Host Guide
Practical tips for running a market vendors want to come back to. Written for Iowa hosts, by people who've stood behind the table.
1. Pick a date that works for vendors
- Check the calendar here first — avoid stacking on top of a big market within 30 miles.
- Saturdays 9–3 are the sweet spot. Sundays work for church-adjacent crowds; Fridays work for evening markets.
- Give vendors 8+ weeks' notice. Good vendors book out early, especially October–December.
2. Set a fair fee and say what it covers
- Small-town craft fairs: $25–$60 per table or 10×10. Big venues or juried shows: $75–$150.
- Say clearly whether tables, chairs, and power are included. It's the #1 question vendors ask.
- Offer early-bird pricing. It fills spots sooner and gives you cash to promote.
3. Make applying easy
- One form, five minutes. Ask what they sell, a photo, and their needs (table / chairs / power).
- Reply within a week — even if it's a waitlist. Silence costs you vendors next year.
- Send a spot number, load-in time, and a map a week before. Vendors who feel organized come back.
4. Promote in the right places
- List it here (free). Then post in Iowa craft/vendor Facebook groups and your town's community page.
- Ask every vendor to share the event with their own followers — that's your biggest reach.
- Local radio and the newspaper's community calendar are still free and still work in Iowa.
- A photo of a real booth beats a flyer. Collect photos at this year's market for next year's promo.
5. Run the day smoothly
- Stagger load-in by zone so the parking lot isn't a traffic jam.
- Have a greeter with a printed map, a coffee station, and a visible restroom sign.
- Walk the floor at the halfway point and ask vendors how it's going. Fix what you can on the spot.
- Keep one or two 'float' tables open for a no-show swap or a last-minute vendor.
6. Close the loop
- Thank vendors by email within 48 hours and ask: would you come back? What would make it better?
- Post your attendance number. Vendors want to know, and it helps you sell next year's spots.
- Put next year's date on the calendar here right away so it shows up in searches all year.
These are suggestions, not guarantees. Every market and town is different. See our Terms.