If you make and sell anything, whether it is handmade jewelry, candles, soap, art, baked goods, produce, or prepared food, the single hardest part of starting out is not making the product. It is finding places to sell it.
There is no authoritative national directory of every farmers market, craft fair, and festival in America. Events are scattered across dozens of websites, Facebook groups, local chamber calendars, and word-of-mouth networks. Finding the right events in your area can take hours of Googling, joining random Facebook groups, and emailing organizers to ask if they are still accepting vendors.
This guide walks through every major platform we know about, with honest notes on what each one is good for, what it costs, and who it serves. We run VendorsMap, one of the platforms on this list, and we have tried to be fair to everyone else. If you spot anything inaccurate, email us at jmcwbusiness3@gmail.com and we will fix it.
How we evaluated each platform
For every platform, we looked at:
- Coverage: How many events are listed, and in which parts of the country?
- Cost to vendors: Is it free to browse, free to apply, or are there fees?
- Event types: Farmers markets, craft fairs, festivals, juried art shows, food truck events, pop-ups?
- Discovery experience: Can you find events near you quickly, or do you have to wade through outdated listings?
- Application experience: Can you apply on the platform or does it send you elsewhere?
No platform is perfect. The best strategy for most vendors is to use two or three that complement each other.
1. VendorsMap
Best for: Vendors who want one free, map-based place to discover every event type across the country.
VendorsMap is a free, map-first marketplace with 4,800+ events across all 50 states plus DC. You browse events on an interactive map, filter by type, date, fee, and food truck acceptance, and apply directly through the platform when the organizer supports it. For organizer-managed events, VendorsMap links out to their own application.
Pros:
- Free for vendors, with no application fees or subscriptions
- Every event type: farmers markets, craft fairs, festivals, pop-ups
- Map-based discovery is fast and visual
- Includes 690+ consignment stores for vendors who want year-round retail
- Food truck vendors have a dedicated filter
- All 50 states covered
Cons:
- Newer than some competitors, so coverage is deeper in some regions than others
- Some listings link to external application forms rather than hosting the application themselves
We are obviously biased here, so we recommend comparing with the other platforms in this list. See our honest comparisons with Eventeny, Zapplication, and FestivalNet for side-by-side details.
2. Eventeny
Best for: Vendors applying to large, organized, multi-day festivals where the organizer already uses Eventeny to manage the event.
Eventeny is primarily organizer-side event management software. Event organizers who run big events use it to handle applications, booth mapping, ticketing, and logistics. As a vendor, you find Eventeny-hosted events either through the event organizer's own website or through Eventeny's directory.
Pros:
- Polished application experience when organizers use it well
- Centralized profile that many organizers can see
- Good for large festivals with complex logistics
Cons:
- Only lists Eventeny-managed events, not every event near you
- Many events on Eventeny charge per-application fees set by the event
- Primarily built for organizers, not for vendor discovery
3. Zapplication (ZAPP)
Best for: Established artists applying to juried fine art and craft shows.
Zapplication has been the dominant application system for juried fine art shows for years. You build one artist profile with images, statements, and category, and then apply to juried shows that use ZAPP as their application system. Each application typically costs between 5 and 50 dollars, which pays for the jurying process whether you are accepted or not.
Pros:
- Single profile works across most major juried art shows
- Jury system filters for high-quality vendors, which can mean higher booth sales
- Well-established in the fine art and craft show world
Cons:
- Per-application fees add up quickly, especially for newer artists applying broadly
- Only juried fine art and craft shows, not farmers markets, pop-ups, or small local craft fairs
- Text-based directory is harder to browse than a map
4. FestivalNet
Best for: Festival-focused vendors who want a long-running directory with a deep catalog of festivals.
FestivalNet has been publishing festival listings since 1996. It charges vendors an annual membership fee for full access to event details, promoter contacts, and application deadlines. Browsing is partly free but the most useful information is behind the paywall.
Pros:
- Deep historical database of festivals and fairs
- Access to some events that may not appear on newer platforms
Cons:
- Annual membership fee to get real value
- Interface is dated and not map-based
- Not optimized for farmers markets or small local events
5. Fairs and festivals directories
Best for: Supplemental research alongside other platforms.
A handful of regional and national fair-and-festival listing sites exist, often running on small budgets and relying on organizers to submit listings. They can be useful for surfacing events that do not show up anywhere else, but the experience is usually just a searchable list or calendar with limited filtering.
