Review the rules and regulations below thoroughly prior to applying. ALL vendors must submit photos or samples of products to be sold in addition to photos of the booth or food truck and menu if applicable A vendor will not be approved without materials included in the application. Once approved, a vendor cannot change any details without submitting for re-approval prior to the festival date. If a vendor arrives with unapproved products, they can face immediate removal from the event, loss of security deposit, and/or refusal for future events. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact us at (409) 765-3459 or via email here.
2023 EVENT FEES
All fees are due at the time of submission.
*All fees will increase by $50 on Monday, February 27.
*No applications will be accepted after Friday, March 31.
GENERAL VENDOR RULES
A committee reviews all vendor applications as part of the approval process. Approval is based on product suitability and compliance with the requirements listed below. Payment in full, including deposit, must be made at the time of application submission. All vendors must submit photos of product, booth/truck, and food trucks must submit a full menu.
Texas State Sales Tax Requirement | In order to participate in TALL SHIPS® GALVESTON, all vendors will be required to provide a Texas State sales taxes permit number. The permit must be in the vendor’s name or company name. You cannot use another person’s state sales tax number or an out-of-state sales tax number. The Texas State controller will have their representatives checking vendors for current sales tax permits. All permits must be displayed at all times inside the concession while on TALL SHIPS® GALVESTON grounds.
Pets | Pets are prohibited from the festival grounds. Vendors may be permitted to have pets in booth areas on a case-by-case basis which GHF must authorize.
Inclement Weather | In case of inclement weather, you will be contacted via your preferred method of contact for any and all updates as soon as they are made available. TALL SHIPS® GALVESTON is a rain or shine event. Should a vendor choose to cancel prior to TALL SHIPS® GALVESTON due to inclement weather, you will not be penalized for future years or GHF events, but no refunds will be granted.
Hold Harmless and Indemnification | The vendor agrees to adhere to all rules, regulations, and laws. The vendor acknowledges and agrees to assume all risks arising out of or relating to its attendance or participation in TALL SHIPS® GALVESTON and to protect, defend, indemnify and hold harmless GHF and its officers, agents, servants, contractors, and employees from any and all liability, loss, damage, injury, claim or expense the vendor may cause or sustain from any cause whatsoever, including fire, theft, personal injury, or property loss. Vendor agrees that GHF shall not, under any circumstances, be liable under or by any reason of this Vendor Agreement, directly or indirectly, for any accident, injury, breakage, or damage to property or persons whatsoever growing out of any activities during TALL SHIPS® GALVESTON. The Vendor agrees to be responsible for all employees, agents, and contractors. Any vendor or employee, agent, or contractor who violates any such law, ordinance, regulation, guideline, or rule in connection with the operation of the vendor shall forfeit the booth space and be disqualified from participating in TALL SHIPS® GALVESTON or GHF events in the future. In this event, the Vendor shall cease all business activities and vacate TALL SHIPS® GALVESTON grounds
immediately, forfeiting all fees.
DURATION OF FESTIVAL | Setup will occur on the afternoon of Thursday, April 13 with the exact time to be announced at a later date. All Vendors are required to remain open the entire length of the festival’s advertised hours- Friday, April 14, Saturday, April 15, and Sunday, April 16, 10 am-6 pm unless otherwise specified. Times are subject to change.
CRAFT/NON-FOOD TRUCK VENDOR RULES
Merchandise | All items must be approved by the Events Committee. Only approved items may be sold. Samples or photos of exactly the items to be sold must be submitted for approval by Event Committee. No T-shirts of any kind are to be sold unless you are a licensed vendor of the official TALL SHIPS® GALVESTON T-shirt. Email travis.newman@galvestonhistory.org or call (409) 765-3459 to get more information on TALL SHIPS® GALVESTON trademark licenses.
Food Vendors | Non-Cooking Food vendors that offer samples of their product onsite must furnish a copy of the Food Vendors Liability Insurance along with the application. (If you have questions on whether or not you need a permit, please contact GCHD). Food Vendors must obtain a Health Certificate from the Galveston County Health District, (409) 938-2303, and submit their health certificate number to GHF prior to March 31, 2023. The Galveston County Health District will inspect each food booth on site.
Booth Displays | Booth display spaces are 10’ x 10’. Vendors may use the Pop-Up style canopy as a booth, following these guidelines.
- All pop-up-style tents must have a white top; no exceptions are allowed.
- All tables must be skirted.
- Vendors must bring sandbags or weights to secure the poles of their tents.
- While the parking lot is lit in the evenings, it is suggested that vendors bring their own battery-operated lights inside their booths for the evening portion of the festival.
Booth Assignment | Booth spaces are assigned by the Event Coordinator in charge of Vendors. The spaces will be honored on a first-come, first-served basis. Once a space has been assigned to a vendor, they are not allowed to move to a different location. Trademark License: The name, logo, and image of TALL SHIPS® GALVESTON, or any deceptively similar name, logo, or image cannot be used on any product (such as commemorative mugs, ornaments, jewelry, etc.) without the vendor entering into an approved licensing agreement with Galveston Historical Foundation. Under no circumstances may Vendors use TALL SHIPS ARE COMING®, TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® or TALL SHIPS AMERICA®. If you are interested in a TALL SHIPS® GALVESTON trademark license, we will provide a trademark application at
your request. The fee for vendors to obtain trademark rights during the three-day event is $350 per trademark item. TALL SHIPS® GALVESTON is a registered trademark of GHF. A separate agreement must be entered into to obtain a license.
Liability Insurance | We recommend to all vendors that you purchase liability insurance to protect yourself and your products. This is not required and will not change the state of your application, but it is strongly recommended.
