dollies, carts or helpers needed to unload their merchandise and booth display materials. Church staff and volunteers will not be available to load and unload merchandise, furniture, etc.

  • Merchants must unload their merchandise as quickly as possible from vehicles before setting up the booth. Merchants must move the vehicles from the unloading area to the volunteer/merchant parking area by the end of their scheduled unloading time.

  • All electronics must be plugged in by 10:00 AM for an electricity check.

 

Safety and Security

  • Security officers will be on duty during set up, throughout the Market hours and during tear-down. In case of a life-threatening emergency, merchants should call 911 immediately and notify a Market committee member.

  • If merchandise is missing from a booth or display area, merchants should notify a Market committee member immediately. The committee member will contact a member of the security team.

  • Houston Mediterranean Festival will provide official Market name tags. Merchants and their representatives must wear them at all times. Any persons working in a booth who do not wear a Market nametag will be escorted from the shopping areas by a member of the Security team.

 

Parking

  • Merchants must park in the designated volunteer/merchant parking area. A parking map will be in the Welcome Packet.

  • Parking in the surrounding neighborhood is strongly discouraged.

 

Hospitality, Lunches and Concessions

  • Market volunteers will be available to monitor booths for five-minute periods when requested by a merchant. Market volunteers cannot function as sales representatives during these periods. Merchants may bring a sign to inform customers should they temporarily leave their booth.

  • All vendors are welcome to purchase food from the Festival.

 

Check-Out and Tear-Down Procedures

  • Merchants are required to keep booth open until end of festival. Tear-down begins at 10 PM and must be complete by 11 PM. Event organizer reserves the right to alter the schedule at any time.

  • Merchants are responsible for removing all trash from their booths. Houston Mediterranean Festival requests that all trash be removed from the booths.

 

Questions

  • Questions or concerns may be directed to the Merchant Chair, Sheryl Namee or the Merchant Co-Chair, Elise Namee at stgeorgehoumarket@gmail.com.

bottom of page