For 30 years, Light the Night has brought families and neighbors together for an evening of community, culture, connection, and fun. This is a family-centered community festival and carnival, not a Halloween-themed event. Vendors are encouraged to bring the energy of their businesses and organizations into the celebration while keeping displays, activities, products, and promotional materials welcoming and appropriate for guests of all ages.

Before the Event

Complete your registration and payment by the established deadline, review all vendor requirements, prepare your products and inventory, confirm your payment methods, and bring visible signage and promotional materials customers can take with them.

And please tell people you're coming! Invite your customers, followers, friends, family, and community networks to support your booth and enjoy Light the Night.

When promoting your participation, tag Center of Hope CDC so we can help amplify participating vendors.

Instagram: @hopecdcla
Facebook: hopecdcla

Make Your Booth a Destination

Give people a reason to stop. Light the Night is an active festival environment with plenty for guests to see and do. Think about what will make your booth one of their destinations.

Depending on your business or organization, consider:

• Samples, demonstrations, giveaways, drawings, games, or simple interactive activities

• A Light the Night special, bundle, or featured product

• Family-oriented products, services, or activities

• A creative display or photo opportunity

• An easy activity that introduces guests to your community resource or service

• Candy or treats for children and families

Community Resource Vendors: Don't just hand someone a brochure! Think about how families can interact with your booth and quickly understand: What do you do? Who do you help? How can you help me or my family?

Candy & Giveaways

Vendors are welcome to distribute individually wrapped or commercially packaged candy and treats at their booths. Please distribute all treats in a clean and sanitary manner.

If you plan to participate, bring enough to last throughout the evening. Candy, giveaways, and simple activities can be great ways to invite families to stop, engage, and learn more about your business or organization.

Food vendors should refer to the separate Food Vendor Guidelines for requirements related to food preparation, handling, and service.

Vendor Setup & Booth Expectations

Please arrive during the designated vendor setup period and complete your setup before Light the Night begins. Check in with event staff upon arrival before beginning setup.

Each vendor will receive:

• One 6-foot table

• Two chairs

• Vendor space for setup

Tents are welcome but are not provided. If you bring a tent, please bring appropriate tent weights or another secure method of anchoring it. For the safety of guests and neighboring vendors, tents must remain securely weighted throughout the event.

Electricity will not be provided. Vendors who would like lighting for their booth should bring battery-powered lighting. Light the Night continues after sunset, so consider how guests will see your products, signage, and payment area throughout the evening.

Your business or organization name should be clearly visible. Products, services, pricing, and contact information should be easy for guests to see and understand.

Loading, Parking & Breakdown

Loading Zone: The parking lot loading zone will be open from 2:00–3:30 PM. Please allow enough time to unload and have your booth completely set up before the event begins.

Parking: Street parking is available.

Vendors are expected to remain for the duration of Light the Night. Please do not begin packing products, dismantling displays, or breaking down your booth while the event is underway.

Breakdown begins promptly at 9:00 PM.

Keep your booth and surrounding area clean throughout the evening—not just at breakdown. Dispose of trash as needed and remove all products, displays, boxes, packaging, and other materials before leaving.

Make It Easy to Buy—and Find You Again

Bring cash/change and/or a digital payment option such as Square, Cash App, Venmo, or Zelle, as appropriate for your business.

Make prices easy to see. If someone likes your business, give them an easy way to reconnect with you after Light the Night through social media, a website, email list, QR code, business card, or other contact information.

No elaborate booth? No problem. Your booth doesn't have to look like a corporate trade show. It should be clean, welcoming, and easy to understand. A guest walking by should quickly be able to tell who you are, what you offer, and why they should stop.

Come Ready for the Evening

Light the Night is an outdoor evening event. Please check the weather forecast before arriving and dress accordingly. Temperatures may become considerably cooler after sunset.

Bring jackets, layers, or other weather-appropriate clothing so you can remain comfortable throughout the event. Consider the weather when preparing your products, signage, tent, and other booth materials as well.

Please Don't

To help us create a safe, welcoming, and family-centered experience for everyone:

• Don't block aisles, entrances, exits, neighboring booths, or festival activity areas.

• Don't use amplified sound or disruptive displays without prior approval.

• Don't leave your booth unattended for extended periods or begin breaking down before the event closes.

• Don't leave trash, boxes, packaging, food waste, or other materials behind.

• Don't sell or distribute prohibited products or materials.

• Don't photograph or record guests—particularly children—in a way that suggests endorsement or promotional participation without appropriate permission.

• Don't display products, signage, promotional materials, or imagery that are obscene, sexually explicit, discriminatory, threatening, or otherwise inconsistent with the family-centered nature of Light the Night.

• Don't create frightening, horror-themed, graphic, or disturbing displays or activities.

Light the Night takes place on October 31, but it is a family-centered community festival—not a Halloween or haunted attraction. Please plan your booth, decorations, activities, products, and promotions with that distinction in mind.

Come Ready to Participate!

Light the Night is more than a place to set up a table. You are part of the experience.

Come ready to introduce people to your business, meet families, make connections, engage new customers, and contribute to an evening of community and celebration.

Make your booth a destination. Invite people in. Give them something to discover. Have fun with it!

Come prepared to sell. Come prepared to connect. Come prepared to participate.