Vendor Application for Exhibitors for Veteran's Day event at Fort Monroe

The Fort Monroe Authority is soliciting vendor applications for exhibitors at "Answering the Call," its 2026 Veterans Day event on November 7, 2026, at Continental Park, with applications due October 10, 2026. Veteran-owned or veteran-operated business status is a qualifier; non-veteran businesses are ineligible.

The event runs from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and honors service members while drawing military families and veterans as attendees. Selected vendors exhibit and sell products or services to this audience. The Fort Monroe Authority provides each vendor one 6-foot table, two chairs, trash receptacles, bottled water, and promotional support via website, print, direct mail, and posters. Vendors must arrive by 8:00 a.m. and be ready to serve by 9:30 a.m., remaining through 3:00 p.m. In the event of rain, activities and displays relocate to the Fort Monroe Visitor & Education Center.

Vendor selection is evaluated on a 70-point scale: small business status (20 points), variety and quality of items offered (20 points), free or discounted services offered to veterans (20 points), and appeal to a wide variety of military audiences including families (20 points). Selected vendors will be notified by mid-October. Participation is by invitation only and is not guaranteed.

Vendors are responsible for proof of liability insurance naming the Fort Monroe Authority and Commonwealth of Virginia as additional insured, a completed W-9 form, floor-length table coverings, signage or banners, handcarts and staff for unload operations, any additional tables or chairs needed beyond the one provided, and all space cleanup before departure. Vendors must pay all applicable state, local, and federal sales taxes and commit to distributing event information through their own email and mailing lists.