Traditions Festival Food Market Lead

Living Traditions Festival Food Market Lead

SUPERVISOR:Performing Arts Program Manager

EMPLOYMENT LENGTH:February 9 - June 12, 2026

PART TIME/FULL TIME:Part-time Temporary

COMPENSATION:$23.00 per hour

NOTE:Projected hours for the duration of employment are approximately 395, with an anticipated average hours worked at 20 and increasing hours around the festival time. The 2026 Living Traditions Festival dates are:
Friday, May 15 - 17, 2026.

DESCRIPTION:This job is a lead position assisting in development of festival vendor relations strategies for the Living Traditions Festival, a free and public festival which has served upwards of 30,000 members of the public each year for 39 years. This role largely focuses on managing all of the vendors in our Food Market, overseeing the Food Demos and coordinating with our beverage stations.

The Food Market Lead directly supports the Performing Arts Program Manager, operating as a team leader and festival planner, among other duties as assigned.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Event Planning & Development

• Meet with Performing Arts Program Manager and other key festival staff to carefully develop and discuss festival timelines, budgets, programming and vendor needs;
• Directly oversee all applications, contracts and communication with the Food Vendors for the Food Market and Food Demos;
• Work in collaboration with the Beverage Leads to oversee the alcohol and soda beverage stations;
• Collaborate with Marketing Lead to provide all vendor information and scheduling for marketing purposes;
• Work closely with Production Lead to oversee Health Department regulations and training(s) for Food Vendors;
• Review, inventory, and organize assets necessary for festival execution & determine if additional assets are needed;
• Work in collaboration with Production Lead to ensure all production-related needs are communicated and followed through with in a timely manner;
• Oversee a Food Market Assistant in hiring, training and onsite processes;
• Ensure that mission, vision, and values of the Salt Lake City Arts Council and the Living Traditions Festival are upheld.

Event Execution

• Assist in overseeing the setup of the Food Market booths, ensuring that they are in the proper places and meeting the Health Dept. requirements;
• Assist as staff contact for any onsite Health Dept. checks;
• Oversee load-in of all vendors, ensuring that they have all the necessary materials and remind them of festival rules and regulations;
• Oversee hanging of all vendor and Food Market-related signage and environmental graphics;
• Oversee all setup, execution and strike of Food Demos;
• Monitor radio transmissions, respond to calls for vendor assistance and troubleshoot issues as they arise;
• Oversee Food Market load-out, ensuring that all vendors take ALL materials with them upon exit, and make note of any damages that may have occurred;
• Strike and restoration of festival grounds in cooperation with production staff and other festival vendors, ensuring quality and precision while remaining safe and efficient.

Post-Festival Evaluation & Documentation

• In partnership with Performing Arts Program Manager and other key Arts Council staff, ensure that proper documentation of all vendor related efforts is carefully reviewed and properly archived;
• Ensure that all vendor contracts have been completed and payments made;
• Send out a post-festival survey and thank you to all vendors;
• Ensure that all vendor related equipment has been recovered, inventoried, and assessed for damages, seeking replacements or repairs where needed.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Education & Experience

• Must have experience in working for large scale festivals or events;
• Familiarity with food vendors and Health Dept. requirements for food sales preferred;
• Previous experience in the guest services or hospitality industry is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Knowledge of the local arts community is a plus;
• Proficient in all Microsoft products (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint);
• Familiarity with Docu Sign and Submittable preferred;
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills (written & verbal) required;
• Professional & positive attitude (tact, sensitivity, positivity, and diplomacy);
• Detail oriented, able to audit work to avoid mistakes, and perform tasks accurately;
• Ability to think and act quickly under pressure;
• Knowledge in project management and teamwork;
• Able to lift upwards of 50 pounds and sit or stand for prolonged periods of time;

To apply, please email a resume, in PDF format only, to Dawn Borchardt (She/Her) before Wednesday, January 14th. If you are interested in multiple positions for the Living Traditions Festival, please specify in your email submission.

The mission of the Salt Lake City Arts Council is to promote, present, and support artists and arts organizations in order to facilitate the development of the arts and expand awareness, access, and engagement.