APPLICATIONS DUE: JULY 10th, 2026 

 The 51st Annual CenterFest is the longest running outdoor juried arts festival in North Carolina. The festival boasts juried visual artists from near and far, great entertainment, lots of food and fun, and educational activities for kids. Located in Downtown Durham's vibrant city center district, CenterFest performers, artists and visitors will enjoy a setting filled with restaurants, shops and studios: a perfect space for an event that will bring 25,000+ visitors over the weekend. CenterFest 2026 will include several performance stages showcasing music, dance, street performers, and community groups. We are looking for a diverse array of performance groups and entertainers.   CenterFest will be held in downtown Durham on: Saturday, September 19 - 6 a.m. - 9 a.m. (Set-up), 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. (Festival Hours)  Sunday, September 20 - 8 a.m. - 10 a.m. (Set-up), 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. (Festival Hours)  

DURHAM GOVERNMENT SERVICES APPLICATION GUIDELINES & REGULATIONS: 

• Durham Government Services applicants who are invited to participate in CenterFest will be assigned a separate (single) 10x10 booth space (NOT under shared tent; tent, table, and chairs available for additional fee)
• Limited spaces available
• Placement will be decided by the CenterFest Committee.
•  Items permitted for sale in booths located within the festival include rummage items and specialty items (hats, stickers, etc.).
• Food/beverage sales, including home-baked items, are NOT permited.  Food/beverage items may not be given away. CenterFest retains exclusive vending rights for beverages.
• CenterFest souvenir items may not be sold or given away. CenterFest retains exclusive vending rights for souvenir items, face painting, and T-shirts. 
• Arts and Crafts sales are also prohibited.
• Information about Durham Government Services department may be freely distributed to festival participants but only from within your actual booth space. Distribution of information outside of your booth space or in any festival thoroughfare is strictly prohibited. Failure to comply will result in the participant being asked to leave the festival.
• If you bring a department mascot, the mascot may roam freely within the vicinity of the booth to engage festival participants.
• Organizations must participate on both days of the festival. If booth is abandoned, it will be shut down.
• Sound level of music, if applicable and which must be approved by the CenterFest Committee, must be contained to booth area.
• All units must be of sound construction and must not obstruct others. You and your volunteers are responsible for securing your space overnight.
• All sales and activity prices are subject to review and must be approved in advance of the Festival. A contract will be sent to all accepted government services and will include which items and pricing were approved by the Committee.

 FEES & ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: 

Government Services booth fees do NOT include tents, tables or chairs. They are available to rent at an additional cost. Please plan to bring your own if you are not renting through DAC. Tents are set on asphalt. Be sure to bring appropriate weights to anchor each leg. 

• Applications are due no later than July 10th to be considered for CenterFest 2026.The application fee must be paid online for your application to be considered, which you will be redirected to AFTER you submit your application. 
• Groups will be notified by July 31st of their application status and then will be sent another payment link to pay all other fees. 
• Groups must pay all fees by August 14th once accepted to reserve their spot.
• All cancellations for participation must be received in writing by August 21st for a full refund of booth fees.      Fees 
•   $30.00 - Processing Fee (all applicants must submit the processing fee. The fee is non-refundable)         $200.00 - Durham Gov't Booth Space (NOT in shared booth space tent; table/chairs/tent are not included)         

           $25.00 - Table and two chairs     

           $100.00 - Electrical hook up      

           $400.00 - 10 x 10' tent rental (delivered & assemble)        

•  SECURITY: 
• All vehicles MUST be removed from the festival site area by 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 19 and by 10 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 20. Items may be carried to booths after these times.
• Uniformed security, CenterFest staff and volunteers will be on site during festival hours. Limited security will be available on Saturday night. However, you are strongly encouraged to remove valuable property and lock down vending areas. Durham Arts Council assumes no responsibility for theft, loss, or damage to any signage, product, display equipment or property.   

RAINOUT PROCEDURE: 

CenterFest is a “rain or shine” event; no rain dates! Participants should be prepared to continue in the case of light rain. In the case of heavy rain, the CenterFest Committee will consider electrical hazards, logistical requirements, concessionaires’ needs, and the requirements of performing artists in making any decision about suspension or cancellation of any part or all of the Festival. No refunds will be made due to inclement weather or a participant’s decision to leave before the end.   

