One-Day local outdoor festival

Festival-goers buying tickets or paying at the gate, vendors paying for a stall or pitch, and local businesses sponsoring the event.

Ticket sales, vendor and stall fees, sponsorship packages and sometimes a share of food or drink sales. Costs are front-loaded, so income arrives around the event date.

• Planning and logistics
• Negotiating with vendors and sponsors
• Local marketing and social media
• Staying calm under pressure

• Special event permits and park bookings, which differ by municipality, so check early as approval can take weeks or months
• Alcohol service usually needs a provincial licence or special occasion permit, so check your provincial liquor regulator
• Food vendors typically need local public health unit approval, so ask what you must collect from them
• Event liability insurance, and check whether the venue or municipality requires named coverage
• Music licensing, so check whether SOCAN or Re:Sound tariffs apply to your event
• Weather and seasonality, so plan for rain or cold and consider a wet-weather policy
• You pay deposits before you sell tickets, so only commit money you can afford to lose

Estimates suggest startup costs typically around $15,000 to $60,000, depending on the site, vendors and entertainment. Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $2,000 to $10,000. You pay deposits before selling tickets, so only commit money you can afford to lose.

Check special event permits and park bookings, which differ by municipality and can take weeks or months to approve. Also check provincial alcohol licensing, public health approval for food vendors, event liability insurance, and whether SOCAN or Re:Sound tariffs apply.

Estimates start at about 10 hours a week, depending on the size of the event. Weather and seasonality matter, so plan for rain or cold and consider a wet-weather policy before you sell tickets.