Red River Market 

2025 Vendor Guidelines

Please read carefully as our guidelines have changed as of March 11th, 2025

These rules govern the operation, administration, and management of Red River Market (RRM). RRM will implement and enforce all rules and regulations pertaining to the operation of the Market. RRM may change, delete or modify these Market rules and regulations at any time, and take any reasonable action to enforce them. RRM requires all participants in the Market to be members in good standing as set forth in these rules and regulations.

Market Contact Information

Email: info@redriver.market

Facebook: www.facebook.com/redrivermarket

Website: redriver.market

Address: 210 Broadway, Ste 202, Fargo, ND 58102

Table of Contents

  • About the Market……………………………………………………………………………. 3

    • Statement of Purpose

    • History

    • 2025 Market Dates, Hours, Location

  • Admission of Vendors and Products……………………………………………………. 4

    • Application Process

    • Admissions Considerations

    • Vendor Requirements

      • Permits, Licenses, Taxes

      • Insurance

      • Reporting

      • Product Quality Review

    • Product Guidelines

      • Eligible Products

      • Prohibited Products

      • Labeling Requirements

      • Organic Labeling

      • Sampling

  • General Market Rules………………………………………………………………………. 8

    • Market Operations

      • Daily Operations

      • Booth Assignment

      • Cancellation Policy

      • Market Money and SNAP Tokens

  • Vendor Fees and Space……………………………………………………………………. 10

    • Vendor Fees

    • Vendor Stall Space

    • Landfill Free

  • Policies and Fees……………………………………………………………………………. 13

    • Enforcement Policy

    • Grievance Policy

  • Promotion…………………………………………………………………………………….. 14

    • Promotion

    • Sponsorship

About the Market

Statement of Purpose

The Red River Market [RRM] creates a space for all people to experience the joys of locally grown food. The RRM strives to support small to mid-size farms and emerging food businesses, to increase access to fresh, locally grown produce, to be a good steward of the planet, and to create a sense of place where all are welcome.

History

The Red River Market was founded by a group of volunteers in the spring of 2015 because of two key issues: First, the lack of a centrally located, accessible place to access locally grown food, and second, the lack of shared public space in the Fargo Moorhead community. Since 2015, the Red River Market has grown to represent 80 locally owned small businesses.

The Red River Market is a weekly community ritual with free programming including live music and cultural performances, educational cooking demonstrations, and children’s activities in a welcoming community space.  Along with the regular season, additional winter and spring events are also hosted in indoor and outdoor venues in Fargo, West Fargo, and Moorhead. Off season markets take place in February, March, April, and May and are only open to participating season vendors.

The Red River Market is currently a fiscally hosted project of Impact Foundation. Day-to-day operations and activities are performed by Folkways. Folkways creates experiences that connect the community to increase quality of life. Folkways uses these immersive experiences to solve problems like workforce retention, economic vitality, and communal belonging.

2025 Market Dates, Hours, and Location

2025 Outdoor Season: Every Saturday, July 12th - October 25th, 10:00am to 2:00pm.

During Downtown Community Partnership’s Downtown Fargo Street Fair, the Red River Market will take place on the following Sunday. During the weekend of Street Fair, the market will take place on Sunday, July 20th. 

July 12th - Opening Day

July 20th - SUNDAY Market

July 26th - Welcome Day

August 2nd - Jazz Fest

August 9th - Pride 

August 16th - Kid’s Day

August 23rd - Global Day

August 30th

September 6th - College Day

September 13th - Art’s Day

September 20th - BBQ Day

September 27th - Grower’s Day

October 4th - Harvest Fest

October 11th - Red Rover

October 18th

October 25th - Closing Day

Location: Broadway Square, 201 Broadway N, Fargo, ND 58102

Admission of Vendors and Products

Application Process

Those wishing to participate in RRM must complete an annual application form, provide appropriate documentation including permits and health inspections if required, attend a vendor orientation, provide proof of insurance and make the appropriate vendor payment before selling at the Market. The application can be found online at www.redriver.market/apply. RRM Review Committee will review all applications for approval/denial. 