APPLICATIONS DUE: JULY 10th, 2025 

The 50th Annual CenterFest is the longest running outdoor juried arts festival in North Carolina. The festival boasts juried visual artists from near and far, great entertainment, lots of food and fun, and educational activities for kids. Located in Downtown Durham's vibrant city center district, CenterFest performers, artists and visitors will enjoy a setting filled with restaurants, shops and studios: a perfect space for an event that will bring 40,000+ visitors over the weekend. CenterFest 2025 will include several performance stages showcasing music, dance, street performers, and community groups.    CenterFest will be held in downtown Durham on: Saturday, September 20 - 6 a.m. - 9 a.m. (Set-up), 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. (Festival Hours)  Sunday, September 21 - 8 a.m. - 10 a.m. (Set-up), 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. (Festival Hours)

 NONPROFIT APPLICATION GUIDELINES & REGULATIONS: 

• A limited number of booth spaces will be available to nonprofits.
• Applicants must be 501 (c) 3 not for profit organizations and must submit their tax-ID # and upload IRS Determination Letter on the application. This will be used and verified as proof of non-profit status from the IRS Department of Treasury.
• Nonprofit applicants who are invited to participate in CenterFest will be assigned a (single) 10x10' booth space (tent, table, and chairs available for additional fee)
• Placement will be decided by the CenterFest Committee.
• Items permitted for sale in booths located within the festival include rummage items and specialty items (hats, stickers, etc.).
• Food/beverage sales, including home-baked items, are NOT permitted.  Food/beverage items may not be given away. CenterFest retains exclusive vending rights for beverages.
• CenterFest souvenir items may not be sold or given away. CenterFest retains exclusive vending rights for souvenir items, face painting, and T-shirts.
• Arts and Crafts sales are also prohibited.
• Information about your nonprofit may be freely distributed to festival participants but only from within your actual booth space. Distribution of information outside of your booth space or in any festival thoroughfare is strictly prohibited. Failure to comply will result in the participant being asked to leave the festival.
• Organizations must participate on both days of the festival. If booth is abandoned, it will be shut down.
• Sound level of music, if applicable and which must be approved by the CenterFest Committee, must be contained to booth area.
• All tent/display units must be of sound construction and must not obstruct others. You and your volunteers are responsible for securing your space overnight. All equipment and supplies must be contained within the dimensions of the space. Nothing may be hung on trees or affixed to building structures in such a way as to damage the surfaces.
• All sales and activity prices are subject to review and must be approved in advance of the festival. 
• As of 2026, all non-profit booths will be located in the festivals' "Kids Zone". Priority will be given to organizations that include kid-friendly programming and activation as a part of their setup.

If more applications are received than spaces are available, preference will be given to applicants which:

• Have the arts as an integral part of the organization's mission.
• Offer an amenity to festival-goers. (Interactive activities to attract an audience)
• FUND RAISING ACTIVITIES CANNOT BE THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF THE BOOTH

 FEES & ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: 

Nonprofit Booth fees do NOT include tents, tables or chairs. They are available to rent at an additional cost. Please plan to bring your own if you are not renting through DAC. Tents are set on asphalt. Be sure to bring appropriate weights to anchor each leg. 

• Applications are due no later than July 10th to be considered for CenterFest 2026.The application fee must be paid online for your application to be considered, which you will be redirected to AFTER you submit your application. 
• Groups will be notified by July 31st of their application status and then will be sent another payment link to pay all other fees. 
• Groups must pay all fees by August 14th once accepted to reserve their spot.
• All cancellations for participation must be received in writing by August 21st for a full refund of booth fees.      Fees 
•  $30.00 - Processing Fee (all applicants must submit the processing fee. The fee is non-refundable) 
• $105.00 - Durham Non-Profit Booth Space (NOT in shared booth space tent; table/chairs/tent are not included)          
• $25.00 - Table and two chairs          
•  $100.00 - Electrical hook up           
• $400.00 - 10 x 10' tent rental (delivered & assemble)
• SECURITY:
• All vehicles MUST be removed from the festival site area by 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20 and by 10 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 21. Items may be carried to booths after these times.
• Uniformed security, CenterFest staff and volunteers will be on site during festival hours. Limited security will be available on Saturday night. However, you are strongly encouraged to remove valuable property and lock down vending areas. Durham Arts Council assumes no responsibility for theft, loss, or damage to any signage, product, display equipment or property.   

