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Policies & Rules

Policies, Rules and Regulations for the Washtenaw Non-Profits and Member Participants in the 2025 Ann Arbor Art Fairs

1. Non profit organizations only. You must provide your (or your national or state organization’s) Federal IRS nonprofit (501(c)(3), or 527) identification number or have annual revenues less than the non-profit reporting provisions of the IRS. No commercial or arts and crafts exhibitors. All organizations must operate an office* in Washtenaw county (each organization is requested to provide an abridged version of its non-profit mission statement as reflected in its bylaws, articles of incorporation or other governing documents, with their application materials).

* To meet the definition for having an office in Washtenaw County, your group must satisfy four out of the seven listed criteria:

i. Regular published meetings.
ii. Local organization mailing address in county.
iii. Phone bill in organization name.
iv. Local bank account in county.
v. Commercial office space in county.
vi. IRS or State documents with county address.
vii. More than four members or 50% of membership in county

2. Donations for your organization only may be solicited and accepted. Items (buttons, posters, etc.) may be distributed or sold provided they directly promote the non-profit organization or its cause, if they include the organization’s name or logo or relate to the organization’s mission statement, and are predominantly noncommercial in nature and content. The phrase “Ann Arbor Art Fair(s)” cannot be used on any of the items distributed at a booth.

3. Raffles or drawings are permitted, but they must conform to any government regulations. Each member will assume responsibility for obtaining and conforming to these regulations, and for organizing and conducting its raffle or drawing. Washtenaw Non-Profits assumes no liability therein. No food or drink (except professionally bottled spring water and factory wrapped candy) can be sold or given away at member booths. Alcohol or other drugs are not allowed.

4. All groups are assigned a standard space of six feet by six feet, with a maximum height of ten feet, and a limited number of ten by ten feet will be given as well. You may use a booth or table in this space. Displays, literature distribution, and all personnel must not extend beyond your designated 6′ x 6′ or 10′ x 10′ area. The extensions (the space between sidewalk and designated both area) must be kept clear of materials and bodies. This fire marshal requirement will be strictly enforced, so be sure to notify all staff in the booth. Spaces will be clearly marked on the pavement so you will know your boundaries. You must provide everything you plan to use within this allocated space. (Participants may retain two storage boxes on the extension.)

5. All materials used in the construction of, or in the connection of the physical booth or table must be provided by the participant. All booths need to be constructed of fire retarding materials as specified by NFPA 701. If you have further questions about fire retarding materials, please contact your local fire marshal.

6. Booths and tables must be fully constructed by 12:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 17, with all materials set up and ready for attendees by 10:00 a.m. on the first day of the fair. Set-up for this section will take place on Wednesday, July 16, from 9:00 a.m. until midnight. Booths, tables, merchandise, and literature may be left on-site at the participant’s own risk. If absolutely necessary, you may drive through with materials every day of the fair, before 8:00 a.m. Booth and table materials must be taken down immediately by 8:00 p.m. on the last day of the fair and completely removed by 9:00 p.m.

7. There will be no parking space provided for the participants in the non-profit section of the Art Fair. No vehicles will be allowed on Liberty Street during the regular hours of the Fair. Vehicles are to be off Liberty Street by 8:00 am prior to the start of the Fair each morning. Vehicles are not allowed on Liberty Street until 15 minutes after the close of the Fair each evening. Art Fair hours are 10:00 am – 9:00 pm  Thursday & Friday, and Saturday 10:00 am-8:00 pm. Please minimize the number of vehicles on Liberty Street by parking in nearby lots and using carts or dollies to transport your materials. When driving in for set up/breakdown, enter Liberty Street from Fifth Street and exit on Division Street–traffic flows one way (west to east) during the fair; display your pass in front window of your set-up/break-down vehicle. Please adhere to these and all other Washtenaw Non-Profit traffic rules (to be detailed in the June mandatory meeting).

8. Each group must designate an accountable person who shall be responsible for: knowing all rules and regulations; distributing necessary information to (own group) members; ensuring that all assigned duties are adequately performed; staffing booths. A $25 fee will be deducted from the $100 participation fee per violation of rules. (Example: $25 may be assessed for not performing assigned trash and traffic duty; for not adequately staffing booth, etc.) After a third violation is recorded you could be banned from the next years Art Fair. You must record the completion of your duty with the Washtenaw Non-profits Information booth (i.e., not the State Street Area Info booth down the street); if your staff does not understand where this booth is, the penalty is yours.

9. Except under rare circumstances, booths must be attended during all hours throughout the Art Fair. Booths found unattended will be assessed a penalty (point 8 above) or disallowed from continued participation, or both, depending on the duration or frequency of absenteeism. This provision shall be strictly enforced (and booth staffing shall be closely monitored). Wait-listed participants will be called to fill any empty booths

10. Booths may be shared, pending joint application approval, and space availability. This may include the sharing of space or time. All applicants must clearly state a request for joint usage (including days) if applicable. All joint usage must be applied for during the regular application process.

11. Each organization must provide its own insurance for their materials (if so desired).

12. All participants are responsible for collecting their own sales tax. Sales tax will be monitored by State authorities throughout the Fair. Have your tax-exempt number hand or they will collect taxes on the spot!

13. The booth fee of $200 per (single) space is due after completion of the application, and approval of nonprofit, given by email.  Each applying organization must also pay a refundable $100 participation fee.

14.  The participation fee will be refunded at the close of the Art Fair if:

You attend short, mandatory meeting two weeks before the Art Fair.
You provide volunteers to work trash details, recycling station duty, or parking barricade duty. Day and time will be assigned by the Washtenaw Non-profits and notification is at the mandatory meeting.
You clean up your booth space at the close of the Art Fair.
You staff your booth for all hours throughout the Art Fair.

Meeting all these conditions will entitle you to a full refund of your participant fee.

15. No one may sublet or assign space to any other organization or artist.

16. Washtenaw Non-Profits, the City of Ann Arbor, The State Street Art Fair, The Michigan Guild of Artists and Artisans, Summer Art Fair, and the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair disclaim any responsibility or liability for any damages or thefts to or from the physical booths, contents, and/or the booth participants. Washtenaw Non-profits members have agreed to hire security for fair nights (Weds., Thurs., Fri.). However, we are not responsible for any items that are lost or stolen.

17. Violations of any of the Policies, Rules and Regulations will result in immediate forfeiture of both the application and the participant fees, keeping of the security deposit, as well as the right to participate in the non-profit section of the Ann Arbor Art Fair in succeeding years.

18. The deadline for withdrawal (with full reimbursement) from the Washtenaw Non-Profit section of the Fair without penalty is July 1, 2025.

19. The Washtenaw Non-Profits operates as a contracted confederation of member organizations. Meeting the terms of the Policies, Rules and Regulations establishes membership status in the Washtenaw Non-Profits. Decision making is conducted under simple majority rules (50% plus 1), with a spirit of agreement-seeking so that the voices and views of each member organization representative are recognized and addressed in reasonable terms. Traditionally, Washtenaw Non-Profits general membership elects at its annual winter meeting two spokespersons and a Steering Committee, from the general body, which is empowered to make provisional changes to the Policies, Rules, and Regulations. At the annual meeting, the general membership organizations’ representatives are to review and finalize for each year’s Fair(s) amendments to the Policies, Rules, and Regulations made by the Steering Committee. The two spokespersons are to be recommended to the Mayor of Ann Arbor for appointment to the Mayor’s Art Fair Committee. All meetings of the Washtenaw Non-Profits are to follow open-meeting provisions.