Applications are accepted once per year for the outdoor and subsequent indoor markets. Approval is at the sole discretion of the Red River Market Review Committee for admission. 

  • The 2025 application will be posted online in March 2025.

  • Reviews will start on April 3rd and application decisions will be sent starting on April 17th. After April 3rd, all applications will be reviewed within two weeks of being submitted.

  • Electronic submission is required. Paper applications will not be accepted. 

  • All vendors must apply annually.

  • Vendors who apply mid-season will be taken on a case by case basis.The decision to allow a mid-season application will be based on the current needs of the market. All of the criteria and fees of the normal application period apply during the mid-season review. 

Admissions Considerations

All products are subject to restriction by Fargo Cass Environmental Health Division. 

Admission priority is on:

  • Compliance of guidelines

  • Copies of all permits and licenses required for the sale of the applicant’s products. 

  • An understanding of and adherence to the RRM mission.

  • High quality local products or products that use locally made materials

  • A product line and growing practices that comply with the RRM Rules and

 Regulations

  • Ability to engage and educate consumers about products and how they were produced (via knowledgeable employees, informative brochures and handouts, etc.)

  • Space availability at the market

  • Market needs and overall vendor assortment

  • The vendor’s positive history with RRM (including adherence to market rules and regulations, market attendance, conduct, and timely payment of fees)

  • Overall priority is given to food products

Prohibited Products 

  • Resale and direct marketing - Products purchased for resale at the RRM are not allowed

  • Products that have not been approved by Fargo Cass Environmental Health Division

  • Products processed and sold under a brand name other than the vendor’s are not allowed unless approved by market management

  • Potentially hazardous foods including but not limited to: cut melons, chopped leafy greens, and cut tomatoes

  • Certain home-processed or home-canned foods, such as home-canned fish, pickled eggs, and home-canned meat

  • Live birds or live animals 

  • Other:

    • Franchise and direct sales business

    • Services

    • Electronics and related accessories

    • Political propaganda

    • Any products or items deemed inappropriate by RRM manager(s)

Eligible Products

Products sold by vendors need to be grown or made by the vendor within 200 miles of RRM.

The following items are approved for sale:

  • Vendor grown fresh fruits and vegetables

  • Vendor grown herbs and spices

  • Vendor produced farmstead products such as eggs (as long as kept at 41°F), baked goods, canned goods, honey, maple syrup, dried pasta and preserves, if prepared and packaged in accordance with rules established by the ND Department of Agriculture/Fargo Cass Public Health Office.

  • Vendor grown bedding plants, hanging and potted plants, and cut flowers

  • Vendor grown dried flowers or plants

  • Vendor made food or beverages

  • Vendor made crafts and artwork

  • Vendor made health and body care products

  • Home-Processed, Home-Canned and Home-Baked foods: see below Prepared Food section for more information

  • The following may be sold with a license: fish, dairy, poultry, and meat products which include smoked fish, butter, milk, and jerky, and potentially hazardous products such flavored oils.

Prepared Foods

RRM strives to maintain a high level of quality at all markets and any new producers of prepared foods, baked goods, or value-added products must supply ingredient lists (including origin of products) and samples upon request prior to acceptance to RRM. Preference will be given to vendors who source high-quality ingredients from local farms or other local-direct sources. 

  • Hot food and beverages: subject to review and inspection by Fargo Cass Public Health

  • Baked Goods: Baked goods sold at market should highlight regional produce and seasonal ingredients. Bakers who use local eggs, grain, butter and dairy are given preference over those who source nationally. No commercially made mixes, crusts or fillings may be used. 

    • Bakery goods which require time and temperature controls for safety, such as cream, custard, meringue toppings, cheesecake, pumpkin pie, cream cheese icings or fillings, etc., are allowed for sale, including uncooked dough products, as long as items are properly labeled with handling instructions, are transported and maintained frozen or refrigerated in addition to displaying the required consumer advisory either on the label or conspicuous sign posted at the point of sale.

