Festival Applications

The International Sea Glass Association’s Board of Directors and Festival Committee invite all current ISGA Professional Members to apply for the annual International Sea Glass Festival. The 2023 International Sea Glass Festival will be held at Mystic Seaport Museum on Saturday and Sunday, July 29–30, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Since 2006, ISGA has been committed to supporting the sea and beach glass community through festivals, education, membership, and more. The primary goal of this not-for-profit organization is to educate collectors and creators on the characteristics and significance of genuine sea and beach glass. Members pledge to use and purchase only genuine, pure, unaltered sea and beach glass and to help sea and beach glass collectors, enthusiasts, and artisans understand the value of real sea and beach glass.

Congratulations to everyone selected to participate in this year’s event! Acceptance letters were emailed on March 17th, so please check your email box for yours. Vendor information page ›

Apply to be on the Waiting List

Although the regular application period has closed, we are accepting applications for our waiting list. We invite ISGA Professional Members to apply in case space opens up: 2023 Sea Glass Festival Application.

Please make careful note of the following information and eligibility requirements.

Festival Eligibility Requirements

  • The applicant must be an ISGA Professional Member in good standing.
  • All artwork, jewelry, images, and products must contain only genuine sea and/or beach glass — no artificially altered sea or beach glass will be allowed. It is up to the exhibitor to verify that the sea or beach glass used is authentic.
  • At least 75% of the artwork, jewelry, images, and products must be made from or related to genuine sea or beach glass.
  • Every piece for sale at your booth must be handcrafted by you or your employees, under your direct creative supervision. Merchandise such as books, photography, artwork, stickers, accessories, and other items such as clothing and hats must feature the exhibitor’s original work and be sea or beach glass related. Only self-representing artisans, photographers, and authors will be accepted. Absolutely no buy/resell items allowed — no products designed or made by someone else and no outsourcing.
  • One artist/one company per booth — no booth sharing.
  • All artists must be present (no reps). Exhibitors must be in attendance throughout the festival hours.
  • Only work described in your application may be sold/exhibited at the festival.
  • All exhibitors must comply with state sales tax regulations.
  • ISGA reserves the right to close the booth of any exhibitor violating any of the Festival Eligibility Requirements, the ISGA Mission, or the ISGA Member Agreement. ISGA will require the exhibitor to leave the festival immediately and the exhibitor will forfeit all paid fees.

ISGA Mission

  • Educate the collector, consumer, and retailer as to the properties and benefits of genuine, pure, natural, unaltered sea and beach glass.
  • Maintain the value of genuine sea and beach glass through education.
  • Provide a forum and knowledge base for sea and beach glass enthusiasts to communicate with other individuals who share their passion for genuine sea and beach glass.
  • Sponsor festivals that will benefit sea and beach glass collectors, retailers, and artisans.
  • Support the work of protecting and restoring waterways and coastlines around the world, by mobilizing members, making donations, and educating the public.
  • ISGA members agree that they will not create or sell imitation sea or beach glass.

ISGA Member Agreement

All International Sea Glass Association members agree not to create, buy, or sell imitation sea or beach glass in person or online, including at ISGA festivals, other shows and markets, nor in online shops and social media sites. 

International Sea Glass Association members agree to leave sea and beach glass in its natural state. Sea and beach glass and regular glass will not be altered in any way to artificially replicate or change the shape, patina, size, or color of genuine sea or beach glass. Members will not use any techniques to alter the glass or its appearance, including: 

  • Grinding
  • Acid etching
  • Sand blasting
  • Tumbling
  • Breaking or shaping the glass
  • Colorizing
  • Mounting on a surface that changes the color of the glass 
  • Or any other means

Members agree to present sea and beach glass in its natural state and make it possible for a knowledgeable consumer to confirm that the glass is genuine. Members will not do the following to sea or beach glass:

  • Add resin, glue, or other coating on top of the glass
  • Add a patina to the surface behind the glass to alter the appearance of the glass

Alteration of the sea or beach glass is allowed when it is clear to someone purchasing the piece that the appearance of the glass has been altered. Members can do the following to sea or beach glass:

  • Drill the glass
  • Paint images on the surface of the glass
  • Glue glass on top of a painting, if the original color of the glass is obvious.

