Info for Artists + Application

The May 2026 show will be held at The Dome Arena in Henrietta!!  The show date is SATURDAY MAY 9TH ONLY, from 10-5.  Please read the following information, the application link will be below. 

ARTIST INFORMATION
Please read the following information before submitting your application:

The space where the show will be held is the Minett Hall, located off the vestibule of The Dome Arena.  Mayday! Underground is a carefully curated indie craft show that allows ONLY handmade items. If you are unsure whether your work would be a good fit, please look at our photo albums on Facebook to get a feel for the show aesthetic.  Please note that we do not accept applications that include copyrighted characters, and we do not accept work that uses generative AI.  Generative AI steals from working artists and has a tremendous negative impact on the environment.

KEY DATES
February 28th  2026: Application deadline
March 7th 2026: Notification of acceptance, waitlist, or denial
March 14th, 2026: Booth payment due
April 1st 2026 : Last day to drop out and receive a full refund of booth fee.

Entries received after 2/28/2026 will automatically be placed on the waitlist and contacted if space becomes available.

FEE
Booth fee is $135 for a 10×10 space.  For this show, we will only be offering one booth size, as setup with two proved to be fairly challenging in this space and took much longer. You may also rent an 8 foot banguet table for $7.  Chairs can be provided at no cost.  We will be collecting the booth fee via Paypal.  After acceptance you will receive an invoice.  Failure to submit your booth fee by the deadline will result in forfeiture of your booth.  In the interest of attracting new artists, if this is your very first JURIED show, we are pleased to offer you $35 off of your booth fee.

SECURITY   
We will NOT have Security overnight from setup Friday into Saturday morning, as this space will be locked and not accessible until the next morning.  We do not recommend leaving cash and we are not liable for any loss or damage that occurs during the event. 
We WILL have a security guard during the event.

BOOTH
Booth size is 10 feet by 10 feet.
Electricity may be available, however there have been some updates to our lease agreement and there may be a charge.  You will be advised upon acceptance how much that will be and may choose to get it or not. We have limited availability for wall spaces and will honor them as well as we’re able.  We will advise you in advance if we cannot give you wall space, so please only request it if you need it.  Same goes for corners, we have some available but may not be able to give them to everyone who asks,  There is  WiFi available to us during the event.

Tables will be available for rent for $7 each, chairs are available for free. You must bring ALL materials necessary to set up your booth.

Coffee, snacks and lunch are provided.  This comes from booth fees and a sponsorship from Wegmans.

APPLICATION INFO
The application calls for a business name and business website. Etsy, Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, or a blog featuring your work are all acceptable.

After you submit your application, you WILL receive an email from wufoo with your application information. This is proof that you applied.  IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE A CONFIRMATION EMAIL, YOUR APPLICATION HAS NOT BEEN RECEIVED.  Generally this seems to be an issue with image sizes or incorrect website links.  If the application does not go through, it will clear itself and you’ll need to restart.

PHOTO REQUIREMENTS
The application calls for 5 photos. We DO NOT accept photos by e-mail.

Please use the following naming convention:
• Product photos: yourbusinessname1, yourbusinessname2, yourbusinessname3
• Booth photo: yourbusinessnamebooth
• Photo for social media use: yourbusinessnamemedia

File format must be .jpg
Maximum file size is 1MB

PLEASE NOTE **PHOTO SUBMISSIONS THAT DO NOT FOLLOW THESE PARAMETERS WILL NOT BE JURIED, and we hate to turn people away for improperly formatted files, but we cannot spend the time to make the corrections.  In the past we have discovered that some Apple product users have difficulty editing file names on their devices, so you may need to use a laptop to rename your files.  WE WILL NOT REVIEW APPLICATIONS WITH INCORRECTLY NAMED FILES.  This makes it almost impossible to post pictures to the artist album and spotlights. As of 2024 this policy is enforced, don’t get left out over a technicality!!

SWAG REQUIREMENTS
One of the big draws that brings our early crowd are the Swag Bags, this is the reason we have a big rush right at the beginning! You will be required to submit 5 SMALL pieces of swag. However, if you don’t want to (or cannot due to pricing etc) donate items, you can opt to pay a $10 swag fee that will help us offset the cost of obtaining suitable swag as needed. Accepted artists will receive information on how to get the swag to us.

Types of swag we’re looking for: Buttons, pins, notecards, mini prints, small objects, magnets, bookmarks, earrings, pendants, stickers, and so on. We’ll be assembling a total of 42 swag bags.

ADVERTISING
Every penny of your booth fee goes toward show expenses, administrative costs (website maintenance etc) and the following advertising:

Extensive targeted Facebook and Instagram ads
Flier and postcard distribution throughout the greater Rochester area
Press release to local news media
Artist spotlights on all Mayday! Underground social media channels
All artist spotlights now receive paid boosting

DISCLAIMERS
Please note that prior acceptance to the Mayday! Underground show does not guarantee acceptance to future shows. We typically receive at least 200 applications for around 70 spaces, and we try to feature new artists at every show.

If you bring work that was not included in your application or approved by the jury, you will be asked to remove it. This may affect your acceptance to future Mayday! events.  You may also be asked to remove copyrighted materials.

The building will be open for you to set up by 8am Saturday morning at the latest, but is typically unlocked at 7am. 

You will participate at your own risk. You cannot hold the Dome Arena or Mayday! Underground responsible for any damages to yourself or your property.

IF YOU ARE READY TO APPLY NOW CLICK HERE

 

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