    • The individual who is selling home-baked foods should have the product’s recipe  available. The seller must display a sign or placard at the point of sale which states: “These baked goods are homemade and not subject to state inspection.”

  • Canned Fruits and Vegetables: Canned fruits and vegetables must be from the farmer’s own produce. If processed off-farm, the farmer must supply RRM with the name, address, and telephone number for the facility where the produce is processed. Canned fruits and vegetables made from produce not grown by the producer but sourced locally will be admitted on a case-by-case basis.

    • ALLOWED: Canned foods that have a natural pH of 4.6 or less and acidified foods that have acid(s) or acid(s) foods added. 

    • The individual who is selling home-processed and home-canned foods under this exemption should have available, upon request of the regulatory authority, the product’s recipe and/or pH results. The seller must display a sign or placard at the point of sale which states: “These canned goods are homemade and not subject to state inspection.”

    • Persons producing and selling these products are encouraged to have the recipe and manufacturing process reviewed by a person knowledgeable in the food canning/processing industry and recognized as a process authority.

  • Honey: Honey must be from the farmer/grower’s own hives, but may be processed off-farm. The farmer/grower must provide RRM management with the name, address, and telephone number of the facility where the honey is processed.

  • Preserves, Pesto, Jams, Fruit Butters, Syrups, Purees, Salsas: Preference will be given to farmers/growers making these products from fresh fruits and vegetables grown on their farm. However, artisanal products in this category will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. 

  • Coffee and Tea: Preference will be given to vendors who roast their coffee beans locally. Preference will be given to vendors who are creating their own tea blends.

For purveyors applying for a season pass in the categories of produce, ready to eat, bakery, pantry, household goods or floral, at least 80% of retail space must be devoted to these items. Any items added must be approved by the Market Manager.

If you have questions about eligible products, labeling or other food safety related questions, please contact: Fargo Cass Public Health, Environmental Health Division at 701-476-6729.

Vendor Requirements

Permits, Licenses, and Taxes

All vendors must abide by all applicable federal, state and local health regulations and laws in the harvest, preparation, labeling and safety of the product(s) they bring to the RRM. 

  • All permits and licenses required by Cass County, the State of North Dakota, and/or the Federal Government are the sole responsibility of the vendors. If you operate under cottage food laws, please note that you are not permitted to conduct interstate commerce.

  • Any required sales tax collections and remittances are the sole responsibility of the vendors. Sellers of crafts, art, fresh cut flowers, and ready to eat food items must follow North Dakota sales tax procedures and provide proper documentation to the RRM. 

  • Additional temporary permits must be obtained for off season winter and spring markets that take place in Moorhead.

Insurance

  • All RRM vendors are required to carry a Commercial General Liability Insurance Policy listing Folkways Community as additional insured. It must have a minimum coverage of $1 million per occurrence and aggregate.

  • Certificate of Insurance will be provided by the vendor to the Market Manager after acceptance and before orientation.

  • RRM carries an insurance policy for the Market for general liability, however, vendors are not covered under this policy. Examples of market vendor insurance providers are listed here:

Reporting 

During the season, vendors fill out a survey the day after each market and will be required to submit online at www.redriver.market/vendorresources a gross sales figure (rounded off to the nearest dollar) to the Market Manager by the next market date. If a vendor sells in more than one category, a gross receipt slip must be filled out for each category. These figures are confidential; only aggregate figures will be available to the public. Vendors will also receive a required postseason survey. See Enforcement Policy for more information on failure to comply.

As part of the midseason audit, vendors must ensure that all sales report submissions are up to date by September 3rd., 2025. Vendors who have not submitted all required sales reports by this deadline will not be eligible to attend future markets until they have done so. See Enforcement Policy for more information on failure to comply.

Product Quality Review

RRM reserves the right to undertake a quality review of any product sold at the market at any time. If RRM receives a complaint about a product's quality (i.e. taste, appearance, ingredients, place of origin) that product may be reviewed.

