This webpage serves as a central hub for coordinating events, activities, and vendors for Hartford, Kentucky’s October Fest. It provides a convenient way for organizers, participants, and vendors to share information, streamline planning, and help ensure a successful community celebration.
Visitor Information
Join us in downtown Hartford, Kentucky for OctoberFes! New to the area? This community event is located near the courthouse, use the address 301 S. Main Street and you will find your way downtown.
On Friday, October Fest events and vendors will be centered around the Ohio County Community Center, allowing continued access to the Courthouse for excused absentee voting. This layout also provides convenient parking for opening night of the Courthouse Players’ fall production.
On Saturday, festivities will expand to the downtown square, welcoming additional vendors and activities, including special events sponsored by the Ohio County Public Library and Hartford Baptist Church.
Parking Recommendations: Visitors are encouraged to park behind the Ohio County Community Center or in the parking lot off West Washington Street, directly across from the Ohio County Jail. Both locations provide convenient access to October Fest activities. (There is a map at the bottom of this page)
Most October Fest activities are FREE, thanks to sponsorship by the City of Hartford! We encourage visitors to support our local vendors and food trucks with their purchases. The petting zoo is also free to enjoy, with optional feed cups available for purchase. Come pet the animals at no cost, but bring a little spending money if you’d like to give them a treat! 😊
To participate in the Sorehead 5K check out the Ohio County Family Wellness Center.
Vendor Information
We are excited to have received more than 100 vendor applications for approximately 80 available spaces at this year’s October Fest! Your enthusiasm and support continue to help this event grow, and we are grateful for everyone who wants to be part of the celebration. With more than 100 applications and approximately 80 available spaces, we have worked carefully to accommodate as many vendors as possible. Selection was based on several factors, including the date and time applications were received, previous cooperation with event guidelines and expectations, and an effort to offer a diverse mix of products, services, and experiences for our visitors. We received the first 80 applications by September 10, 2026.
Why does the layout look different this year?
After five years of planning October Fest, we encountered a scheduling consideration we haven’t faced before: excused absentee voting at the Ohio County Courthouse. Providing access to the Courthouse and supporting every citizen’s right to participate in elections is a priority. We also want to be good neighbors to the Courthouse Players, whose fall production opens October Fest weekend. Our layout helps preserve convenient parking for theatergoers on both Friday and Saturday evenings.
These considerations led us to adjust our layout, with Friday’s activities centered around the Ohio County Community Center and Saturday’s festivities expanding to the downtown square.
The exciting part? This layout gives us room to grow! If interest continues at this pace, we may explore returning October Fest to both sides of Highway 231 next year.
Thank you for your flexibility, enthusiasm, and continued support. It’s because of YOU and your passion for being part of Hartford that October Fest keeps growing!
Vendor Details – Map Below
Event Dates & Hours
- Friday, October 23: 3–8 p.m.
- Saturday, October 24: 9 a.m.–7 p.m.
- Location: Downtown Hartford, Kentucky
Vendor Setup & Move-In
- Friday Move-In: Begins at 12 noon
- Saturday Move-In: Begins at 7 a.m.
Vendors should use their assigned spaces and refer to the event map provided in their confirmation email and listed below.
Important Saturday Morning Reminder: Our OctoberFest 5K begins at 8 a.m. on Saturday! Runners and walkers have the right-of-way, so please use extra caution when arriving, restocking, or reopening your booth Saturday morning. We appreciate your patience as we share downtown with our race participants.
As always, if you see an error – you can email events@hartfordky.org Please do so with kindness – a lot of energy and effort is required to coordinate so many moving pieces, even with looking over documents numerous times, it’s next to impossible to be perfect.
A Family-Friendly Celebration
OctoberFest is a family-friendly community event, and all items sold or displayed must be appropriate for all ages. Items containing divisive content, strong language, graphic images, or similar material are not permitted. Vendors who do not follow these guidelines may be asked to remove items or leave the event.
Need to Cancel or Update Your Participation?
We are currently at capacity, with additional vendors on our waiting list (23 as of Oct. 16). If your plans have changed or you can no longer participate, please complete the 2026 OctoberFest – Vendor Updates Form as soon as possible. Information must match what was on the application.
Thank you for helping make OctoberFest a success! Your creativity, energy, and enthusiasm are what make this celebration special. We’re looking forward to another great weekend in Hartford!
Map and Vendor List
Updated Oct. 20, 2026 @ 3pmCST Final Approvals
