2026 HMB Pumpkin Festival Policy Information
“MADE ON THE COAST” LOCAL ARTISTS’ RULES and REGULATIONS - PLEASE READ THEM ALL!
The following are the general rules for entering the 'Made on the Coast' Local Artists? Block of the 2026 Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival.. Please read and understand thoroughly what the procedures are to apply and participate. By submitting your entry (applying), you agree to our terms & conditions/rules & regulations, as outlined below and in the printable PDF.
Fees are submitted by check only. Your entry is not complete until payment is received.
The committee reserves the right to ask a participant to leave the festival if any of the following rules or the HMBBC Festival rules are not adhered to, or for any other reason in order to maintain alignment with Festival parameters.
QUESTIONS? Click the Contact tab to send us an email & we will get back to you as soon as possible, generally within 24 hours.
THE BASICSFESTIVAL DATE:
October 18, 2026. Sunday only.
SUBMISSION DEADLINE:
July 25, 2026
ACCEPTANCE NOTIFICATION:
August 1, 2026
ARTIST COMMITMENT TO PARTICIPATE and BOOTH PAYMENT DEADLINE:
September 1, 2026
All artists will be notified of their status via email initially. Accepted artists will receive an acceptance & information packet, by email with additional information, rules, and guidelines.
ARTWORK:
-All artwork sold at the festival must be designed and created by the participating artists. If any part of your product/process is reproduced by someone other than yourself, please describe your process and vendor in the online application Notes section. (e.g. giclee prints, vendor: Light Room, Berkeley).
-Experimental and mixed techniques are welcome.
-All participants must be present in the booth with their work.
TOTAL NUMBER OF BOOTHS:
Maximum 24: chosen at the discretion of the jury & committee. The committee may limit number of booths and participants to remain aligned with our goals.
LOCATION:
The 24 booths on Main Street are located between Kelly and Mill Streets in Half Moon Bay. The booths will be centered down this block.
ELIGIBILITY:
-The Made on the Coast locals' block is open to all amateur and professional local artists and artisans, 18 years and older, living or art making on the coast.
-Local is defined as anyone living on the coast and/or who maintains and makes art in a studio on the coast, with legal addresses, from Montara to Pescadero, and from the ocean to Skyline Blvd.
-All artwork sold in booths must be consistent with the committee juried & accepted work; no additional media or art by non-accepted artists can be sold in a 'Made on the Coast' booth.
-You may apply as an individual artist only. ALL artists must apply individually by submitting their own images to be juried and paying their own application fees.
-Additionally, the 'Made on the Coast' committee reserves the right to sponsor local artists in residence, demo-only artists, and non-profit coastal arts groups/individuals as part of our Made on the Coast local arts celebration.
-Being accepted for last year's festival does not guarantee acceptance for this year.
SELLER'S PERMIT:
You MUST have a Seller's Permit from the California Board of Equalization. To obtain a Seller's Permit, go to
http://www.cdtfa.ca.gov/services/#RegisterRenewals.
Upon acceptance, the committee will ask for your permit number.
FEES:
-Application Fee: $35 per individual
-ALL artists must submit the application fee at the time of application.
-The application fee is non-refundable.
-Show Fee (only if accepted): $200 per booth
-If accepted, we will send updated instructions for the Show Fee payment in your acceptance package.
Fees are submitted by check only. Your application is not considered complete until we receive your $35 application fee.
Make checks payable to Half Moon Bay Beautification Committee.
In the Memo area, write: MOTC Entry Fee
Mail checks to:
HMB Beautification Committee
c/o Susie Morasci
763 Johnston St.
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
PARTICIPATION CATEGORIES:
1. Individual Artist: (One artist per booth. You must apply, pay the application fee, & submit 8 photos for judging (one of which must be of your work displayed in a booth or similar setting)
IMPORTANT: EACH artist must submit an online application, including images/files and application fees.
Demonstrators: please describe briefly your design plan in the designated area of the online application.
BOOTH INFORMATION:
IMPORTANT: Vendors are responsible for providing their own 10'x10'tent.
-Booth space is 10' x 10' (randomly assigned). All booths are corner booths. Vendor tents must fit inside the assigned space, with no protrusions.
- Artists will be responsible for all their own display systems, as well as set-up, take-down, and clean-up.
PRESENTATION & JUDGING:
Local artists are expected to create a cohesive, professional presentation.
The quality of presentations and local artwork on display, and the visual presentation of the booths, will meet or surpass the standards of the main festival's juried artisans' booths.
CURATORS/JURORS:
Curating (jurying) of the art will be done by a panel of local professional artists.
CRITERIA FOR JUDGING:
Curators will be looking for a unique variety of quality work and products to engage and delight visitors, while celebrating our local art and maker community. The final number of booths will be determined by the space available, and the overall continuity and quality of work submitted. If there are more suitable applicants than can be accommodated, the curators will determine a fair way to randomly select artists for each category.
The artwork submitted will be judged based on the following elements of artistic expression:
-Creativity and originality.
-Quality of artistic composition and overall design.
-Overall impression of the art. What is the effect of the artwork in general and as
a whole?
-Overall, does the artwork stand on its own as a complete and outstanding work of art?
-Presenters are encouraged to demo art techniques and present activities that engage guests who visit the festival.