  • Vendors will be notified if the RRM Review Committee decides to further review a product(s).

The Application Committee will review/sample the product within a two week period and do one of the following:

  • Allow the vendor to continue selling the product in its current state.

  • Recommend a specific change to the product to improve the quality, or the source/sourcing of the product or ingredient.

  • Ask the vendor to discontinue the product in question.

  • If the vendor refuses to adapt or discontinue his or her products, a warning will be given and steps will be taken as per the complaint process.

Labeling Requirements: Each food container and/or food item sold must include the ingredient list visible at point of sale. If the items were not made in an inspected kitchen, the following statement needs to be displayed using a font size that is prominent, conspicuous, and easy to read: “These food products were produced in an uninspected home kitchen where major food allergens may also have been handled and prepared, such as tree nuts, peanuts, eggs, soy, wheat, milk, fish, and crustacean shellfish.” See Enforcement Policy for more information on failure to comply.

Organic - All vendors advertising and selling organic products must submit a copy of their current Organic Certification and renew each year. Only USDA certified organic growers may display signs using the word “organic.”

Samples- Market food samples must be prepared/presented in a safe and sanitary manner, according to the state Department of Health code and the direction of RRM management. The vendor must provide a trash receptacle for the disposal of any sampling materials, such as cups, utensils or toothpicks. All sampling materials must comply with our Landfill Free Policy. See the Landfill Free section for more information.

General Market Rules

Market Operations

Daily Operations

  • The market will begin exactly at 10:00 AM. No sales to customers are allowed before this time. Opening hours are marked by the opening and closing bell ringing. See Enforcement Policy for more information on failure to comply.

    • Sales before 10am can be made between market vendors and market staff. The Red River Market booth will sell market tokens prior to 10am, so customers can begin shopping at vendor booths at 10am.

  • Vendors must be set up and ready to sell by 9:45 AM with vehicles cleared from the shopping area. Latecomers, arriving 20 minutes past their designated load-in time, may be denied admission by the Market Manager or admitted and located at the Market Manager’s discretion. It is essential to note that if vendors arrive 20 minutes late to their load-in time, their allocated booth space may be forfeited to another vendor. This policy is in place to avoid disruptions in market flow and enhance the ease of unloading for all vendors. For more information on consequences for failure to comply with these guidelines, please refer to the Enforcement Policy.

  • Vendors must tear down at 2:00 PM. No early breakdowns. See Enforcement Policy for more information on failure to comply.

  • The street will remain closed from 7:30 AM until 3:00 PM on Market days. All vendors must vacate the street by 3:00 PM. 

  • A decision to cancel the market due to severe weather will be made by 7:00 AM on Saturdays. Severe weather includes thunderstorms or heavy rain with high winds, snow or extreme cold. Vendors will be notified by email and cancellations will be posted on the RRM Facebook page and website to update customers. In the event of a cancellation, the market may be moved to an indoor back up location based on availability. 

  • In the event of sustained winds exceeding 20 mph, vendors are required to take down their tents. This applies even if tents are properly weighted with a minimum of 25 lbs per leg. Sustained wind refers to a consistent wind speed measured over one minute, rather than short gusts. No refunds will be provided if a vendor chooses to cease operations due to weather concerns.

  • The Market operates rain or shine, with enforcement policies remaining in effect regardless of weather conditions. Any weather-related absences or early departures must be approved and may be subject to fines at the Market Manager's discretion.

Booth Assignment

  • Vendor spaces will be assigned in a rotating fashion by the Market Manager on or before each market day. The specific spaces and placement of vendors are solely at the discretion of the Market Manager. Vendor locations are flexible and may be altered at the discretion of RRM Staff for any market day throughout the season and/or annually. Notably, as a farmers market, a significant focus is placed on supporting growers and produce vendors, granting them priority in space allocation. RRM will consider the following factors when making these determinations:

    • Booth electricity needs

    • Vendor category

    • Total vendor count for specific market date

    • RRM product assortment and customer traffic flow

    • Establishing an aesthetic to produce a positive shopper experience

Cancellation Policy 

  • Vendors who cannot attend the RRM on a regularly scheduled day must contact the Market Manager at least 48 hours prior to RRM day.  See Enforcement Policy for more information on failure to comply.

