RISD CRAFT: SPRING 2026 PARTICIPANT KIT

SET-UP + SALES

Your Booth: Booths are approximately 6 ft deep from the curb, and approximately 6 ft wide space on the street – directly adjacent to your neighbor’s space. Please keep this in mind when planning displays, and don’t use more than 6 ft of display materials to allow for some space between you and your neighbor. In the event of rain, RISD will tent the entire street. Although the vendor booth size will remain the same, however the space in front of the booth will be reduced in order to accommodate visitors.

Each space may come equipped with a 6 ft x 30 in x 30 inch table and two folding chairs for a small fee. You can make your selection and payment in the registration process. Alternatively, vendors can bring their own table and chairs as long as they adhere to the dimensions and quantity mentioned above. You may bring additional display material or furniture, but keep in mind that you need to stay within this space. Please do not encroach on your neighbor’s space or the sidewalk.

Your booth number will be on the registration packet you will pick up at check-in. 

All participants must check in on the morning of the sale. You can find a booth map to the right. Booth assignments will be updated close to the event.

Your Display: Your display is up to you–although no covered tents are allowed. Remember, your space is directly next to someone else’s space! Please do not bring display materials that span more than 6 ft wide.

Check out booth displays from past sales on our Facebook page! This is a street sale: please do not have items for sale on the sidewalks. While your folding chairs are allowed on the sidewalk, they must remain close to your display, and storage and back stock cannot be allowed on the sidewalk, due to City of Providence regulations and accessibility purposes. DO NOT hang items on fences, you will be asked to move them.

Making Sales: Accept multiple forms of payments to get those impulse sales. We don’t have credit card readers available for use, but there are plenty of options including Square and PayPal. If you are planning to use a credit card reader, download the app and try it before the sale. Readers can be purchased at stores like Staples or Best Buy, or sent to you if you sign up early enough online. Venmo is also a great option, but not used often by older shoppers – while many have a credit or debit card.

Consider and prepare QR codes – they make sales and promotion smooth. Printing and displaying QR codes at your booth can make it easier for people to access your contactless payment methods (Venmo and PayPal). These codes can also be useful in promoting your business Instagram or website. Even if someone doesn’t buy from you at RISD CRAFT, making a connection through social media can secure engagement and lead to possible sales in the future.

You are able to use the RISD guest wifi on the day of the sale, but the network can get crowded during the event so consider increasing your data plan for the day. Be sure to bring a portable charger that doesn’t require an outlet to keep your device charged.

State of Rhode Island Sales Permits: All vendors, including RI residents, are required by law to have a Rhode Island Retail Sales Permit – either permanent or temporary. If you do not have your own permanent RI Retail Sales Permit, we can issue you a temporary RI Retail sales permit on the day of the event. Our staff will be on hand to help you through the process. The State of RI no longer charges the $10 fee to obtain a temporary sales permit, and these permits are now free of charge. Even if you are an artist who has been granted a Rhode Island sales tax exemption (also known as an RI Artist Exemption), you still must have either a permanent or temporary permit to make sales.

State of RI Retail Sales Tax Regulations & Artist Exemptions If you are a RI resident and the State of RI has approved you for an Artist Exemption – great! You will not have to collect sales tax – but you must provide proof of this exemption to RISD in advance of the event, and you will still need to provide proof that you have a permanent RI Retail Sales Permit or you must obtain a temporary retail sales permit from RISD at the event.

ALL other artists/vendors (this includes Rhode Islanders and non-Rhode Islanders) selling ANY items at RISD Craft MUST collect sales tax at this event, on items sold in ALL categories except apparel (t-shirts, sweatshirts, pants, hats, scarves, and footwear), in accordance with State of RI tax law. Art, jewelry, ceramics, pottery, glass, etc are all taxable in RI.  We are required by the RI Division of Taxation to provide their agency with a list of all vendors, and if sales tax is not collected and paid to the state, we must report it. At the end of the day, all vendors who obtained a temporary sales permit from RISD will be required to complete their sales permit paperwork and remit sales tax to the state, via a check made out to RI Division of Taxation. Please remember to bring a check to the event.

DAY OF DETAILS

We will decide to tent the street if it looks like very bad weather. We are contractually obligated to make this decision several days in advance of the event. If that happens, we will email you with alternative check-in instructions as soon as possible.