ADVERTISING and PROMOTION:
-'Made on the Coast'/Coastside Artists will have a locals' page on the Festival site, and be included in the mobile app.
-Booth artists are encouraged to promote their own work and Coastside events in which they are involved.
SET UP and CLEAN UP:
All participants are responsible for set up, take down, & clean up. All set-up and take-down must comply with Festival parameters, including all requirements and regulations regarding safety, time limits, sound, etc. Accepted exhibitors will receive this information.
SALES:
All exhibiting artists must agree to pay 10% of their gross sales to the HMB Beautification Committee. This fee goes toward the MotC Emerging Artist Grant Program and Scholarship Fund.
USE RIGHTS:
-Artists who are accepted & agree to participate agree to the following: That 'Made on the Coast'/HMBCC be granted usage of the chosen images of artwork, to be used only for display, marketing, and promotional purposes.
-All images contained herein or attached to this website are the property of the artists who created them. The artists retain all applicable rights to said images.
-No images may be copied or downloaded from this website.
TERMS & CONDITIONS:
Application and participation constitutes agreement and acceptance of these policies as well as specific instructions governing the “Made on the Coast” Local Artists’ Block - Half Moon Bay Arts & Pumpkin Festival – Half Moon Bay Beautification Committee event.
BEHAVIOR:
Arrive on time, promptly remove vehicle to the designated parking areas as stated in your Artist Letter and on your Check-In envelope; stay for the duration, never return vehicles for loading before the stated time and complete day as scheduled. Intoxication is intolerable, no liquor or drugs should be in evidence at any time. Absolutely no pets, loud radios, infants or small children, alcohol, drugs or smoking allowed in booth during show hours. The Art Show is a place for business.
WEATHER:
Be at the Festival no matter what the weatherman predicts. In case of rain, follow directions given by promoter on the spot. We expect to be working with professionals. Come to the event prepared with heavy, see-through plastic and clamps to cover your work in case of rain, and heavy weights in case of wind.
ATTITUDE:
Our goal is to run a show that is fun as well as profitable for us all. As important as the search for art talent is, we do not lose sight of the need for artists who are co-operative and easy to work with. No amount of talent or ability to sell will compensate for this.
APPEARANCE:
Clothing should be neat, clean and discreet—look successful. Your display area should be free of storage boxes, sloppy tablecloths or clutter. You are a professional—look and act like it at all times.
ARTIST SPACE CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS:
Refunds are at the discretion of the 'Made on the Coast' Committee & granted only in exceptional circumstances.
DISPLAY AND PRODUCTS FOR SALE:
The “Made on the Coast” Local Artists’ Committee and its sponsor – the Half Moon Bay Beautification Committee reserve the right to restrict products offered for sale based on quality and integrity as decided by “Made on the Coast” Local Artists’ Committee. There will be no displaying of “SALE” or “DISCOUNTED” signs.
CANCELLATION OF FESTIVAL:
If weather, major disaster, or other circumstances beyond the control of the “Made on the Coast” Local Artists’ Committee, in partnership with the Half Moon Bay Beautification Committee, cause the cancellation of the Festival, participation fees will not be returned. The Festival Committees cannot be held liable by exhibitors for the failure of the event to take place.
RELEASE & HOLD HARMLESS AGREEMENT:
This agreement is entered into by and between the “Made on the Coast” Artists Committee, in conjunction with the sponsor of the event, the Half Moon Bay Beautification Committee (Sponsor), and the artist or craftsperson filling out and submitting the online application (Artist).
The Artist hereby indemnifies and holds the Sponsor, its agents, employees and servants harmless from any and all claims, including costs and attorney’s fees resulting therefrom, arising out of said Artist’s participation in any and all events which have been organized by or through the Sponsor (Half Moon Bay Beautification Committee). For the purposes of this agreement, the term “participation” shall include, but not be limited to, the delivery of equipment, merchandise, structures and arts or crafts to their designated location, the set up and display of any such structure and art or crafts, and the dismantling and removal of all such items from the area provided by or through the Sponsor or its agents, employees and servants.
The Artist hereby expressly assumes any risk of harm to the Artist, works of art or craft, guests or guests’ property arising out of their participation and the participation of other artists or agents in any given festival organized by Sponsor, including any risk resulting from the particular location of the space designated for them by the Sponsor.
The Artist agrees to hold harmless the Sponsor from any and all liability for damages to persons or property from any source. If weather, other acts of Nature, or other reasons beyond the control of the Sponsor causes the event’s cancellation, Artist entry fees will not be returned and the Sponsor will not be held liable to Artists for failure of the event to take place.
This agreement shall be effective immediately upon execution.
-THE WORK DESCRIBED IN THIS APPLICATION IS HANDMADE BY ME.
-I AGREE TO ABIDE BY THE POLICIES SET FORTH BY “Made on the Coast” Committee in conjunction with the Half Moon Bay Beautification Committee.
-I AGREE that 'Made on the Coast' Artists’ Committee and the Half Moon Bay Beautification Committee be granted usage of chosen artwork only for display, marketing, and promotional purposes.
-BY SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION, I AGREE TO ALL RULES & REGULATIONS AS OUTLINED ON THE MADE ON THE COAST WEBSITE & CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT.