RAINOUT PROCEDURE: 

 CenterFest is a “rain or shine” event, no rain dates! Participants should be prepared to continue in the case of light rain. In the case of heavy rain, the CenterFest Committee will consider electrical hazards, logistical requirements, concessionaires’ needs, and the requirements of performing artists in making any decision about suspension or cancellation of any part or all of the festival. No refunds will be made due to inclement weather or a participant’s decision to leave before the end.

Durham Arts Council is piloting the Creative Space Grants as a new method for making the Durham Arts Council building available to arts nonprofits and individual artists based in Durham County NC. The need for more creative space in Durham has been emphasized through the Cultural Road Map City/County Planning Process. Guidelines or application questions may be adjusted as we learn from the experience of administering these grants.  Creative Space Grants include Creative Hours Grants, Creative Showcase Grants and Creative Residency Grants. 

Who May Apply? 

• Arts and cultural nonprofits incorporated as a 501(c)(3) and based in Durham County, NC
• individual artists residing in Durham County, NC
• Arts Administrators organizing an event on behalf of an arts nonprofit 501c(3) based in Durham County, NC.
•  If a project is bring produced by an unincorporated group of artists, one artist may apply on behalf of the group.  
• All applicants must be at least 18 years old.   

What Can I Request? 

• This grant supports short term public facing arts and cultural activities—such as performances, showings and presentations. Short term is defined as 40 hours or less of room use.  The request may include rehearsals and production meetings related to the public performance or event.  Applicant can receive one Creative Showcase grant per year however the 40 hours can be used for more than one production.
• Creative Showcase grants requesting the PSI Theatre must be submitted 120 days before the first day of event. Due to administrative procedures and theatre tech needs, any requests sent earlier will not be considered. All other Creative Showcase requests must be 2 weeks before the first date requested.

What Can I Not Request?

• This grant does not support fund raising events.  Learn more about renting the building for fund raising events here.
• This grant does not support commercial enterprises, except for ticketed performances or events.  If you are interested in conducting classes and workshops you can submit a proposal to the DAC School here.
• Gallery exhibition in DAC gallery spaces.  For exhibitions contact Artist Services for information about the annual call for exhibits: cscott@durhamarts.org
•  For closed events—such as rehearsals and meetings—please apply through the Creative Hours Grant.  
•  For year-round use or events requiring more than 40 hours of space within a 12-month period, including office space, use the Creative Residency Grant.

 What Does the Creative Showcase Grant Cover?

• The grant covers rental costs.
• A cleaning/maintenance fee is charged for each use. For most events this will be $25 + the number of people present per event.
• For activities taking place outside regular building hours, an hourly security fee will be added at $55/hour.  Regular building hours are 9-9 Monday-Saturday, 1-6 Sunday.  
• For activities taking place in the PSI Theatre, an hourly tech fee will be added at $60/hour. 

 Your grant will appear as a credit against the total cost of your request. When your grant is awarded, you will receive a contract and invoice that itemizes all fees and grant credits. 

 What Factors Are Considered When Evaluating a Grant Application?

•   Applicant eligibility.   
•  Quality of the arts or arts experience and evidence of sustained commitment to arts programming or artistic practice.  
•  Appropriateness of the activity for the DAC building.
• How the project activates the DAC building.
• Innovative projects and projects outside of what the DAC traditionally        presents and programs- adding new work to the arts ecosystem

More details about the entire grant process are available on the Durham Arts Council webpage for Creative Space Grants.

Please submit your final report for your 2025-2026 Season or Arts Catalyst Grant by July 14, 2026. Arts nonprofits may use your grant for operating support.  NonArts Nonprofits should report on the arts project which they originally proposed.  

 This report covers activities/operations between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026.  Questions?  Contact Margaret DeMott at mdemott@durhamarts.org