Waldensian Festival

August 9 & 10, 2024 - Friday Festival Kickoff Concert & Car Show | Saturday Festival Day

Thank you for your interest in the Annual Waldensian Festival. For 48 years, the Town of Valdese has honored the unique Waldensian heritage of Valdese through an annual celebration. We look forward to making the 49th year even better than the ones before! The Waldensian Festival is an event mirrored all over the world in Waldensian communities and settlements, commemorating the “Glorious Return” of the Waldenses to their native valleys in the Cottian Alps of Italy after years of exile and turmoil.

Each year, the Town of Valdese strives to reach new heights, and are so glad you want to take part in this special tradition! The 2024 Waldensian Festival will concentrate on unique crafts, great food, and top-quality entertainment. To achieve this goal, the festival committee has researched wonderful artists, specialty food vendors, and entertainers from around the country. We work hard to select exhibits that will come together to make an unforgettable Festival.

Friday night’s Festival kick-off celebration will feature a performance by variety band, ACE PARTY BAND! Festival Saturday includes a lineup of day-long entertainment at Main Stage, from theatrical performances to local bands. The FREE kids zone, kindly presented by Waldensian Presbyterian Church, will feature bouncy houses, lawn games, art in the park, a tasting tent, a special children's worship moment, sanctuary tours, and more! Over 140 specialty vendors will line Main Street- selling one-of-a-kind goods and all your favorite street foods: funnel cakes, snow cones, burgers, lemonade, cotton candy, and more! Saturday’s festivities will also feature a bocce tournament, the Waldensian Footrace, attraction tours, open art competition, and a special performance of the outdoor drama “From This Day Forward”. The Festival will conclude at 5pm.

Acceptance/denial letters will be mailed out by the Festival Committee starting in May. Accepted vendors will receive booth assignment information and a Festival Day instruction sheet with their acceptance letter. Payment is due no later than August 1st to ensure acceptance. If you have any questions or concerns about your space, please contact us as soon as possible.

To help in reserving your space, when filling out the application, please give thorough information concerning your exhibit (detailed descriptions, photos, or website links are required) and please fill out the entire application legibly. The Vendor Agreement must be signed and returned along with the application. Applications without photos website links, or signed vendor agreements will not be considered.

All Vendors will be required to stay until 6pm the day of the festival. The Festival Committee will make note of vendors who do not stay until this specified time. Vendors who do not stay until 6pm will be given low priority for acceptance the following year.

If your application fails to note that electricity is needed, the Festival Committee will not be responsible if you are placed where electricity is unavailable. If your exhibit requires water, you must state this on the application. Water Stations are available, but there are NO Water Hookups, so please come prepared.

Spaces are limited, so submit your application as soon as possible. The Town of Valdese looks forward to showcasing your business and crafts to approximately 15,000 attendees! Visit Valdese online at waldensianfestival.com for the full entertainment lineup and everything you need to know about the Festival!

We look forward to celebrating with you!

Morrissa Angi
Waldensian Festival Coordinator | Town of Valdese Community Affairs & Tourism Director