Hills Alive 2026 Retail Vendor Rules & Regulations
(LifeLight Hills Alive will herein be referred to as Hills Alive)
Thank you for applying to be a Hills Alive Retail Vendor (herein referred to as Retail Vendor). Hills Alive strives to provide the best possible environment and opportunities for ministry for all Hills Alive participants. Our Mission: “Taking the Church outside the walls, bringing LIGHT into the darkness with the life-changing message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ” (John 8:12).
Deadline
The deadline to submit Retail Vendor applications to Hills Alive is July 1, 2026. Space is limited and there is no guarantee that space will still be available by the deadline submission date. In the event an Application/Agreement is received prior to the deadline, that will not constitute Hills Alive acceptance of the corresponding Application/Agreement. Acceptance of any Application/Agreement submitted to Hills Alive shall be made as stated herein.
Acceptance
Retail Vendor understands that acceptance of this Application/Agreement is within the sole discretion of Hills Alive and is not on a first come first serve basis. Further, in the event Hills Alive accepts the Application/Agreement, Retail Vendor shall be bound by the terms stated herein. In the event this Application/Agreement is not accepted by Hills Alive, Retail Vendor will not be bound by the terms stated herein. Acceptance or declination of any Application/Agreement shall be made via email by Hills Alive forty-five (45) days after submitted application. Hills Alive reserves the right to refuse any Retail Vendor applications including applications that do not meet the standards set for the festival.
Insurance Certificate Requirement
Retail Vendor is required to furnish Hills Alive with a Certificate of Insurance naming LifeLight as additionally insured. Coverage is to be at least $1,000,000 for bodily injury and $1,000,000 for property damage – or equal to a 2,000,000 policy.
Certificate Holder:
LifeLight
1412 S. Minnesota Ave.
Sioux Falls, SD 57105
Safety Requirements
Vendor agrees to adhere to safety regulations required by the Rapid City Fire Department. The Rapid City Fire Department requirements for vendors may be viewed
at http://www.rcgov.org/firedept under Division link, then Prevention, or call 605-394-4180. Please read through all material carefully.
Site Fee
Retail Vendor shall pay a fee for each Booth Space (hereafter called “Booth Fee”) requested above in accordance with the terms stated herein. If electricity is needed, Vendor will pay a base electrical fee of $50. The Booth Fee and Electrical Fee will be paid upon application approval (vendor will be notified by email with a payment link).
No Site Fees or Electrical Fees paid will be refunded to Vendor if Vendor cancels the Application/Agreement after May 1, 2026.
If Retail Vendor is accepted, the space assigned and all fees previously paid will be forfeited as liquidated damages if the space is not occupied by 10:00 AM, Saturday of the Hills Alive Festival.
Additional Fees
Retail Vendor hereby agrees to pay the Booth Fee and/or Electrical Fee stated on Application/Agreement OR 20% of total gross sales, whichever is greater.
Only items specified on the approved Vendor Application will be permitted to be sold. Please provide a detailed listing.
As a potential Retail Vendor for this festival, we believe that you are honest and sincere in wanting to provide the best product to our guests. Therefore, we trust that you will provide us with accurate gross sales amounts for each day at settlement. Retail Vendor further agrees that the funds due to Hills Alive shall be paid in full with cash, check, or credit card at checkout prior to leaving the festival grounds on Sunday night, July 19th, 2026. If paying by credit card, please know you will be responsible for paying the 3% credit card fee.
Sales Tax
Retail Vendor hereby agrees to collect any and all applicable taxes, and that Hills Alive does not accept or assume any responsibility for state, local and/or federal taxes required or the collection of those taxes. Sales tax is approximately between 7-9%, payable to the State of South Dakota. The current tax amount will be provided to you upon arrival. Hills Alive will provide you with the appropriate paperwork; however, the Retail Vendor is solely responsible for submitting the form and payment to the State of South Dakota Department of Revenue.
Vendor Set Up
Retail vendor booths are pre-assigned and all Vendors MUST check in with the Retail Vendor Coordinator upon arrival (name and contact info will be provided before event). Retail vendor booth sites will be located in a pre-determined area designated by Hills Alive.
PLEASE NOTE: the Parks Dept. is only permitting certain vehicles and trailers to be driven into the park on the sidewalks and grass during set-up, load-in, and load-out. Most Retail Vendor vehicles and trailers will NOT be permitted, however, if you have a very large inventory of product you plan on selling at the festival, please contact Jill at 906-362-5455 upon approval to discuss an exception to this rule. If you are granted permission, you MUST be extremely cautious while driving on the grounds. If you cause any damage in the park, you could be ticketed by the City. If you have not been given permission and are found to be in violation of this rule, you may be ticketed by the City. We apologize for the inconvenience this will cause.
Vendor Set Up Times:
Friday, July 17th, 2026 - 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm AND Saturday, July 18th, 2026 - 7:00 am to 10:00 am
- Hills Alive only provides a reserved and dedicated location for Vendor operations per Vendor Agreement.
