Thank you for your interest in the market!

Please read below for more information about the criteria and guidelines for products sold at our Saturday markets and the Last Friday night markets.

Last Friday in Clayton takes place throughout Downtown Clayton on the last Friday of every month. The Last Friday Night Market participates in it March through November, 6-9 p.m. at Horne Square. Learn more about Last Friday in Clayton at www.lastfridayinclayton.com.

Before you proceed to the application, make sure you:

• READ THE VENDOR CRITERIA AND GUIDELINES BELOW​
• PREPARE TO EMAIL OR UPLOAD THE FOLLOWING:
  • Tax documentation (we ONLY accept an NC Sales and Use Tax Certificate or a farm exemption)
  • Regulatory documentation (like kitchen inspection, meat handlers license, etc.)
  • Photographs of your products

CLICK HERE TO APPLY! 

 

The Board considers the following four criteria when evaluating an application: 

I. Product standards 

Products sold at the market must be grown, raised, created, or crafted, by the applicant, within 100 miles of Clayton, NC. If you do not meet that description, your application will not be accepted. Onsite inspections may be required if there are questions or concerns about how an item is being produced. 

 

Here are the types of products we accept: 

 

-Farm/fresh products GROWN/RAISED BY YOU

• Raw: fruits/vegetables, herbs, plants, flowers, nuts, honey, eggs, dairy products, meat and seafood

• Value-added: prepared foods and goods using ingredients from your farm

 

-Prepared foods MADE BY YOU OR USING INGREDIENTS THAT YOU PRODUCED (Photos of each item must be included with your application) 

• Spice mixes, pet treats, baked goods, beverages, and bottled/canned items 

• Artisanal goods (Photos of each item must be included with your application) 

 

-Art, woodwork, pottery, paper goods, apparel, jewelry, body products, candles, furniture, crafts, etc. MADE BY YOU

• The applications in this category will be juried. No profanity, nudity, or content that is overtly political and/or deemed inappropriate by the board is allowed. 

• Must show true craftsmanship, added value, and enhancements 

• No reproductions are allowed with the exception of prints of art or photography originally produced by the vendor

 

Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis. Examples include:

• Farm/fresh items that are not attainable within 100 miles (such as NC seafood) 

• Certain market-related specialty items (that are not overly manufactured and support another small business - not a third or fourth-party seller) as long as they do not account for more than 50% of a vendor’s sales

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II. Local, State and Federal Regulations

Proper documentation of compliance with any regulations related to your products must be submitted with the application.

Common examples include: 

• Home processor/kitchen inspection for ALL baked goods, jams/jellies, candies, dried mixes, spices, some sauces/liquids, and pickles/acidified food

• Meat handlers license for any vendor receiving and/or storing, transporting and/or selling fully marked and labeled meat and/or poultry 

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III. Tax Documentation 

Per North Carolina laws, businesses engaged in one or more of the activities listed at www.ncdor.gov/taxes-forms/sales-and-use-tax/sales-and-use-tax-registration must obtain a NC Sales and Use Tax Certificate of Registration. This certificate must be submitted with the market application.

Farms may submit a farm tax exemption. Please note, a farm tax exemption does not apply to canned products or processed produce (those require the NC Sales and Use Tax certificate). 

 

IV. Number of Current Vendors 

• Besides fruits and vegetables, a maximum of TWO vendors per market may sell the same product; exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis. 

• The market will maintain a minimum of 50% farm/food vendors. 

• In the event we cannot accommodate you at the time of your application, you may be placed on a sub list or wait list.

 

The following guidelines will be revised and updated as needed, and may be modified according to the season and products being sold.

 

Attendance

Vendors approved to attend market full-time may be demoted to part-time in the event of vendor absences. In addition, vendors who fail to respond to weekly RSVP emails on time may forfeit tent space to a vendor on a sub or wait list.  

 

Fees 

The market can only accept cash or check at this time (but other options are coming soon). 

Market application fee:

• $35.00 

• Payable at the vendor’s first market appearance each season

• Applications must be re-submitted annually 

 

Daily market fees are collected onsite during the market day: 

● $10.00 - Farm/fresh and prepared/value-added food vendors 

● $20.00 - Artisan, artist, craft vendors

 

All non-sufficient checks will be assessed an NSF fee payable to CFCM based on bank costs to the market.

 

Tent spaces

Tent spaces are assigned via email the Friday before market. 

• Vendors must provide their own tables and 10x10-foot tents. 

• Most spaces are 10’x10’ but please be aware that some spaces only have 5’x10’ of usable space under the tent due to the presence of benches in Horne Square. You will be notified ahead of time if you are assigned to one of these spots. 

 

General rules

• Late arrivals and early dismissals are only allowed at the discretion of the onsite manager. 

• Vendors must work inside of their own tent area and may not distribute materials or samples to customers outside of that without prior consent.

• Vendors' children must be supervised at all times.

• Audio and music may not be played without prior consent. 

• Smoking and vaping are not allowed within the tent spaces or anywhere within Horne Square. 

• The market manager has the discretion to request immediate removal of any product considered objectionable. 

• All vendors must prominently display their name and location

• All products must be clearly priced and neatly displayed

• Selling top-quality produce at radically lower prices than current market rates is prohibited

• Poor-quality or overripe produce must be labeled as such, and can be sold for a discounted price

• Competition among vendors must remain friendly. Price wars are prohibited. 

• Loud music, drumming, shouting and use of other disruptive tactics to draw attention to individual booths is prohibited

• Vendors advertising as “Organic”, “Unsprayed”, “Natural”, etc. are not required to be certified by any recognized certification agency. However, state law restricts use of the phrase “Certified Organic” to only those who have been certified by the United States Department of Agriculture.

• All vendors are required to advertise truthfully and to respond to customers’ questions in a like manner. 

 

Grievances 

The onsite manager has the authority to grant exceptions to the market policies on an individual basis for reasons of dire need. Should any vendor, at any time, be found in violation of the market guidelines, he or she will be asked to immediately comply. Failure to do so will result in expulsion from the market. Vendors have the right to a hearing before the CFCM Board within two weeks of any disciplinary action. In the event of customer dissatisfaction, the dispute must be resolved to the satisfaction of the customer and the onsite manager in a timely manner. Vendors who routinely fail to resolve customer disputes may be asked to leave the market. Vendors with concerns, disputes, or suggestions should contact the onsite manager during the market day and contact the CFCM Board in writing at info@cfcmnc.org within five business days.