Pros:
- Sometimes lists regional events that larger platforms miss
- Free to browse
Cons:
- Outdated listings are common
- Limited filtering and no real application system
6. Eventbrite (for finding vendor events)
Best for: Quickly spotting last-minute events that need vendors.
Eventbrite is a ticketing platform, not a vendor directory. But many small event organizers list their events there and mention in the description that they are still accepting vendors. Searching Eventbrite for "craft fair" or "vendor fair" in your city can surface events you will not find anywhere else, especially smaller community pop-ups.
Pros:
- Free to search
- Often has events that do not appear on vendor-specific platforms
- Good for last-minute fills
Cons:
- Not designed for vendor discovery. You are reading event descriptions looking for "accepting vendors" mentions
- No application system. You have to email or DM the organizer
- Requires a lot of manual work
7. Facebook Groups
Best for: Local word-of-mouth leads and late-breaking openings.
For every metro area in the country, there is at least one Facebook group called something like "City Craft Fair Vendors" or "State Farmers Market Vendors." These groups are where organizers post last-minute openings, where vendors swap intel about which events are worth it, and where scams get called out.
Pros:
- Hyperlocal and fresh, with information you will not find anywhere else
- Real vendor feedback on which events are worth the booth fee
- Occasional last-minute spots
Cons:
- Quality varies wildly between groups
- No structured way to filter or search
- Some groups are full of spam and scams
- You have to request to join each one individually
8. State and local farmers market associations
Best for: Finding the most credible farmers markets in your state.
Every state has a farmers market association or a state department of agriculture that maintains a list of approved farmers markets. These lists are typically more up-to-date than Google for agricultural markets specifically, and they often indicate which markets are "producer-only" (where vendors must grow or make what they sell). If you sell produce, honey, baked goods, or other consumables, start here.
Pros:
- Authoritative for farmers markets
- Free
- Includes details on market rules, vendor categories, and application contacts
Cons:
- Farmers markets only, not craft fairs or festivals
- Usually just a list, with no filtering or map
- Quality varies by state
9. Town, city, and Chamber of Commerce event calendars
Best for: Finding hyperlocal events, especially in small towns.
Most towns and small cities have an event calendar on their municipal website or chamber of commerce page. These are often maintained by volunteers and list community events like tree lightings, summer festivals, and fall fairs. Many of these events accept vendors but never list anywhere else.
Pros:
- Hyperlocal events you will not find on national platforms
- Free
- Often directly connects you to the event organizer
Cons:
- Requires checking each town's calendar individually
- Vendor info is sometimes buried or missing entirely
- No filtering across towns
10. Google and Nextdoor
Best for: Finding events specific to your niche or community.
A targeted Google search like "craft fair [city] 2026" or "holiday market [city] accepting vendors" will surface community events you will not find anywhere else. Nextdoor is especially useful for neighborhood-scale pop-ups and school fundraisers. Neither is a vendor platform per se, but both are worth checking for hyperlocal leads.
Which should you actually use?
Our honest recommendation for most vendors is:
- Start with VendorsMap for discovery. It is free, map-based, and covers every event type so you can quickly see what exists near you without paying anything.
- Add Zapplication if you are a juried fine artist. If you sell high-ticket fine art or craft and want to apply to prestigious juried shows, the per-application fees are the cost of doing business in that world.
- Join two or three local Facebook groups for your metro area specifically. Real vendors share real intel about which events are worth the booth fee.
- Bookmark your state farmers market association if you sell food or produce.
- Spot-check Eventbrite and local chamber calendars monthly for events that do not appear anywhere else.
There is no single platform that will give you every event, because events are too fragmented. But with the right mix of free and paid platforms, you can build a sustainable event schedule in any part of the country.
Red flags to avoid on any platform
Not every event is legit, and not every platform vets their listings. Here are the biggest warning signs:
- Unusually high booth fees compared to similar events in your area
- Organizers who only communicate through a generic email address with no business name, phone number, or physical address
- No past event photos or social media presence for the event or organizer
- Pressure to pay the booth fee before you are accepted. Real organizers accept first, then collect payment
- Vague event location like "community center" with no specific address
If something feels off, it usually is. Check with local vendors or post in a Facebook group before sending money. See our Trust and Safety page for more on how to avoid scams.
Bottom line
Finding events to sell at is genuinely hard because the information is scattered. No single platform has everything, but VendorsMap, paired with two or three local Facebook groups and a state farmers market association, gets most vendors 90% of the way there.
If you want to try VendorsMap for yourself, browse the map or read the FAQ. It is free, always will be for vendors, and covers all 50 states.