First Friday Guidelines
First Friday Participation Guidelines:
PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE PAGE BEFORE HEADING TO THE REGISTRATION SITE.
If you are a member of the Downtown Lakeland Partnership and are current on your dues you can set up a table or a booth at First Friday to promote your business. DLP members must sign up online to participate. Per the DLP’s Lease Agreement with the City of Lakeland, DLP has jurisdiction over the First Friday area during the event. Therefore all participants must sign up and their activities be approved. THERE IS NO FEE FOR MEMBERS TO PARTICIPATE IN FIRST FRIDAY BUT MONTHLY REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.
IF YOU ARE NOT A MEMBER OF THE DOWNTOWN LAKELAND PARTNERSHIP you must apply each month to set up at First Friday. Your application will be reviewed by the First Friday committee and you must be approved by the committee before you are allowed to participate. Applications must be submitted 30 days prior to the calendar month you are applying for. You may not sell or solicit donations. Set up is EXHIBIT space not vending space. If you are approved to exhibit, there is a $100 fee regardless of your non-profit status. We do not waive the fee for any group, please do not ask. You are encouraged to look within your organization to find a sponsor to cover the fee if your organization has no funds. Approval for ONE First Friday is not an indication that you will be approved on an ongoing basis.
Please PRE-REGISTER HERE. Fill out the application HERE.
FIRST FRIDAY RULES OF THE ROAD:
1. Any business or not-for-profit partner/member of the DLP may, with prior DLP approval, engage in fund-raising activities once per year, make available literature about their organization or cause, and are encouraged to provide a family-friendly activity that contributes to the festival atmosphere/theme of the event. Non-members may not engage in fund-raising or solicitation of donations.
2. Participants must confine their activities to the immediate vicinity of their booth.
3. Participants may not engage in any activity deemed inappropriate by the DLP Board and/or management, including but not limited to (a) the dissemination of information, written or verbal, that is damaging or derogatory to any other group; or (b) any activity that is prohibited by city, county, state or federal laws.
4. Participants may not share booth space with any other organization or business without prior consent of the DLP.
5. Political campaigns/candidates may not participate in DLP events unless that event is designated for such activity. Elected officials who are currently seated may participate only to disseminate information about the function of their office.
6. Placement is at the sole discretion of the DLP and is final.
7. Violation of these rules may result in immediate expulsion from the event and termination of the right to participate in the future.
Non DLP Partners/Members:
Booth fees are non-refundable. In the event of bad weather, or an Act of God, the rental fee will be applied to a date in the future at a comparable event. *
For-profit businesses who are not members of the DLP are prohibited from any commerce involving the sale of products, services, or fund-raising.
Participants agree to Rules 2 through 7 of the “DLP Partners/Members section above.
We do not allow vendors at First Friday, therefore businesses outside of Downtown can not join the Partnership in order to sell items at First Friday. Businesses may join and pass out information or give away samples. Membership is not restricted to Downtown businesses, but membership is by appliction and is subject to approval. Learn how your business can apply to be a member.
Businesses and non-profit organizations may apply to purchase EXHIBITOR space at First Friday.
Non-Profit organizations who are members of the Partnership are allowed to periodically sell items previously approved by DLP at First Friday events. Please contact us if and when this applies to you so as not to disrupt your ability to participate.
Occasionally depending on the theme, we may invite non-member organizations to participate if their presence adds to the the success of the event. Because we are a dues-based, not-for profit marketing organization, we expect businesses and organizations who wish to benefit from this event to help pay for it via membership. Please do not invite non-member businesses to share your space. This is not allowed.
Placement at First Friday is dependent upon several factors:
1. Do you provide an activity or service that adds to the entertainment mix of First Friday? Those providing an activity will get better placement and access to the public.
2. Do you need electricity? Access to electricity requires certain placement.
3. Are you a GOLD member? GOLD members get preferential placement.
First Friday Set Up:
• First Friday events begin at 6pm. Parking spaces are coned at 3:30pm. Streets are closed at 5pm. We suggest that you drop your set up materials near your location prior to the streets being closed at 5pm. Once the streets are closed, getting close to your set up spot will be more difficult as you will have to cross barricades. If that is the case, please enter from Massachusetts on to Cedar to unload your set up. All cars must be removed from the streets, so you WILL NOT be able to park near your spot. You may park in the Main Street garage or the permitted lot on the corner of Massachusetts and Cedar, directly across the street from the Main Street garage. See STREET CLOSURE MAP.
• Set up is in the streets’ parking spaces along Kentucky Ave.
• The DLP does not provide tables, chairs, tents or any other items for your set up. Electricity and a smile are all we have to offer!
• IF YOU ARE A MEMBER BE SURE TO SIGN UP EACH MONTH ONLINE TO RESERVE SPACE.
• Please be sure to clean up your area upon leaving, making sure any trash or stray paper did not fall to the ground. We are responsible for the park and streets during the First Friday event.