OTHERWISE, HERE’S WHAT HAPPENS THE DAY OF THE SALE:

• Check-in begins at 8am, at the corner of Benefit St. and Waterman St. We’ll have plenty of staff on hand to make this process as quick and painless as possible. You’ll tell us your last name and we will provide you with your registration packet. If you need a temporary RI sales permit for the day, you will need to sign your form before proceeding.
• Please listen to the staff as they advise you on where you can/cannot leave your vehicles if you are driving on the street to unload! You can drive directly onto Benefit Street until 10am, accessible only from Waterman St. You may encounter a Providence police officer telling you the street is closed–just tell them that you are unloading for the sale.
• When unloading at your booth, please park on the right side of the street and drive on the left. This is tight, but possible. Please move your car as soon as you’ve unloaded your work. Your car needs to be off the street by 10am, and your booth should be set up by 10:30am.
• You need to check in by 9am. If you are running late, let us know by phone call or text! At 9am, we will check for empty booths and offer them to waitlisted alumni on standby. The sale technically starts at 11am, but people begin wandering the street early, so we urge you to have your space set up by 10:30am.
• When you check in, you’ll receive a registration packet with your booth number, reminders for the day, your name tags (please wear!), your temporary sales permit (if applicable), and your sales reconciliation form that must be turned in when you check out between 5-6pm.
• The registered alumni artist must be present at the sale all day. Sales representatives are not permitted in your place, although helpers are fine! Not only is this a sale an opportunity for you to show your work, but it is a RISD community event where alumni and students have the chance to interact with each other and the public. Please note that vendor booths cannot be shared, including with RISD alumni who did not apply for or were not accepted to the event.
• We are open until 5pm! You must keep your booth open for the entire duration of the show.
• Remember to check-out and return your completed sales reconciliation, name tags and laminated booth sign at the info table between 5-5:30 pm. Failure to check out at the end of the day and turn in your sales reconciliation will result in being ineligible for next year’s sale. The RI Tax Administration requires us to collect information from you, and it will not be accepted late.

PROMOTION

While RISD is invested in marketing and promoting RISD Craft, including hanging large banners on campus, distributing hundreds of posters and postcards across the state, as well as through a digital and print advertising campaign, we believe that it takes RISD and all participating artists working together to promote the show to ensure excellent turnout. We hope that you will help share in our efforts by spreading the word on Facebook and Instagram, and using the hashtags #RISDCraft and #RISDAlumni.

@RISDAlumni will publish a series of posts and stories in the weeks leading up to RISD Craft and on the day of the sale. Please be sure to follow @risdalumni and @risd1877 on Instagram, and tag us! Please note that while we aim to share as many posts in our stories as possible, we may not be able to accommodate everyone.

EXCELLING AT RISD CRAFT: Tips & Tricks

Stock Up on Promotional Items: Business cards, buttons, postcards and other fun materials are a great way to start the conversation with potential customers and give them something to take home and remember you by!

Gain More Fans: Include a mailing list sign-up at your booth or create signage that lets people know, clearly, who you are and how to contact or follow you on social media. Printing QR codes on your signage makes this easy. Please note that vendors are not permitted to host raffles at their tables, as the State of RI requires that for-profit businesses obtain approval and permits for raffles.

Greet Your Potential Customers: This seems like a given, but customers are often looking to interact with the artist whose work they are looking at! Just a smile and a greeting allows potential customers to feel more comfortable about asking questions and finding out more. Looking at your phone or avoiding eye contact will put people off.

Enjoy the Day: Most artists’ priority is to sell a lot of work at the sale, but keep in mind that thousands of people walk the sale this day, and this is your chance to make a lasting impression that might lead to future contact or online sales, publicity or other opportunities. Some people take more time to buy art than others!

Be Prepared: We suggest bringing the following with you to help stay organized and energized on the day of the sale:

• Pens, pencils, markers
• Tape (can help with wind and light materials)
• Extra labels or pricing materials
• Receipt book (some customers will want receipts, can help keep track of your total sales)
• Method for tracking your sales – both the sales as well as number of items sold
• Table cloth, décor/flowers and other display goodies
• Weights for display (it gets windy!)
• Business cards and/or sign up sheet for a mailing list
• Cash money! We recommend at least $75 worth of small bills (visit the bank Friday!)
• Credit card reader
• Checkbook for paying sales tax at the end of the day (if necessary)
• Portable charger for your mobile device (charge it ahead of time and arrive with a fully charged device!)
• Packing materials (plastic bags, boxes, bubble wrap) especially important if the weather is iffy
• Comfortable shoes and clothing layers (it’s often cold in the morning)
• Snacks and water, thermos of coffee/tea
• Sunscreen
• In Case of Inclement Weather: If the forecast is bad, we’ll put up a big tent, which covers the booths and a pedestrian walkway in the center. Be prepared with raincoats and boots – and wear layers regardless! We are contractually obligated to make the call to tent the entire street several days before the event. Sometimes the forecast is clear when we make the call and then a chance of showers develops after. Please be prepared with a tarp or plastic to cover your work in case we get some passing showers. Have materials to protect your work if it’s made of a weather-sensitive material. We will notify vendors with as much notice as possible if we move forward with tenting the street.