Join the International Sea Glass Association ›

2023 ISGA Festival Booth Information

  • Setup will be on Friday, July 28 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
  • There is no electricity in the booths.
  • Each exhibitor will receive two wristbands from the museum allowing free admission to the grounds on Saturday and Sunday. ISGA will provide name tags/lanyards for the exhibitor and one booth assistant.

There are four options for booths:

  • Exhibitor will supply the entire tent set up. Single booth size 10′ x 10′. $300
  • Exhibitor will supply the entire tent set up. Double booth size 10′ x 20′. $500
  • Exhibitor will rent space inside a larger tent. Single booth size 9′ x 10′ or 10′ x 10′.* $400
  • Exhibitor will rent space inside a larger tent. Double booth size 9′ x 20′ or 10′ x 20′.* $750

* Space size inside the larger tent depends upon the number of vendors and style of tent that can be secured. If we do not have a minimum number of vendors who reserve space inside a larger tent, we will contact you for other options/pricing on renting a smaller tent.

You can also rent 8-foot tables and chairs for your booth.

Linens, table coverings, and pipe and drape will not be available. You must provide your own.

ISGA Community Member Referral Incentive Program

With each ISGA Community Member you refer who signs up by June 1, 2023, you’ll receive a $20 credit that can be used towards your festival booth fee. In order to receive this credit, you must offer a discount or special for ISGA Professional and Community Members.

ISGA Discounts and Advertising

ISGA offers you the opportunity to promote your business to ISGA Community members, Mystic Seaport Museum members, and festival attendees through discounts and program advertising, whether you attend the festival or not. Your participation through providing a discount will be noted in the program, on the ISGA website, and through emails from Mystic Seaport Museum to its nearly 10,000 members.

  • Exhibitors can offer a 10% discount to ISGA Community Members and Mystic Seaport Museum members on their website/online shop from July 29, 2023 at 9 a.m. until July 30, 2023 at 5 p.m. using a discount code provided by ISGA. 
  • Exhibitors can offer a 10% discount to ISGA Community Members and Mystic Seaport Museum members who show their Mystic Seaport Membership card at their booth from July 29, 2023 at 9 a.m. until July 30, 2023 at 5 p.m.
  • Exhibitors can place an ad in the festival program
    • 1/4 page ad: $50
    • 1/2 page ad: $100
    • Full page ad: $200

Following are the specifications for program ads. All measurements are in inches. 

  • Full page vertical: Trim: 5.5 x 8.5, Live: .5 from edge, Bleed: .125
  • Half page horizontal: 4.75 x 3.75
  • Quarter page vertical: 2.25 x 3.75

Your ad should be sent as a press-quality PDF. The resolution of all images should be a minimum of 300 dpi at final production size and should be in CMYK format. All fonts must be embedded in the PDF. Please email your finished ads or your photos, logo, and information so we can make your ad to secretary@seaglassassociation.org by April 15, 2023. Please contact us by 4/15/23 if you didn’t purchase an ad and you would like to have one.

Acceptance into the ISGA Festival

The 2023 International Sea Glass Festival is a juried event. Applications will be juried on a first-come/first-served basis starting on January 15, 2023, and ending on March 1, 2023. All applications will be reviewed by the ISGA Festival Committee and ISGA Board of Directors for participation in the festival. Please allow a few weeks for the Festival Committee to review all applicants and send out notices of acceptance and invoices.

Vendor acceptance notifications were emailed on March 17, 2023. We are accepting applications for our waiting list. We invite ISGA Professional Members to apply in case someone is not able to make it and space opens up: 2023 Sea Glass Festival Application.

Upon selection, you will be invoiced for booth fees, tables/chairs, advertising, and any other extras upon notification of your acceptance. Invoices will go out as we approve each festival application. 

Payment will be due immediately upon receipt of invoice.