Festival FAQs

Returning Vendor Registration closes on December 31st

You can contact Jen at CNYFiberFestival.VendorHelp@gmail.com to be added to our waiting list. We will contact new vendors as openings become available.

Submitting your registration form represents your agreement and understanding of the information provided here. Failure to follow the guidelines provided below will result in a Vendor being removed from the vendor list for future festivals. 

Please note that Return Vendor Registration for vendors closes on December 31st!  After this date we will open registration for New Vendors as well and registration will be handled on a juried basis.

Jen Farley is the Vendor Coordinator and can be reached via email at CNYFiberFestival.VendorHelp@gmail.com with any questions or help you may need prior to the festival. Jen will also be on-site during the festival, if needed.

Event Details

  • The 2026 festival will be held Saturday and Sunday, June 6 – 7 (first full weekend in June) at the Herkimer County Fairgrounds, 135 Cemetery Rd., Frankfort, NY 13340
  • The festival will run both days from 10 AM – 4 PM
  • Vendor setup is Friday, June 6 from 9 AM to 6 PM and vendors will need to be torn down by 8 PM Sunday evening.

Driving Directions

  • From the East on the Thruway (Interstate 90) get off on Exit 30 (Herkimer). At the light, take a Left onto E. Main Street. At the next light veer Right onto 5S and stay on 5S for approximately 5 miles. Take the Cemetery Street Exit (righthand exit) and turn Right at the light. The fairgrounds will be on your right.
  • From the West on the Thruway (Interstate 90) get off on Exit 31 (Utica). Continue straight on the overpass toward Genesee St/Downtown Utica. At the end of the ramp, turn Right onto North Genesee Street. Cross the Mohawk River and continue past the light on Wurz Ave. where you veer to the Right on the John St/Broad St. ramp. Turn Left onto Broad Street. The entrance to Rt. 5S is on. your left just past 2nd Street. Once on 5S proceed approximately 8 miles to the Cemetery Street Exit (righthand exit) and turn Left at the light. The fairgrounds will be on your right.

Camping and Hotel/Restaurant Information

  • For those who may want a hotel or some alternate eating options there are a number of places relatively close to the fairgrounds, see the area hotel and restaurant list.
  • RV and Tent camping spots are available at the campground and can be reserved using the Campsite Application.
    • Tent camping is $45/night with no power hookups
    • RV camping is available with several different power options. 20 Amp ($65/night), 30 amp ($80/night), and 50 amp ($95/night) hookups are available.
    • Showers are available at the fairgrounds beginning at 6 PM and will remain open until 8 AM the following morning throughout the weekend.
  • Campground Rules (New York State Regulations)
    • All vehicles/campers/tents must be at least 5′ apart. This includes awnings, grills, etc.
    • All campers (tents or RV) with cooking stoves must have a fire extinguisher and it must be visible and available for use. Cooking areas must be 10′ from all structures.
    • No open fires are permitted on the ground; cooking must be at least 18″ off the ground.
    • A $250 fine will be charged for anyone found to be dumping gray or black water – caps must remain in place at all times.
    • Garbage is to be placed in the provided bins and the area kept clean.
    • Ice and ATMs are available in the front of the fairgrounds office.
    • No pets allowed within the fenced area of the fairgrounds.

Fleece Sale

  • In order to participate in the fleece sale there is a $25 entry fee + 5% of each fleece price entered. For those that are Sponsors, the entry fee is waived. For more information see Fleece Sale or send an email to: CNYFiberFestival.FleeceSale@gmail.com 

Festival Assistance and Amenities

  • Numerous food vendors have been invited; food vendors will be listed on the festival website once they are determined. Breakfast will be available for purchase from our Food Vendors.
  • We are planning to have FFA help again for 2026 but more information on details for lunch etc., will be provided as we get closer to the event date.
  • There is NO WiFi but there is good cellular signal so please plan accordingly.
  • During vendor setup vehicles will be permitted to enter the fairgrounds and you can pull up next to assigned buildings. Please keep in mind that you may not be able to park immediately next to your assigned booth space. Please DO NOT block the roll-up or man doors at anytime.
  • No vehicles will be permitted on the fairgrounds after 9 AM each morning of the festival and prior to 4:30 PM in the afternoons. This includes anyone that may be dropping off fleeces, etc. Please plan accordingly.
  • Vendors will have dedicated parking on the backside of the fairgrounds (map will be provided) and will have a dedicated entry gate for coming in and out of the fenced area during the festival. We will be providing vendor identification that will get you in and out of the gate during check-in on Friday.