  • RRM will be held on Labor Day weekend. 


SNAP and Market Money

RRM strives to be inclusive in their operations, so all vendors are required to accept SNAP benefits on eligible products. RRM staff will train vendors on the procedures. RRM will not reimburse vendors for SNAP tokens used to purchase ineligible items. Vendors are responsible for training their staff on eligible SNAP products.

All RRM vendors are required to accept RRM Market Money. The Market will distribute and accept EBT/SNAP tokens and Debit tokens; therefore, each Vendor must accept such tokens as payment for the products they sell as authorized. The reimbursement process for tokens will occur at the close of each market. At that time, vendors can bring tokens to the info booth to be counted by Market staff, and the totals will be entered on a form that will be signed by a representative of both the Vendor and the Market. The Market will collect the tokens and will issue the Vendor a check in the total token amount the following week. RRM staff will train vendors on the procedures. 

Vendor Practices 

  • The RRM Management does not enforce a pricing policy, but vendors should price products at fair market value and not undercut other vendors. 

    • RRM staff may visually survey produce vendors' prices at random during the season to make sure vendors are setting reasonable prices in the ballpark of other vendors. RRM does not fix prices, but discourages product “dumping” at very low prices.

  • All RRM vendors should represent themselves in an appropriate manner, dress and state of cleanliness. Shirt and shoes must be worn at all times.

  • Neither the vendor nor their representatives may be impaired by alcohol or marijuana or illegal substances any time while on the Market premises, as determined by the Market Manager. 

  • All vendors agree to abide by fair business practices.

  • No smoking (including electronic cigarettes) by vendors in the market. Move 100 feet away from the market to smoke. All vendors should wash their hands before returning to the market.

  • Vendors are not permitted to play music at their booths during the market.

  • In alignment with best health/food safety practices, vendors are not to bring animals if they are selling food products.

    • The RRM reserves the right to ask the owner of an animal to leave. 

    • The RRM reserves the right to allow animals at the market for special events. 

  • RRM is committed to maintaining a work environment that is free of discrimination. In keeping with this commitment, we will not tolerate unlawful harassment of our employees, farmers and producers by anyone, including any farmer/grower, producer co-worker, or an external third party. Harassment of unwelcome conduct, whether verbal, physical or visual, that is based on a person’s race, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation or disability is not allowed.

Vendor Fees & Space

Vendor Fees

Vendors will receive a space of 10’ by 10’ for a single booth or 10’ by 20’ for a double booth. Booths beyond 10' by 20' will be priced individually. 

  • Season Pass: 

    • Single Booth - $715 (cost per market breakdown: $44.69)

    • Double Booth - $1,190 (cost per market breakdown: $74.38)

    • Triple Booth - requires Market Manager approval - $1,905 (cost per market breakdown: $119.06)

  • Daily Pass

    • Single Booth - $80

    • Double Booth - $115

  • Electricity Fees:

    • Season Pass: $500 (cost per market breakdown: $31.25)

    • Day Pass: $55

    • Electricity passes are only available to those who require it to sell their items. Charging of phones, computers, or tablets is not allowed due to the limited amount of electricity available.

    • Power usage must be approved by the Market Manager prior to use. 

    • Dependence on electricity may limit booth placement.

    • Generators are not allowed.

Vendor Stall Space

Required items shown in diagram: canopy, 30lb canopy weights, table, tablecloth. business name sign (shown as banner), pricing signage (shown as sandwich board or individual tags).

Vendors are responsible for providing all items needed for their display.

Scales must be legal-for-trade commercial scales. The face of the scale must be visible to the buyer. The use of a non-legal-for-trade scale at RMM is prohibited.

