Old Worthington Market Day 2021

 OLD WORTHINGTON MARKET DAY  OCT. 2  I   9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

The Worthington Area Chamber and our Old Worthington Market Day planning committee, have taken necessary steps to provide social distancing and a safe environment for all. We encourage all attendees to wear a mask while enjoying our event, wash your hands frequently and please stay home if you are not feeling well. 

Indoor Mask Policy: The City of Worthington, as of September 16 th , has instituted a face covering requirement for all publicly accessible indoor locations. The requirement applies to all individuals, regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status. Worthington City Council passed Ordinance 45-2021 at its September 13, 2021 meeting requiring the wearing of face coverings to reduce and prevent the spread of COVID-19. You can read more here.

Market Day Safety Measures:

To protect your health and the health of others, masks will be strongly encouraged regardless of vaccination status.


Masks are required while traveling on the shuttles.


The majority of vendor booths have been spaced out to allow for social distancing.


Vendors with no spacing between another booth have been provided a protective clear barrier between neighboring tents.


Hand sanitizer stations are available at the event headquarters and throughout the events.

Health and safety standards during pandemic conditions may result in an alteration to event layouts and logistics, including setup procedures, traffic/parking and shuttle policies, and other logistics. Please watch our website for up-to-date information. Sponsorship and vendor payments will not be refunded in the event of an emergency cancellation but can be carried over to another year's event or a rescheduled event day.

Welcome back to Market Day! This longtime community tradition is staged in downtown Worthington, along High Street, from SR 161 to South Street . The free event is open to the community from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Parking is available at Thomas Worthington High School; shuttles will transport vendors and visitors to the event area.  Vendor opportunities are detailed below.  

 

 

VISITOR INFORMATION:
On Market Day, Worthington's largest one-day festival,  artisans gather on the streets of downtown Worthington to present a colorful and varied display of quality hand-crafted goods from jewelry, pottery and ceramics to beautiful paintings, decorative clothing and unique wood products. More than 200 exhibitors typically display their wares each year, and crowds of approximately 20,000 visitors and residents enjoy the event throughout the day. Community and local charitable groups also have fundraising and informational booths on display, and a host of food vendors provide meals, snacks and concessions ranging from signature local restaurant dishes to carnival-atmosphere snacks.

Event parking is available at Thomas Worthington High School, 300 W. Dublin-Granville Road. A shuttle service will be operated from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., traveling from the high school to shuttle stops in the parking lot behind The Worthington Inn and The Griswold Center. 

Special thanks to our shuttle partners:

Coach Quarters

Danbury of Columbus

Griswold Center / Parks & Recreation

Kemper House Worthington

The Avalon of Lewis Center

 

Worthington police, engineering and safety officials work year-long with the Chamber to plan for the anticipated people, vehicles and business patronage the festival brings to our community. As the event nears, please check website and Facebook posts from local government that explain traffic patterns and parking accommodations on the day of the event. Limited parking may be available at the Worthington United Methodist Church via Hartford Street, and at the Worthington Municipal Parking Lot west of High Street behind The Worthington Inn. The municipal parking lot on E. New England Avenue is reserved for handicapped parking only during the event.

Market Day is the ideal time to support your favorite downtown businesses and local community groups. Many other community groups take advantage of the lively atmosphere on Market Day, with neighbors and guests assembling in the heart of our community, to offer complimentary activities for all ages. Watch for announcements about activities from other local nonprofit organizations and downtown merchants.

 

 

EXHIBITOR INFORMATION:

Any exhibitor that comes in now through the event will not be listed in the event program available the day of the event.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Returning or preapproved exhibitors may apply online (click the REGISTER link and follow the prompts) or with a printed application, available by emailing connect@worthingtonchamber.org
New exhibitors are asked to use the printed application, available by emailing  connect@worthingtonchamber.org . 
An Early Bird discount is available through July 31.
For general information or assistance, please call (614) 888-3040, or review the eligibility criteria below.  
Vendors should not request and cannot be promised specific booth locations. At registration time, event layout logistics are not known; public health mandates and other regulations will affect this year's event.
Sponsorship and vendor payments will not be refunded in the event of an emergency cancellation and will be carried over to another year's event or a rescheduled event day.

 

Arts & Crafts Vendors : All items sold must be handcrafted. No commercial or manufactured products will be accepted. Applicants who did not participate in the 2018 or 2019 event must submit two clear photographs of their product(s) and one photograph of their display booth for review. Returning or preapproved vendors may apply online through the REGISTER link. Once registration is opened for vendors, a downloadable PDF application will be available here.

Community Groups: Community organizations are encouraged to sell handmade or handcrafted items; commercial products will be accepted only if they relate to the group’s mission. Community groups that have not participated in Market Day in the past must sell a product or food item. For food items requiring cooking or refrigeration (e.g., grilled brats), vendors are responsible for obtaining a temporary food license from Columbus Public Health. Returning or preapproved vendors may apply online through the REGISTER  link.  Once registration is opened for vendors, a downloadable PDF application will be available here.

Food Vendors: Priority will be given to food vendors who offer unique food offerings that are reasonably priced and will enhance the experience of those attending the arts and crafts festival. Applicants who did not participate in the event since 2018 must submit photographs of their product(s) and display booth for review. Food vendors are responsible for obtaining all necessary food permits to comply with Columbus Public Health regulations. Returning or preapproved vendors may apply online through the REGISTER link. The Columbus Public Health temporary food license permit application can be found on that agency's website. Columbus Public Health will inspect all food vendors, including community groups serving food, at the beginning of the event.

Equipment: Participants are responsible for providing all of their booth materials and equipment. 

Permits and Licenses:
The state of Ohio requires a vendor’s license for reporting sales tax. Each exhibitor must obtain a vendor’s permit prior to the event. All permits must be available for inspection, if necessary, on the day of the event. For additional information or to secure a vendor’s license, contact the Ohio Department of Taxation by calling, toll-free, 888-405-4089 or on the Web at this link: https://www.tax.ohio.gov/portals/0/sales_and_use/st_st1t12_09.pdf .  Food vendors and community groups selling or serving food must obtain their own temporary food licenses, or a permanent mobile food license, from the Columbus Public Health Department.

For vendors and sponsors:  By completing the application, the exhibitor/vendor hereby agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Old Worthington Market Day, the Worthington Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Worthington and their representatives from any and all liability arising from participation in this event, including theft of property/merchandise, damage or injury sustained by an exhibitor, his or her representatives or any other person, caused by fire, theft, water or accidents of any sort. In consideration of this agreement, the exhibitor expressly waives any and all claims, legal or otherwise, for personal injury and/or property damage sustained while on any part of the premise occupied by Old Worthington Market Day, the Worthington Area Chamber of Commerce, the City of Worthington, and their representatives. In registering, sponsors and vendors agree and understand that, in the event of an emergency cancellation, t he Chamber will not refund their payments , but will apply them to a rescheduled date.