Please understand that one cannot simply “sign up” or “join” the Art Night Out (or any Firsthand) event. Firsthand markets are curated events and vendors are selected by a jury of fine artists and craft veterans. With limited available vendor spaces, we receive many more applications than we have available spaces for each event. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that vendors make best efforts to display their best work when completing their vendor application. This includes using high-quality photography using proper lighting techniques, having your website and social media accounts in good order, and ensuring that you have up-to-date and quality product available and ready to sell.

Firsthand is looking for unique, accessible and high-quality products made by focused artists. Your work should be 100% handmade, and not utilize products made by others. Your product line should be cohesive and fit within your overall brand presentation. We are not looking for makers who are “all over the place” or who do not yet have a concerted brand understanding.

Your vendor application is Firsthand’s window into your work. Take your time and present your work in the way that you would want it to be seen. Short, curt answers won’t interest the jury! Neither will low-res, fuzzy or unclear photos taken hastily using your phone in inadequate lighting. Please use high-quality photos, and include as many good ones as you can. The jury will also be evaluating the currentness and usefulness of your website, as well as your social media channels. Makers who apply but seemingly haven’t made or sold in a long time probably won’t be accepted!

The Art Night Out event is located in Old Town Lafayette, Colorado, on Public Road between Cannon and Emma Streets. Vendor load-in occurs directly on the street, allowing you to pull your car to your booth for unloading. Public parking is available within a few blocks of the event, and street parking is available throughout the neighborhood adjacent to the event.

Art Night Out is open to the public from 5-9pm on second Fridays from May to September. Vendor load-in and setup occurs from 3:30-5pm, and load-out occurs from 9-10pm. While the duration is short, thousands of people attend this event each month.

A 10’ x 10’ booth space for the 2023 Art Night Out season is $149 per event.

Shoppers attend Art Night Out and the artisan market for FREE. Beer, wine and food are offered for sale.

Sponsorships are available for the entire City event and separately for the Firsthand Market. Art-related institutions looking to partner with us are encouraged to contact us through the contact form on this website, or directly at raj@firsthand.us. For organizations seeking a sponsorship of the entire event, please contact Rachel Hanson with the City of Lafayette's Arts & Cultural Resources Department at rachel.hanson@lafayetteco.gov.

Yes! Food trucks at the Art Night Out event are booked and managed by the City of Lafayette. Please contact rachel.hanson@lafayetteco.gov for more information.

Due to the large number of applications we receive, our juries meet regularly and we will do our best to notify you as soon as possible. Please don't hesitate to reach out through our Contact form if you need to check the status of your submitted application.

Yes, but only in limited cases. Artists sharing a booth should be able to provide photos of their booth sharing setup to show the jury. Artists are encouraged not to simply partner with another vendor and “force” your products together. Artists seeking to booth-share must apply individually to the event and make note in the Comments section of their intention to share with each other.

While Firsthand does not verify that vendor artists hold a retail license or applicable sales tax permits, all vendors are expected to hold a valid and current sales tax license with the State of Colorado by the time of each market appearance, and each vendor is responsible for remitting all sales tax to local, county and/or state authorities. Please contact the Colorado Department of Revenue and/or the City of Lafayette's Finance Department/Sales Tax Division with any questions.

All vendors are responsible for collecting sales tax from buyers and remitting sales tax directly to the City of Lafayette and State of Colorado. Vendors making occasional sales in the City (defined as two or fewer sales in the city in a 12-month period) are not required to possess a city sales tax license, but vendors should still collect tax on all sales made in the City. For sales in Lafayette in 2023, the total sales tax collected is 9.055% (recently increased). For additional information, please see: https://www.lafayetteco.gov/954/Rates. For questions, please call the City of Lafayette’s Sales Tax Department at (303) 665-5588 or email salestax@lafayetteco.gov. Firsthand cannot answer questions or provide advice related to sales tax collection or payment.

As part of your vendor application to most markets, including Firsthand, you agree to give the market producer a Waiver of Liability. Therefore, all vendors should protect themselves by carrying appropriate business insurance. Consult your business insurance professional regarding liability insurance, as well as business loss insurance in case of weather or other potential adverse events.

While we are not currently offering any scholarship or sponsorship opportunities for young artists, kids of any age who take their art seriously and are ready to sell publicly are welcome to apply for the standard market at any time.

You'd be surprised at how many vendors make this request, and obviously we cannot accommodate everyone who does. With a limited number of booth spaces out of the direct sun at the beginning of each event, we do our best to accommodate some of these requests, but you will likely need to explore other display methods to keep your products safe.

Yes. If you're unsure of what you need, get in touch and we'll fill you in on how to get a good, cheap starter tent.

Sorry, no.

Due to Colorado's sometimes-volatile weather, all of our events are "rain, sleet or shine" events, with no rain days offered or refunds considered. However, occasionally, due to extreme weather or wind, an entire event may need to be canceled or closed-in-progress (at the sole discretion of the City of Lafayette, which manages the Art Night Out event). In such an event, no rain checks will be offered and no refunds will be considered. For vendors concerned about this policy, we encourage you to discuss business-loss insurance with your insurance provider.

Sorry, no. The City of Lafayette does not allow the use of gas generators, and there are no other power sources available at this outdoor event. We highly encourage the use of battery-powered LED lighting for when the sun goes down; many options are now available in local stores, Amazon and beyond. Some vendors have been very creative in how they light their booths!

Sorry, no! Because this is a City of Lafayette event, we are governed by Resolution 2016-44, which allows only service animals at city-sponsored events. If you bring your dog, the City (not us) will insist that you remove it. See https://www.lafayetteco.gov/1650/Dogs-and-Pets-at-Public-Events for further information.

Absolutely! We love when our vendors show off how they make what they make! Have a great idea for a live demo during Firsthand @ Art Night Out? We'd love to hear it - we're currently looking for one artist each month to serve as our "artist in residence". In exchange for committing to embracing the public with their live art demo throughout the duration of the event, they will receive a premium booth location (with extra booth space, if available) for FREE. Get in touch if you think that's YOU. (Note: artists doing live demos will need to have extra helpers to run their booth while they are creating.)

Please see Section 3 of the Vendor Terms and Conditions page for more information.

Please use the form on our contact page to reach out to us and we’ll get back to you ASAP.

Questions? Please get in touch with us.