Concession Services for the 2026 Recreation Events

The City of Tarpon Springs, located in Pinellas County, Florida, is seeking qualified independent vendors to provide concession services for various 2026 Recreation Events through a continuous Letter of Interest (LOI) procurement process. The events include the Sunset Beach Concert Series (10 monthly concerts from February through November), Sunset Beach Movie Nights (4 events), and community events such as the Easter Egg-Stravaganza, Juneteenth Celebration, and Back to School Splash and Ecofest. Vendors may offer drink and sundries services (non-alcoholic beverages, snacks, ice cream, shaved ice) or full-service options with hot food items at locations including Sunset Beach, Splash Park, Dorsett Park, and the Tarpon Springs Sports Complex. The city will review submissions monthly and select vendors on a rotation basis to ensure variety for event attendees. The submission deadline is September 1, 2026, with Letters of Interest being accepted continuously, and vendors must pay a $40.00 fee per scheduled event, due up to two weeks prior to each event.

The procurement opportunity does not specify specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises. Vendors must meet stringent qualification requirements, including maintaining Commercial General Liability insurance ($500,000 per occurrence), Automobile Liability ($500,000 combined single limit), and Worker's Compensation coverage. All vendor employees must undergo either Tier 1 or Tier 2 background checks, with disqualification criteria including felony convictions, drug convictions, and sexual offender registry status. Vendors are responsible for obtaining all required permits, supplying utilities at their own expense, and using generators under 70 decibels. While no specific contract value is mentioned, vendors will be expected to operate for the full duration of each event, typically arriving 1 to 1.5 hours before the start time. The city recommends that interested vendors visit event locations prior to submitting their proposals, and notes that no permanent structures are available for vendor operations at Sunset Beach events.