FOOD TRUCK VENDOR RULES
Permit Requirements – State Sales Tax & Health | In order to operate a concession during TALL SHIPS® GALVESTON, all concessionaires must provide Galveston Historical Foundation (GHF) with their own Texas sales taxes permit number and county health department permit number. Concessionaires cannot use another person’s state sales tax number or an “OUT OF STATE” SALES TAX NUMBER. All permits must be displayed at all times inside the concession while on TALL SHIPS® GALVESTON grounds. Concessions must comply with all city and county rules, regulations, ordinances, and laws. Assigned Area: Each concessionaire will be given an assigned area within the TALL SHIPS® GALVESTON grounds to operate. Concessions are not allowed to move to a different spot unless permitted by a GHF staff member. Concessions cannot be left unattended during the event’s operating hours.
Waste | Concessionaires are required to keep their assigned areas clean and free of debris during and after the event. Concessionaires are responsible for their own waste and must dispose of it in the provided waste receptacles. TALL SHIPS® GALVESTON does have trash cans available to patrons, but all other concession trash is the concessionaire’s responsibility. ANY CONCESSION FOUND DUMPING COOKING OIL OR ANYTHING ELSE IN/ON TREES, ON THE
STREETS OR SEWER DRAINS ARE REQUIRED TO PAY A $500 FEE. MAKE SURE YOU TAKE ALL NEW AND USED OIL WITH YOU AT THE END OF EVERY EVENT.
Music and Alcohol NOT Allowed | Concessions shall not play music or serve alcoholic beverages while operating during TALL SHIPS® GALVESTON.
Insurance | A concessionaire must furnish a copy of its general liability insurance, which must be valid during the time of TALL SHIPS® GALVESTON, along with the Concession Application. Please list Galveston Historical Foundation as an additionally insured on your policy.
Signage | Concessionaires will provide their own signage that must be professional in appearance. Concession signage must stay within the concession’s assigned area.
Operations, Damages, and Deposit | Concessionaire shall return the assigned space in the same condition as when it arrived. A $500 deposit is required, and concessionaires that fail to comply with the cleanup requirements will forfeit all deposit fees. Additionally, any damage to the space, including but not limited to staining from the operation of the concession truck/trailer, will be fully remedied at the concessionaire’s expense. GHF shall have the right to request a concession’s removal from the area and refuse admittance to any future operations on TALL SHIPS® GALVESTON or GHF property.
PLEASE NOTE: Tall Ships Galveston has been designated as a Marine Event of National Significance by the U.S. Coast Guard. Special security measures will be in effect. All attendees will be screened, including personal belongings, bags, and purses. No large bags or coolers are permitted. Small coolers no larger than 5 quarts will be permitted for baby food/formula and medicine. No firearms (regardless of permit), knives, drones, illegal drugs, or other dangerous items identified by security. Toy guns and replicas are prohibited. No unsealed or broken seal bottles of liquid or outside food are permitted, except baby food and formula that must be contained in plastic containers. No glass is permitted. One sealed bottle of liquid per guest is permitted through the gate. No prohibited item will be held by security at the gate and must be returned to the vehicle, or it will be discarded.
Drones are strictly prohibited around the event area and Parade of Sail unless authorized by the Event. Unauthorized usage will be reported to law enforcement and FAA authorities.
Fishing off any pier around the event area is prohibited.
Attendees may bring an umbrella for inclement weather, but they may not use the umbrella while onboard a tall ship during a tour.
Service (trained dogs and miniature horses) animals are welcome. No other animal is permitted.
ABOUT TALL SHIPS GALVESTON®
The 2023 Tall Ships® Galveston festival hosts tours of participating ships, numerous special events, sail-away excursions, music, food, and fun in a family-friendly format. Galveston Island serves as one of three ports for the TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® Gulf Coast 2023 Series, which features a fleet of ships traveling across the Gulf of Mexico as they visit other participating cities. Learn more here.
ABOUT THE TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE®
The Tall Ships Challenge® is a series of annual events organized by Tall Ships America. These events draw hundreds of thousands of people to witness beautiful tall ships from the age of sail and provide a unique opportunity for the participants to interact with the crews of different vessels in friendly rivalry as they race from port to port. The series began in 2001 on the Great Lakes and saw vessels from six countries and visited seven US and Canadian ports. Since its launch, the Tall Ships Challenge® series has visited dozens of North American cities, bringing millions of spectators down to the waterfront to experience the tall ships and creating a cumulative economic impact of hundreds of millions of dollars for host communities. It has continued to grow every year and is an eagerly anticipated event in the seaside communities that host the vessels and beyond. Learn more at tallshipsamerica.org.
ABOUT GALVESTON HISTORICAL FOUNDATION
Galveston Historical Foundation (GHF) was formed as the Galveston Historical Society in 1871 and merged with a new organization formed in 1954 as a non-profit entity devoted to historic preservation and history in Galveston County. Over the last seventy years, GHF has expanded its mission to encompass community redevelopment, historic preservation advocacy, maritime preservation, museum development, and heritage tourism. GHF embraces a broader vision of history and architecture that encompasses advancements in environmental and natural sciences and their intersection with historic buildings and coastal life, and continues to lead on local, state, and national levels with research-driven programs that build awareness of preservation’s role in cultural identity and stewardship across generations. Learn more at galvestonhistory.org.
PLEASE NOTE: TALL SHIPS® GALVESTON tickets are non-refundable. The festival is open, rain or shine. GHF is not responsible for independent transactions between visitors and vendors. All ships are viewable from the pier. However, on-board tours are not handicap accessible. If we can assist with arrangements, please contact us at 409-765-7834 in advance of your visit.
