Become a Christkindl Market vendor

To ensure a fair and transparent approach, Christkindl Market uses a criteria‑based review process to ensure a fair and balanced mix of vendors each year. Past participation does not guarantee acceptance.

First Deadline: Friday, May 1, 2026

Notifications for this round go out in early June.

• Application Notice: Applications will remain open after the May 1 selection date until all spots are filled. Please note that the sooner you submit your application, the more likely you are to be added to the event.
• Wait List: Vendors who are not accepted will be placed on a wait list and notified if any openings become available.

The process for vendor selection will involve:

1. Vendor Call out: Public call for vendor proposals
2. Application Review: Applications are reviewed
   • Each application will be placed in one of the four categories listed below.
   • Vendors are chosen based on their overall score, category balance, and available space.
3. Decision: Highest-ranked applications are accepted based on score, category and availability.
4. All applicants will receive an acceptance or decline notice by email.

If you have any questions about the application process or form, send us an email.

Below is an overview of the jury scoring system used to evaluate all vendor applications.

• Holiday Fit (3 pts): Christmas/holiday appeal, cultural relevance, giftable products.
• Experience (3 pts): Past participation in Christkindl or similar markets.
• Handcrafted (6 pts): Handmade locally or in Canada/Europe/USA.
  • Fair trade and commercial products not permitted.
• Quality (5 pts): Craftsmanship, structure, ingredients, consistency, sustainability, functionality.
• Creativity & Uniqueness (5 pts): Innovative offerings, cultural fit, strong product/menu range.
• Presentation (5 pts): Professional booth, packaging, labelling, overall appearance.
• Requirement: Clear booth photo must be provided.

Categories will be determined based on vendor’s product description. The City of Kitchener reserves the final decision on category assignment.
NOTE: Commercially manufactured products, work assembled from commercial kits or materials, memberships, or work represented by dealers or agents will not be allowed.

• Clothing/Accessories/Jewellery: adult, children, leather, accessories (hats, scarves, mitts, belts metals, stones, costume, glass, beads)
• Food: hot/cold/specialty products, bakery, alcohol (only prepackaged gift sets, etc., no open alcohol sales allowed), pre-packaged items, prepared food onsite
• Arts/Crafts/Christmas: functional, fabric, ceramic, sculptures, candles, wood, glass, metal, paintings, bags, ornaments, wreaths, figurines, decor
• Other: environmental, pet, household, audio/video, health & body products, toys/games, non-profit organization/charity, churches, fundraisers

Your application must include the following items to be considered complete. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
Payments are not to be included until acceptance is confirmed. The City is not responsible for damage to, or loss of, supporting material. The following information is mandatory as part of the application process. If you fail to complete the following you may not be considered as a vendor.

• 2026 vendor application form
• Photos: 3 or 4 photos attached to the application form
  • 1 must be on your booth display.
  • We will not go to a website to print off pictures.
  • Photos will not be returned.
  • The file size for each photo must not exceed 2MB. Any attachment larger than 2MB will prevent your application from submitting successfully.
  • Instructions for reducing the size of photo files are below
• Biography: We encourage questions to be answered in bullet points.
  • Tell us about your business.
  • Where else have you sold the product?
  • Explain how your product is made and what materials are used.
  • What makes your product unique for this market, and how does your product meet the acceptance criteria?
  • Explain How & where your product is made.
• Product description: description, list and pricing of all products.
  • Products not listed will not be allowed for sale.
  • Samples will not be returned.

1. Open the photo file in the “Paint” app (comes pre-installed on most Windows systems).

2. In Paint, under the “Home” tab (subcategory “Image”), select “Resize”.

3. Under Resize, select “By: Pixels”.

4. Check the box “Maintain aspect ratio”.

5. Manually adjust the numeric values of the horizontal and/or vertical measures until reaching a desired file size.

6. Save the new image.

1. Open the photo file in the “Preview” app (comes pre-installed as the default on most OS systems).
2. In Preview, select - Tools - Adjust Size
3. From the “Fit into” drop-down menu under “Image Dimensions” you may need to select a smaller size or
customized dimensions.
4. From the “Resolution” field under “Image Dimensions” decrease the number of pixels/inch until reaching a desired file size.
5. Save the new image.