Monthly pop-up night market in a lot or plaza

Vendors pay you a booth fee. Some events also earn money from sponsors, nearby businesses that want exposure, and optional extras like a drinks partner.

Booth fees per vendor per night, often with different prices for food and non-food spots, plus sponsorship deals. Costs include site rental, insurance, permits, lighting, portable toilets and marketing.

• Organizing people and logistics
• Persuading and recruiting vendors
• Social media and local promotion
• Staying calm when plans change

• Special event permit, street closure or zoning rules, check with your city or county
• General liability insurance for the event, and whether the venue or city wants to be named on it
• Vendors usually need their own temporary food permits and may need a seller's permit for sales tax, check with your health department and state
• Fire code, crowd limits, restrooms, accessibility and noise limits for evening events
• If alcohol is served, state and local alcohol rules apply, check before you plan it
• Bad weather can mean cancelling or low turnout, so plan a refund or rain date policy

Startup costs are typically around $3,000 to $12,000, depending on the site, lighting, signage, insurance and promotion. These are estimates, so check what permits and venue fees apply in your city before you set a budget.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated around $1,500 to $7,500, depending on how many vendors you recruit, booth fees and any sponsors. That is revenue before costs such as site rental, insurance and setup.

Check with your city or county about special event permits, street closure and zoning rules, plus fire code, crowd limits, restrooms and noise limits. Vendors may need temporary food permits. If alcohol is served, check state and local rules first.