Booth Information

  • All vendor locations are assigned by the Vendor Coordinator, we will not be taking placement requests. You will be notified of your booth space once all registration is finalized.
  • Nothing may be attached to the fairground building walls (no nails, screws, pins or other similar methods that may damage building walls). The buildings are sufficiently tall that you can erect a pop-up style tent within the building, if needed.
  • Booth setup can begin on Friday, June 6th, at 9 AM. Vendors can also begin setting up on Saturday morning at 7 AM, if needed. All vendors must be setup by 9 AM on Saturday morning.
  • CNY Festival Committee members will be on-site for check-in from 9 AM to 6 PM on Friday, all day Saturday (beginning at 7 AM), and Sunday. Check-in is at the front office (Building B). Each vendor must check-in no later than 9 AM on Saturday.
  • Vendors cannot close or begin to shut down their booth(s) until after 4 PM each day of the festival; leaving prior to closing time will result in you not being invited back as a vendor the following year.
  • Booth materials, personnel, signage, etc. cannot extend outside the boundaries of the assigned booth space. The standard booth is 10’x10′ (indoor) or 10’x12′ (outdoor). Please plan your displays and booth help appropriately (we do police this as it can become a safety issue!).
  • Power is available at each indoor booth location at no additional charge.

Exhibition/Demonstrators/Animal Booths

  • Exhibition/Animal booths are free; however, you are not permitted to sell items/materials of any kind out of these spaces.
  • The fairgrounds can provide animal pens – please note this on the registration form if you would like to take advantage of this option. You are responsible for bringing and removing all bedding materials, etc.
  • All animals must have a vet check/certificate no later than May 25, 2026 to be permitted on the fairgrounds.
  • We will be providing a large, designated demonstration area this year. Guilds are welcome to purchase Vendor space if they are interested in selling items/materials but otherwise will be invited to join us in our demonstration area instead of needing to man and manage a booth on their own. Please reach out to the Vendor Coordinator if you want to man a separate booth.
  • Each guild will be provided 5 ticket passes free; any additional demonstrators will need to pay the $5 entrance fee.

Explanation of Fees

Booth Fees

  • The standard indoor booth fee is $110 per 10’x10’ space. Outdoor spaces are very limited but will be $95 per 10’x12′ space (no power available and you must provide your own tent).
  • Food vendor spaces are $50 + power hookup fees.
  • Inclusion in our year-round, online Vendor List is included in your fees.
  • There is a Returning Vendor Discount ($10) if you are registered prior to December 31st. Registration after December 31st will include new Vendors and is handled on a juried basis. We will send invoices in January via Square.
  • Fees are due no later than May 1st, 2025. Any cancellations prior to May 15th will be refunded to your original payment method – we do not hold payments over for the following year.
  • Cancellations after May 15th will result in a forfeit of paid fees as we will have already incurred expense for your space by this time.
  • For those vendors unable to pay electronically, the Vendor Coordinator will work with you to make alternate payment arrangements. Please DO NOT send checks until you have made arrangements with the Vendor Coordinator first!!

Festival Sponsors

Sponsors help make this festival possible- thank you! Sponsors are included on our website Sponsors List page. Sponsors at all levels may participate in the Fleece Sale. For a description of the levels see Sponsorship FAQs.

Festival Advertising

A festival program is provided to festival attendees that contains the site map, vendor and sponsor lists, and has space for advertising. You can purchase ad space in the festival program; recall that some sponsor levels include a free ad space, but this can be upgraded, if desired. For costs of ads and how to submit them see Advertising Options.

Additionally, the Festival does maintain Facebook, Instagram, and Ravelry pages to post information about the festival, vendors, etc.

Links to Application Forms

Vendors and Animal Exhibitors may register using the Vendor Application.

Food Vendors may register using the Food Vendor Application.

Exhibitors/Demonstrators may register using the Exhibitor/Demonstrator Application.

Those wanting a campsite may register using the Campsite Application.

Instructors wanting to submit a proposal for a workshop or lecture can register using the Workshop/Lecture Proposal Application.

New Vendors

We are always glad to be able to introduce new artists and producers to the event. We maintain a waiting list of prospective vendors, and we ask that individuals wishing to become vendors please contact Jen Farley at CNYFiberFestival.VendorHelp@gmail.com. To provide variety for our visitors and to promote sales for our vendors, we evaluate the products represented by prospective vendors and reach out to people accordingly. We give priority to people with unusual and high-quality products, to people who raise their own animals and are willing to showcase their animals, and to people from Central NY.  We are also interested in a small number of vendors with non-fiber products that might be of interest to our visitors, such as hand-woven baskets, quilts, etc.

Please do not hesitate to contact Jen, our vendor chairman, with any questions about the forms or the process.  She can be reached at CNYFiberFestival.VendorHelp@gmail.com.