- All structures, tents, signs, enclosures, etc. must have the approval of Hills Alive prior to load-in and setting up.
- Vendors are solely responsible to bring your own equipment for all Vendor operations. This includes, but is not limited to: structures, tents, backdrops, furniture, displays, lighting, electrical cords (minimum of 14 gauge or larger) and connections/adaptors (power drop will be provided within 25' of Vendor assigned site). Should you need tables or chairs due to flying in (or alike circumstances), we have a very limited amount of tables and chairs to rent for $20 per table and $10 per chair. Please let your Vendor Representative know if you need to rent these items ASAP, so we can try to accommodate that need. They are on a first come, first serve basis, so we cannot guarantee any will be available.
- Tents and structures that can be blown over by the wind must be safely secured to reduce hazard. If they can't be secured, they'll have to be taken down. Stakes of any kind are no longer permitted to be used on site for any purpose, so bring the appropriate weights to secure items. Tent weights and/or cement blocks are an approved alternative to secure items, but must be clear of any walkways.
- All equipment must be in safe and working order and presented to Hills Alive guests in a professional, clean, and safe manner. Vendor site must have adequate garbage containers and site must be kept free of empty boxes and trash. Extra inventory can be kept at site, but must be kept in an orderly manner.
- If Vendor setup is deemed unsafe by Hills Alive Representative or other Governing Authority, Vendor will be required to stop operations, fix and/or remove items from Vendor site.
- Generators are not allowed.
- No loud speaker, amplifier, radio or other sound device can be used at the Vendor’s site without the consent of authorized Hills Alive Representative.
- Vendor MUST remain in their site during Vendor Operation Hours (see times below).
- Failure to follow these guidelines can result in immediate loss of site with forfeiture of paid fees.
Vendor Site Hours
Saturday, July 18th, 2026 – 11:00 am to 9:00pm
Sunday, July 19th, 2026 – 11:00 am to 9:00 pm
- All Vendor sites should be open and staffed during these hours unless otherwise approved by authorized Hills Alive Representative.
- These are the minimum hours of operation during the festival.
- Hills Alive will begin at 12:00 pm both Saturday and Sunday.
- Main stage activity will begin at 12:00 pm and end by approximately 10:00 pm. (Times are subject to change)
- Vendors agree to not take down or remove sales exhibits during the festival until authorized time, unless otherwise approved by Hills Alive.
Vendor Tear Down & Check Out
- Exhibitor may begin tearing down their site Sunday, July 19th, 2026 at 9:00 pm
- Instructions for Permitted Vehicles on festival grounds will be given to Vendor upon approval of application.
- All product and furnishings must be removed from the festival grounds before midnight, Sun., July 19th, 2026 unless prior approval from Hills Alive is obtained.
- Additional fees may be charged by Hills Alive and/or the City of Rapid City and billed to Vendor if the site is not clean prior to Vendor Check Out or if damage is caused to the Parks grounds from Vendor vehicles.
- Vendors will settle at the designated Settlement trailer with a Hills Alive representative upon closing of the Vendor area on Sunday, July 19th.
Hills Alive Discretion
Vendor hereby agrees to submit to the management and control of Hills Alive. Vendor acknowledges its understanding that Hills Alive is a Christian ministry that is committed to bring glory to God in all our actions. As a Christian non-profit ministry, Hills Alive reserves the right to make selections of Vendors and their merchandise consistent with Hills Alive’s mission and objectives. Hills Alive also reserves the right to ask for the removal of any product that is not consistent with said mission and objectives. Distributing, selling, wearing, or displaying political items will not be allowed. Hills Alive also reserves the right to close any vendor site for any safety, product or service quality issues. Hills Alive reserves the right to grant to any Vendor the exclusive rights to distribute and/or sell any product during the festival.
Vendor agrees that any representative of Hills Alive staff that oversees the Vendor booths shall have free access to said premises at all times.
Vendor Risk
Retail vendor hereby agrees that all personal property, supplies, equipment, product and merchandise in or around the Retail vendor area shall be on site at its own sole risk and hazard. Retail vendor hereby agrees to indemnify and hold Hills Alive harmless from any and all claims, cause of action, suits or demands for liability, damage, loss, expense arising from any injury to persons or property which may occur in relation or connection to Retail vendor’s, its agents, representatives, employees, guests or customers activities, acts, actions, failures or omissions in relation to the Festival at any time before, during or after the same.
Retail vendor acknowledges that the vendor sites are not secure facilities and that Hills Alive does not guarantee the security or safety of Retail vendor’s property, assets, or sales receipts, and Retail vendor hereby agrees to accept full responsibility for the same. Hills Alive will provide Festival Security who will police the Retail vendor area during hours the vendor area is not open for public display, but still cannot guarantee the security or safety of said Retail vendor's site or property.
By signing this binding contract, I do hereby agree that I have reviewed all information above, have filled out the application honestly, will provide all required certificates, and agree with and will abide by LifeLight's Mission and Vision
