Grand Rapids Zine Fest
Tabler FAQ
The 2025 fest will be on Saturday, August 16th from 12 to 6 pm at the Fountain Street Church. Applications are open from May 1st until May 20th. Application results will be emailed out shortly after. After applications close, a waitlist will be available.
If you'd like to be notified about any updates, including tabling, please join our mailing list (scroll to the bottom of the FAQ page).
Applications for the fest typically open around May. If you don't see the application tab on our website, applications are not open yet.
Please read the application carefully! This zine fest operates on a lotto system, meaning applicants are chosen randomly using a number generator.
Emails about the lotto results will be sent out after registration closes. Those selected to table will be sent payment information, and your spot at the fest is secured once you have paid.
There is a waitlist available for those that don't make it in the initial lotto. This list is also available to those that missed the initial application deadline. If anyone cancels, I will contact someone off of the waitlist as soon as possible.
The application requires you to agree to several rules, including bringing primarily zines to sell. Those that blatantly disregard agreed-upon requirements for being an exhibitor will not be asked to table at GRZF again. This includes applicants that clearly violate our safer spaces policy (which you can read in full on the website).
At least 51% of what you bring to sell needs to be zines. As long as this benchmark is met, feel free to bring other items like buttons, prints, or stickers.
Applicants who do not make zines at all will not be accepted.
Accepted applicants that blatantly violate this rule (i.e., bringing no zines!) will not be asked back to the fest.
This is one of the few annual zine events in Michigan, and we're excited to highlight zinesters!
Fees vary by year, depending on the cost of running GRZF.
Thanks to generous sponsorship by the Fountain Street Church, 2025 table fees have been reduced!
A half table is $10. (3ft long)
A full table is $20. (6ft long, limited availability)
All of the table fees go directly to covering operating costs. GRZF is completely volunteer-run and non-profit, so the table fees are essential to breaking even every year. The organizer pays out of pocket for upfront costs.
The deadline for table fee refunds is two weeks before the fest. Cancelations after this deadline are considered short-notice, and you will not be refunded.
You can pay more for your table if you'd like to support GRZF!
We welcome all genres and styles of zines! However, we are an all-ages event, so please use appropriate content warnings if you have mature or graphic material.
However, any material, graphic or not, that violates our safer spaces policy will result in automatic application rejection.
We do not accept applicants that violate our safer spaces policy. You can read the policy in full here. GRZF stands firmly against oppression and bigotry, and all applicants are screened to the best of our ability.
Feel free to decorate your table as you wish! Keep in mind that half tables are about 3ft wide, so be mindful of your neighbor. If you need to secure anything, please use gentle painter's tape to prevent damaging the tables and chairs generously provided by our venue.
Items like tablecloths, signs, small shelves, small display racks, and decorations are ok!
Please get prior approval for large additional display structures; we do not allow structures that are a tripping hazard or encroach on your neighbor's space. Space is tight, and we want to make sure everyone has enough room to move around and be comfortable.
This is an all-ages event, so please keep that in mind when decorating your table. Some kind of notice of mature content is appreciated. If you have mature content, please avoid placing extremely graphic images front and center.
Besides your zines, make sure you have everything you need for selling. This means plenty of cash for change and a safe place to keep your money. If you are using a card reader, we recommend bringing an external battery to be safe. (The building does have Wifi.)
Think about how you want to display your work, including price information. It's common for people to bring items like a tablecloth, informational signs, business cards, etc.
We also recommend bringing a water bottle (there is a drinking fountain) and something to eat. A "be back soon" sign may be helpful for bathroom breaks!
If you make it clear in your application that you're applying as a group, you can share your space. We have room for a maximum of two people at a half table and four people at a full table.
However, tables are only six feet long, so we strongly encourage only one person per half table. If you want to table with a friend, we highly recommend applying separately and requesting to be sat together.
We do not allow exhibitors to share space with someone without our knowledge and approval. If you would like to inquire about sharing your table or selling your friend's zines, please contact us.
