(June 19, 2018) – The Fifth Annual FEAST! Local Foods Marketplace is now accepting applications for food and beverage businesses from Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota for its event Nov. 30-Dec. 1, 2018, Mayo Civic Center.

FEAST! hosts more than 100 juried exhibitors who utilize locally grown ingredients when possible and operate at or near a distributor-ready scale. Exhibitors show, sample and sell their artisan food products to wholesale buyers and consumers during the two-day event. They also participate in a Friday tradeshow with networking and workshop sessions. (2017 exhibitors here).

FEAST! 2018 brings new opportunities for engagement, including a Virtual Pitch Experience and more interaction with wholesale buyers during the Friday tradeshow. FEAST! Restaurant Week returns, with local restaurants featuring FEAST! vendor products. The Saturday festival will once again invite the public to pick their favorite for the People’s Choice Award. Three new award categories, focusing on innovation, social benefit and booths/displays, have been added for 2018.

"It was great! I plan on being there next year." —Chef Mitch Maier, Out of the Kitchen

"Just wanted to give you a huge thank you for all the fantastic work you did to make FEAST a great experience for us and so many others this weekend. We benefited from every part of it: the panels and education, the buyers expo, and the public market. Thanks very much!" —Joe + Iman, You Betcha Kimchi

The 2019 event began on Friday, December 6th, with an industry-only tradeshow. The public FEAST! Local Foods Marketplace festival was held the following day, Saturday, December 7th. FEAST! is held at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, MN.

Stay tuned for 2020 information. 

2019 EXHIBITOR INFORMATION

FEES*
The cost to exhibit is the same whether you apply for one or two days. Fees are due at the time of application.

• Tier 1 - $250  for businesses with 5 employees or less; or make less than $500K gross annual sales. 

• Tier 2 - $500 for business with more than 5 employees; or make more than $500K gross annual sales 

*All applications will be reviewed by a jury of professionals from the FEAST Network before being accepted. In the event that a vendor is not accepted, all fees will be refunded immediately in full. (See "Selection Process" below). 
*The cost of electricity is not included.

*Alcohol vendors are not subject to booth fees and should register separately using this link. 

MATCHING DISCOUNTS:

Wisconsin and Minnesota businesses can take advantage of cost-sharing programs provided by your state, and receive up to a 50% match on your exhibitor's fees. 

• Minnesota exhibitors can request a match for your exhibitor fees and some other expenses through the MN Dept. of Agriculture Tradeshow Support Program.  Minnesota vendors must exhibit during the Friday tradeshow to receive these matching funds. See eligibility information here.
• Wisconsin exhibitors must be current members of Something Special from Wisconsin™. Members receiving this match will be located in a group with the other SSfW™ members in the exhibit hall. See membership information here.

PAYMENTS:

When submitting your application you may either pay via credit card or check. Payment must be received before your application will be processed.

SCHEDULE: Exhibitor's Schedule at a Glance

• Friday, December 6th - Tradeshow: 8am -5pm. Closed to the public.
Buyers Expo: 10am - 2pm  | Makers Forum 2pm - 5:30pm  | Awards Ceremony: 5:30 - 6pm

• Saturday, December 7th -  FEAST! Local Food Marketplace: 10 am - 4 pm. Open to the Public

Times subject to change. Exhibitors may attend one or both days of FEAST! Preference is given to exhibitors who attend both days.

CANCELLATION:

Cancellation by either party shall be in writing. Should FEAST cancel the Show, the Exhibitor shall receive a refund of all fees actually paid by Exhibitor to FEAST. Should Exhibitor cancel its reservation, FEAST shall receive the refund as outlined below:

• Cancellation prior to October 31, 2019 receive 50% of the total fees paid.

• Fees are non-refundable for cancellation on or after November 1st.

SELECTION PROCESS:

Companies and products are reviewed by our team and based on responses to the application questions. Preference is given to companies who are sourcing locally.  

FOOD SAMPLING:

Please be prepared to sample your product during the festival. We are planning for between 1,800 and 2,000 attendees.

SPECIAL EVENT LICENSING

If you want to sell product(s) during the public festival, you may be required to display this license, which requires that you are licensed to manufacture your product in your home state and that you fill out the application and pay the license fee prior to the FEAST event. If you are not selling products, this additional license is not required. The average cost is $77.

*Only food is allowable for sale at FEAST!*

ZERO WASTE

All vendors at Feast must use compostable food ware items to sample their products. more info here

VENDOR BOOTH DESCRIPTION:

FEAST provides a 10'x10' booth, a clothed and skirted 8' table, and two chairs backed by an 8' high black curtain. Handwashing stations are also provided. Booth assignments will begin in October; placement in the queue is based on payment date. 

NEED ELECTRICITY?:

Basic electrical hookups are $74. Please click on the following link to purchase electricity for FEAST! 2019 (no need for a booth number): http://services.mayociviccenter.com/coe/coe_p1_all.aspx?oc=10&cc=COESOP1 

Or pay by phone by calling the Mayo Civic Center at 507-328-2220, M – F, 8 – 5pm.

LODGING

The following is a list of hotels that vary by distance from the Mayo Civic Center. Rates may vary when booking.

by Kelli Boylen

Five years ago when Eric and Sarah Underberg started making fermented foods most people had never heard of the idea.

Sarah was interviewed on WHBF-TV on September 20, 2017 and snapped this selfie.

Nowadays, most people have heard of kombucha and sauerkraut, but there are many other products including fermented hummus, kimchi, pickles, salsas, and traditional sourdough bread.

Eric started exploring fermented foods to improve his own health. “My husband started making fermented foods to heal his body after years of abuse from college football and working as a master carpenter,” shared his wife Sarah. “He began making milk kefir and sauerkraut and eating it every day. I was not interested in the beginning, however his passion for spreading the truth about food was so profound that I jumped on board. After about six months of Eric consuming these foods and the almost immediate bounce back, he talked to me at length about how we needed to share this information and food with others. That is when we decided to put everything we had into this business,” says Sarah.

They founded Agri-Cultured in 2012 in Dallas Center, Iowa with a small, licensed kitchen. They started making five-gallon batches of sauerkraut and kimchi.

“It was so important to us that we make the transition to whole food eating so easy, that people didn’t even realize they were eating ‘healthy.’ That’s why we offer the flavors that we do,” she said, adding, “Our company is the “gateway” drug to fermented foods...ie...easy on taste, pairs well with so many other foods and it gives us the opportunity to plant the seed of cultured food.”

by Kelli Boylen

Julie Parisi, founder and owner of Zaza’s Pasta, is not only making local food, she is using local sources for the raw ingredients whenever possible as well!

“We're using only Minnesota and Iowa grown wheat in all of our products. Throughout the whole process we're supporting local farmers along the way,” she shared.  All of their garlic, herbs and vegetables come from Frontier Natural Cooperative out of Norway, IA, whose mission it is to support and strengthen rural communities around the globe.

Zaza's Pastas started in 2010 in a small, one-bedroom apartment in Iowa City, selling at local farmers markets. Zaza’s Pastas has been working out of a commercial kitchen since 2012. In 2015 they started working with some local food wholesale distributors. This has allowed their product to reach farther than she could have ever anticipated.

“We pour our heart and soul into each batch of pasta,” expressed Julie. “We love the ingredients, we love the process and we want you to love what you eat!” Her pasta includes only local, organic and non-GMO flour.