Dickens Fair Home Page Welcome to Dickensian London Dickens Fair General Information Dickens Fair Media Information Have Your Holiday Party at the Dickens Fair
Dickens Fair Home Page Merchants and Artisans Dazzling Entertainments Characters You Will Meet Delightful Food and Drink
Order Tickets to the Dickens Christmas Fair Get Involved at the Dickens Fair Keep Informed about the Dickens Fair Dickens Fair Links Dickens Fair Photo Galleries Dickens Fair Site Map Dickens Fair Home Page
Vendor Information
Important Fair Dates
Volunteer
Performer Information
Vendor Information
Help Promote the Fair
Costume Guidelines
Building Your Character
Language Guidelines
Dickens Bibliography
Area Accommodations

Vendor Fact Sheet | How to Apply | Booth Building Guidelines
Electricity & Lighting | Cats Email Missives

Vendor Fact Sheet

ABOUT THE FAIR:

Dates: Four Weekends + the Friday after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 28th - Saturday, December 21, 2008
Times: 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Location Cow Palace Exhibition Halls
Ticket Prices: General Admission $22.00
Student/Senior/Military $19.00
Children 5-11 $10.00
Groups of 25 or more $15.00 (purchased in advance)
Pickwick Club (Fair season pass) $65.00 adult/$30.00 children
 
 
Parking: $8.00 (charged by the Cow Palace)
Discounts: Flyers and postcards will be available to all merchants for distribution to their clientele.

The Great Dickens Christmas Fair™ -- the Bay Area favorite -- returns! The fair is a theatrical re-creation of nineteenth century London with all the color, charm, and merriment of Christmas during the time of Charles Dickens. The air is filled with enticing aromas of festive foods and the sounds of street vendors hawking their wares. The streets are filled with characters from Dickens' A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield, and Nikolas Nickelby, not to mention Mr. Dickens himself.

First-time participants should be aware that this is a highly themed street fair, designed to create a total environment. All booth workers need to help us maintain the public's illusion by staying in costume and learning a bit of English cockney. The magic of the Dickens Fair, and what sets it apart, is the detailed theatrical setting we create together and the sense of ensemble and Christmas spirit put forth by all participants.

COSTUMES:

With that in mind, we are requiring head-to-toe costumes for all participants during hours of the fair. No participants should be in the streets of London out of costume or in a partial costume. We do not have a full costume shop this year but will have ample costume information available for you and your employees. You can review the costume guidelines on this website; these guidelines are also included with mailed vendor applications. Please share them with your employees.

We will have a separate participants' entrance and a dressing area with mirrors, tables, coat racks, etc. If you arrive after opening, please make use of this changing area before entering the fair. We will not, however, be able to provide a secure area for personal belongings; if you have a backpack or other bag, please bring it to your booth (but be as discreet with it as possible if the fair has already opened to the public).

Please remember that the rest rooms are for public use and should not be used as a dressing or "primping" area.

2008 LOAD-IN SCHEDULE:

The venue will be available to build your booth from Nov. 10th-21st, from 8am til 6pm, with management approval. Call (800)510-1558 for more info.

WORKSHOPS AND COSTUME APPROVAL:

Optional free workshops in language, improvisation, and characterization will be offered. Details will be provided in acceptance packages. Stake-out will be Saturday, November 10, from 10 am-4 pm. We will distribute media, show you your spaces, and answer any questions. Workshops are held at another location, so if you wish your employees to attend, please give us a call.

GATE PASSES:

We will not be mailing out gate passes. Vendors and their employees will receive gate passes at stake-out or anytime thereafter. To receive passes, all paperwork needs to have been completed, fees received, and costumes approved. You must also submit a list of your employees, in order for them to recieve their passes.

EVENT ACCESS:

During the fair, the building will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

No one may remain in the building after 9:00 p.m., and we have no facilities for overnight camping. If you wish to remain in the area rather than traveling home each night, we will provide you with a list of hotels and motels nearby which you can also view on our Area Accommodations page. You can also visit the Cow Palace web site at www.cowpalace.com for additional information.

ELECTRICAL INFORMATION:

Please -- no space heaters (the building is heated), coffee pots, hot plates, toasters, TVs; in short, nothing that will draw more than your share of electricity.

Basic electrical service (10 amps) is included in your booth fee. A surcharge will apply for booths requesting additional power. Please note your estimated power requirements on your application.