Fountain Street Church has Wifi, air conditioning, a drinking fountain, gendered bathrooms, and a gender-neutral bathroom. The space is ADA accessible, and our event has no religious affiliations.Tables and chairs are provided.
There is no specified parking for tablers or attendees, but there is plenty of street and ramp parking near the building. Check out all the parking available here.
The building does have air conditioning, but things tend to get warm with so many people in one space. It's an automated system, so we cannot control the AC. You may want to dress accordingly!
We will have an hour before and after the fest where you can check out other tables and chat with your fellow exhibitors. This is an increase from previous years! I anticipate that most people will check out other tables after the fest is closed to the public.
During the fest, people typically do one of the following:
1. Ask their neighbor to keep an eye on their table.
2. Have a friend attending the fest watch their table.
3. Have an organizer or volunteer watch their table.
4. Place a "be back soon" sign on their table.
Please contact us as soon as possible if you need to cancel. Table fees will be refunded up to two weeks before the event. Exhibitors who cancel after this period will not receive a refund.
We rely on table fees to fund our event, and it's extremely unlikely that we will be able to get someone to take your spot on such short notice.
If you have to cancel due to extreme circumstances, a refund may be possible.
Attendee FAQ
GRZF is a free event! If you'd like to support GRZF, you can make a donation at the info table on fest day. There is also GRZF merch at the info table for sale that helps support the fest. Or, you can donate anytime online on our Ko-fi.
A zine is a self-published magazine. Typically zines are created more out of the desire for self-expression and/or sharing information rather than profit. Usually, zines have limited printings and are relatively inexpensive. They often look like booklets and range from a few pages to dozens of pages.
Zines have a long history, which you can read more about here.
The Milwaulkee Zine Fest describes zines well, saying, "Zines can touch on a variety of topics from music and art, to politics, sexuality, humor and personal memoir. Their content may be written, drawn, printed, collaged, or any other form of combining words and imagery—a zine’s structure may be narrative, journalistic, comic-like, or completely abstract."
Want to make your own zine? Check out this guide.
We encourage you to bring cash if you're interested in buying zines! Some exhibitors will have card readers if you'd like to pay with credit or debit, but some people may only be accepting cash. Many vendors accept payment via services like Venmo and Cash App as well.
Zines typically cost anywhere from $1 to $15, with the average price being around $4 to $7. Large prints or other items may be $20+. We recommend that attendees bring smaller bills, like $5s and $1s.
All participants have to pass the safer spaces check and pay for their space at GRZF, so we do not allow attendees to sell or hand out their own zines to other attendees. Additionally, empty tables at the fest due to last-minute cancellations are not available for attendees to use. Even if your zine is free, you cannot leave it one a table or hand them out.
However, you are welcome to trade zines! Here are some trading etiquette tips:
-Every zinester is different when it comes to trading, so the best thing to do is ask! "Are you interested in trading?" Even if your zine is free, it's still important to give people the opportunity to say yes or no.
-Some folks will say no, some will say maybe, and others will say yes! Most often, people will be interested in trading with some parameters. They may only be interested in trading for genres they are interested in, certain zines they are selling, and so on. It's also okay for you to have similar parameters.
-Some folks wear buttons or have signs saying they are open to trading, and they may even list their trading preferences.
-It's good etiquette to offer trades for items around the same price. So, if you are trading a zine you would sell for $5, it's best to ask to trade for a zine around the same price range.
-If they aren't interested in trading or the trade doesn't quite work out, that's ok! It's always good to say thank you and keep it respectful.
To summarize, respectful trading is totally fine, but selling or handing out zines is not allowed as an attendee.
There is street parking available near Fountain Street Church, as well as parking ramps. Check out all the parking available here.
Grand Rapids also has a bus system if you'd prefer to take public transit.
We love and appreciate our sponsors! This year we are sponsored by The Center for Cartoon Studies, Issue Press, and Fountain Street Church.
Sponsors help us keep this event going every year. Their donations cover various operating costs such as printing, poster commissions, venue fees, and event insurance.
If you or your organization is interested in being a sponsor, please contact us!