The strength of the National Lentil Festival's identity is its foundation and history as a food and agriculture event. In future years, our team will prioritize these themes as we promote our Festival as a tourism destination event.

We are actively modernizing our Festival to engage national and global audiences. As we grow, we remain deeply committed to honoring our shared roots and values. At its heart, the Festival will always be a celebration of our community - one we are proud to share with the rest of our country and the world! While building our town's tourism potential, we will continue to work collaboratively with local and regional leaders, business owners, entrepreneurs, organizers, and residents (including our students and farmers) to ensure that our growth strengthens our community.

Starting this year, we will prioritize food vendors, artisans, and makers and feature a flat fee structure: $200 for a 10x10 space or $350 for a 10x20. As part of this fee, vendors receive Wi-Fi access, courtesy of Ziply Fiber.

As in previous years, vendors designate "National Lentil Festival" as additional insured on their liability insurance and contribute 10% of their gross revenue to support future Festival operations and programming. Note: As of May 2026, we have suspended the 10% revenue share requirement.

All vendors must complete the online registration form, which opens March 9 on this website. Applications are subject to review and approval. Submission does not guarantee acceptance, as there is a new scoring rubric that will lead to Accepted, Waitlisted, or Denied outcomes. Approved vendors will receive a confirmation email with agreement and payment instructions. Denied submissions will have one opportunity to resubmit.

We encourage vendors to register by the priority deadline of May 4. If all spaces fill before then, registration will close early. Late applications may be considered if space allows. We will maintain a waitlist in order of submission for any openings that become available.

For 2027, registration will open in October 2026 until March 1, 2027.

Yes! Our new structure provides vendors with the opportunity to receive up to a 20% discount off their registration fee. During registration, vendors should specify how they meet discount criteria, with details on menu and/or product offerings and photos.

Vendors are also welcome to share booths to further lower individual costs:

• Maximum of 2 vendors per booth, regardless of size.
  

Food vendors

• 15% off - Feature lentils or other pulses (such as chickpeas and beans) as an ingredient. Please note: Chili cannot be offered as part of this discount. To honor our main attraction, no vendor should offer any chili at the event.
  

• 5% off - Add another vegetarian or vegan dish. This dish cannot be the same as the 15% off item.
  

Artisans and makers

• 15% off - Create products yourself, without using or selling pre-bought items.
  

• 5% off - Promote agricultural themes in product concept, design, or materials.
  

All accepted vendors must agree to on-site, unscheduled verification. If vendors commit to discount criteria but staff finds requirements unmet, non-compliant vendors will need to repay the discounts they received and could face suspension from future events.

Tip: While discounts cap at 20%, we encourage vendors to offer additional lentil-based, vegetarian, or vegan dishes, as well as self-made items with agricultural themes. These won't increase discounts this year, but they may strengthen applications for future events.

After reviewing our funding model and feedback from previous festival attendees, we are discontinuing the dedicated non-profit section to expand opportunities for food vendors, artisans, and makers.

Non-profit organizations may still apply for booth space; however, as space allows, priority is given to those with direct connections to food and/or agriculture. A limited number of non-profit spots will be available.

Non-profit organizations can also:

• Partner with a vendor (one registration form suffices with explicit mention of non-profit participation)

• Submit their own vendor application if offering food or products for sale
  

We also encourage non-profit participation through these free opportunities:

• Sign up for volunteer shifts during the week and/or day of the Festival. Available opportunities will be available on the Activities page.

• Register for The WSECU Grand Parade. Please note this requires a review and approval process.

• Explore other community tabling events, such as the Palouse Family Fair or the WSU Week of the Welcome All Campus Picnic. Email cce@wsu.edu for more information.

We are currently reserving sponsorship opportunities to last year's sponsors. We will release more information on remaining opportunities on March 11.

Our new sponsorship structure starts at $1500. We welcome contributions less than $1500, though they will only be listed on the website without logo placement or additional benefits.

Only official National Lentil Festival sponsors and partners who meet a minimum $3500 contribution may secure booth space. This policy ensures we honor and protect the visibility of our valued sponsors.

Aside from our future Festival dates being August 22, 2026, and August 21, 2027, here is a general timeline for 2026. These dates will shift earlier for 2027.

• Vendor registration open: March 9

• Previous-year sponsor commitment deadline: March 10

• Remaining sponsorship/partnership options open: March 11

• Submissions review, with agreements and payment instructions sent: Starting March 30

• Sponsorship commitment deadline: April 17

• Priority vendor deadline: May 4

  • Applications after this deadline will be considered on a rolling basis.

• Vendor registration payment and COI due: July 1