KU Sip & Shop Vendors

The sale of non-exempt foods is restricted to protect the public from foodborne illness. Non-exempt foods, which are foods that require temperature control for safety or specialized processing, consist in whole or in part of milk, milk products, eggs, meat, poultry, fish, sprouts, cut leafy greens, heat treated vegetables, heat treated starches and cut produce. All food booths must meet Health Department standards.

The selling, serving or tasting of malt liquor, alcoholic beverages, tobacco products or CBD within the festival boundaries is prohibited. The Committee reserves the right to remove any item from sale that is deemed inappropriate or which fails to meet our criteria. The Booth Committee reserves the right to exclude non-compliant vendors from future shows. Your permanent Kansas Sales Tax Number MUST be included with your application.

Home canned fruit jams and jellies (excluding reduced or no sugar jams/jellies): No license required.

Canned, shelf stable naturally high acid foods (e.g. canned applesauce, canned fruits): No license required.

Acidified shelf-stable canned foods (e.g. pickles, hot sauces, canned tomatoes): You are required to have a KDA Food Establishment License or Food Processors License required for production facility. Required recipe approval, “Better Process Control School” is required.

Low-acid shelf-stable canned foods (e.g. canned veggies, meats, cake/bread baked in a jar): You are required to have a KDA Food Establishment License or Food Processors License required for production facility. Required recipe approval, “Better Process Control School” is required.

Pepper jams and jellies: Must submit a sample of your product to KDA for a “Product Water Activity” test before it can be sold at Market. After the test is conducted you will be notified by KDA about which category the product falls under and if licensing is required or not.

Low sugar fruit jams and jellies: Must submit a sample of your product to KDA for a “pH and/or Water Activity” test and product formulation before being sold at Market.

Salsa, barbeque sauce, and similar foods (canned and shelf stable):  You must submit a sample of your product to KDA for a pH test and product formulation. Depending on the pH of the final product and the main product ingredients, the product may be exempt from licensing or may be considered an acidified canned food that requires a license.

Refrigerated processed foods (e.g. fresh salsas, pickles, pestos, garlic in oil mixtures, etc): Producer must have appropriate KDA Food License (most likely a Food Establishment License).

Home-baked potentially hazardous foods (cream or meringue pies, custards, cheesecakes, cream-filled cupcakes or donuts, cream cheese-based frostings or fillings, pickles, jerky, hot dogs, etc.): Potentially hazardous foods are foods that require temperature control for safety. See below for full list of which products require licenses and read KDA’s Food Sales at Farmers’ Markets.

Baked goods made in a home kitchen (cookies, breads, cakes, cinnamon rolls, fruit pies, fruit cobbler): No license required. Must comply with labeling rules listed above.

Dry baking mixes (cookie mix, brownie mix): No license required. Must comply with labeling rules listed above.

Candies made in a home kitchen (cinnamon hard candy, caramels, toffee): No licensing required but must comply with labeling rules listed above. Note: Homemade chocolates must be tested by KDA to determine whether a license is needed. 

Homemade dried pasta: No licensing required if dried in a protected environment in a short time period. Must comply with labeling rules above.

Baked products with potentially hazardous dairy and egg products (cheesecake, cream filled cupcakes or donuts, cream cheese-based frostings or fillings, cream or meringue pies, custards): Food Establishment License required at production facility and point of sale.

Dough (refrigerated or frozen cookie dough, pizza dough): Product requires temperature control for safety, so a Food Establishment License is required.

If selling your product by weight, you must use a scale certified by the Kansas Department of Agriculture. Scale certifications can be done at Vendor Workshops hosted by KDA or may be certified by a licensed service company. Check out this local workshop + scale certification! More information is available from the KDA Weights and Measures website or by calling 785-564-6681. Occasional group certification opportunities are available, contact the Market Manager for more information.

For wholesale meat sales, you will need a Wholesale Meat Dealer license. More information about this license and the procedure to obtain one can be found at KDA’s Registration page.

For egg sales, if you have more than 50 laying hens you will need to obtain a Egg License. Information about flock categories and who needs an Egg License can be found  in KDA’s Food Safety Fact Sheet: Selling Eggs without a License. A link to the Egg License application can be found on KDA’s Food Safety, Egg, and Lodging Application Forms page.

Although attempts will be made to provide security, please be advised that vendors assume all risk for accidents and losses to themselves and exhibits. The KU Memorial Union cannot be responsible for theft and damage to merchandise or personal property. We strongly suggest all vendors carry liability insurance.

It is expected that the area in and around the space your booth occupied during the fair will be returned to its previously existing condition prior to your departure. Some booth spaces are smaller than others and some store

On the application, you will submit when you would like to load your items into your booth. Please note we have limited amount of staff available during business hours to help vendors load in and a limited number of carts available for use. Therefore, be prepared to load in and out on your own. 

As this event is inside, items for a booth need to be able to fit in a 4-person elevator. 

Any marketing materials about the Art and Craft Fair posted by a vendor must use the same guidelines and captions as the KU Memorial Union. Any post about the event must tag @kuunion. 

All vendors are asked to park in the Lot across from the KU Memorial Union (KSUN), Lot 16, during load-in on Friday, November 1st in the blocked off spots for ACF Vendors. All other times, vendors are asked to park in the Mississippi Parking Garage and will need to register for parking with event coordinator. 

View the KU Campus Parking Map (.pdf).