  • Stall space is non transferable.

  • Vendor layout and stall space is subject to change for the Downtown Fargo Street Fair event (usually the 2nd week of the market)

  • Stall space cannot be shared by another vendor unless approved by the Market Manager. Each vendor who wishes to sell at the market must join as a member and pay dues accordingly.

  • All displays must be neat and tasteful. All properties of the vendor must be contained in the designated space. “Hawking” (calling attention to your products in a loud, repetitive manner) is discouraged and may be limited or restricted by the Market Manager.

  • All vendors are required to post the name of items and prices at all times. The farm or business sign and lettering should be large enough to be easily read from a reasonable distance.

  • All vendors must make certain the area is clean before leaving. Each vendor must remove all matter and debris from their area. This includes the area around the stall and in the common walkway. Trash must be completely removed without regard to whether the litter originated in the vendor's area or not and must be disposed of off-site. Sellers who dump remaining water into the sewer grates must remove leaves, flowers or other items that may cause blockage of the sewer grates before dumping the water.

Payments

Invoices and payments are processed through Square. Once approved for the market, all invoices must be settled by June 13th, 2025.

September 3rd, 2025 marks the midway point of the season. Any outstanding payments by this date will result in vendors being ineligible to attend future markets until all payments are settled.

Should you require paper copies mailed to you, please inform us at your earliest convenience, upon approval.

For Day Pass vendors, cancellations made within two weeks of a market date are non-refundable. Season Passes are non-refundable.

Landfill Free

Disposable Materials - The Red River Market strives to be good stewards of our planet. The Market has a goal to be a landfill free event, where nothing is sent to the landfill.

  • See Enforcement Policy for more information on failure to comply.

Allowed Disposable Materials

Prohibited Disposable Materials

  • Styrofoam/polystyrene

  • Bleached paper products (white paper plates, bags, and napkins)

  • Compostable plastics (These are only compostable in commercial high heat facilities. We are not able to compost them and they are put in the landfill)

  • All Recyclable plastics #1 (except for cups), #2, #4, #5, #7

  • Plastic silverware

  • Plastic bags

Please see the Disposable Materials Guide for more information.

Policies


Enforcement Policy

The submission of the Vendor Application serves as the vendor’s agreement to abide by the rules of the Market, enforced by market management. Policies are enforced by the Market Manager. Violations of the rules of the RRM may be grounds for warnings, dismissal, or both.

  • The 1st violation of the rules will result in a written email warning by the Market Manager. Documentation of the warning will be kept on file by the Market Manager.

  • The 2nd violation of the rules will result in another written warning, administered by the Market Manager, along with an associated fine. This warning will also be communicated via email. 

  • The 3rd violation will result in a meeting with the Market Manager to discuss subsequent steps, which may include the potential for dismissal from future market events.

Grievance Policy

All complaints must be addressed in writing to the Market Manager. All complaints will be reviewed by the Market Manager who will work with market management to address and resolve the complaint.

Red River Market Promotion

Promotion

RRM will promote the market and its vendors through the following marketing strategies:

  • Regular social media updates and promotions

    • Facebook: 22,000 followers

    • Instagram: 14,300 followers

  • Weekly email newsletters

    • Email Newsletter: 3,274 subscribers

  • Themed weekend and special events including Fall Festival, Kids Day, and many others.

  • Vendor profiles on our website, www.redriver.market, blog, and social media pages

  • Professional photography of vendors, booths, and products

  • Press releases and coverage for television, radio, and newspapers in the FM Metro area

  • Posters, business cards, and flyers distributed in the FM Metro area

  • Advertisements on local radio, newspapers, digital sites, billboards

  • Actively approaching local businesses and organizations to become market sponsors

  • Red River Market branded swag - the RRM reserves the right to sell items for fundraising purposes.

Sponsorship

RRM may allow sponsors to present information at the market. All market sponsors will be vetted by RRM Staff. Market sponsors are subject to all rules and regulations governing RRM.