We will be lighting the streets and your exterior signage. You will be responsible for all interior lighting in your booth. All light fixtures must be Victorian-looking; use brass fixtures, flicker bulbs, frosted hurricane lamps, etc., but no open flame fixtures. We will be glad to provide assistance with attaching fixtures and running cords if necessary.

To create a brighter atmosphere, yet authentic feeling, paint or wallpaper interior walls in pale colors and use many low-wattage bulbs instead of a few high-wattage ones.

For more detailed information, please see the Electricity & Lighting page.

SIGNAGE:

You are responsible for your own signage -- please be sure to use Victorian shop names and Victorian signs. All signage must be approved byRed Barn Productions.

FIRE AND SAFETY:

No open flames or smoking are allowed inside the building.

All booths must have fire extinguishers.

All booths are required to have all material state certified for fireproofing.

Because of the indoor sprinkler system, we need all booths to have open tops. This means no solid or cloth roofs allowed.

Pets are not allowed. If you wish to have an animal as part of your exhibit, please attach a written request to your application.

See sample booth designs in the Booth Building Guidelines.

HOW TO REACH US:

Address: Red Barn Productions
PO Box 1768 Novato CA 94948
Phone: (800)510-1558
Fax: (415) 892-4039
Email: vendors@redbarnproductions.org

MERCHANT QUALIFICATIONS:

For caterers:

  1. Food items must be high quality and theme appropriate.
  2. Having a cart or wanderer is part of the application process. If you intend to have any seller or hawker who peddles or vends outside of your booth space, please indicate this design on your application. Because wanderers do not have the benefit of a booth as a "backdrop," we expect them to have a good working knowledge of Dickensian speech, excellent costumes, and a pleasing manner for dealing with our public.
  3. Include with your application:
    • A complete description of food items with ingredients, preparation process, and prices.
    • A photo or sketch of your booth and costume.

For craftspeople:

  1. The highest priority will be given to crafts that are handmade by the seller and reflect the Victorian era and old-fashioned Christmas theme. There should not be wares of plastic or obviously synthetic fabrics or other items of strictly contemporary nature or design. This does not mean you must make replicas of Victorian works, but your wares should blend with the spirit of the Fair.
  2. This is a juried show so items must be approved before being displayed.
  3. Having a cart or wanderer is part of the jurying process. If you intend to have any seller or hawker who peddles or vends outside of your booth space, please indicate this design on your application. Because wanderers do not have the benefit of a booth as a "backdrop," we expect them to have a good working knowledge of Dickensian speech, excellent costumes, and a pleasing manner for dealing with our public.
  4. Include with your application:
    • At least five photos of your wares. We will attempt to make a determination using just the photos, but if we require more information we will request samples.

    • A photo or sketch of your booth and costume

For games/activities:

  1. Prizes must relate to the Victorian era and be of appropriate value. List prizes being offered on your application. We encourage you to offer prizes that players can wear or display proudly.

  2. It is especially important that your hawkers use only appropriate Dickensian language and appropriate hawks. Overly bawdy hawks, especially for games, will not be allowed.

  3. Include with your application:
    • A complete description of prizes being offered.
    • A photo or sketch of your booth and costume.
For mystics:

  1. Divination methods/references used must relate to the Victorian era. All readers and their readings must be of a positive nature (a reading's purpose is not to predict the future). We do not allow use of modern inventions such as flashlights, tape recorders, and cameras.

  2. Please do not make fliers for distribution throughout the fair. Any signs you make to promote your business must be hand painted and designed in keeping with our Victorian theme; do not refer to modern occurrences.

  3. Include with your application:

    • A photo or sketch of your booth and costume.

If you want any of your photos or materials returned to you, please include an SASE with appropriate postage.

ALL MERCHANTS MUST:

  1. Design and build a booth typical of the period or wander as a peddler with an appropriate cart. See Booth Building Guidelines
  2. Wear approved Victorian costuming. This is required of all merchants and their employees. See Costume Guidelines
  3. Attend stake-out or send a qualified representative.
  4. Tear down and remove booths and building materials.
  
back to top    
   



Welcome to Dickens' London | General Info | Media Info | Have Your Holiday Party at the Dickens Fair!
Merchants & Artisans | Dazzling Entertainments | Characters You Will Meet | Delightful Food & Drink
Order Tickets | Get Involved | Keep Informed | Links | Photo Galleries | Site Map | Home