ALBANY, N.Y. (WRGB) — Fairs and markets can go on for days or even weeks, connecting vendors with consumers from all over. There’s a lot of preparation that goes into these events and not everything goes as promised. After the Odditorium Carnival never came to Ballston Spa this June, here’s some legal advice for vendors.
Anthony Kuhn, Managing Partner, Tully Rinckey: “Did the town approve it? Are all of the insurances in place? If there’s going to be food, has the health department approved that event already? You want to ask these questions and get confirmation that all of those things are already approved before you make a large deposit or pay a large sum of money to the event organizer.”
The Village of Ballston Spa says the 2026 Odditorium Carnival was not approved because of those requirements being missing to name a few, leaving more than 100 vendors without an event. One woodworker says he paid his deposit and demanded a refund from Jeff Mach, the organizer.
Billy Wooster, Woodworker: “He claims he’s got these terms and conditions where there’s no refunds and all that stuff. But I didn’t get any contracts. Anything. You know, I did a little application and then I got sent a link to pay and I paid.”
Billy Wooster says he was denied a refund for months but now Mach is offering them to affected vendors from the upcoming Catskills Free Halloween Market & Festival’s money.
Kuhn said, “In the event that there is some cancellation for some reason, that should be outlined in the agreement as well. If it is the fault of the event organizer, then an individual, a vendor, should be entitled to 100% of their deposit.”
Vendors may also be entitled to additional expenses such as travel and other event-related purchases.
Jeff Mach, Imagination Nation, Inc.: “In the past 30 years, we’ve actually never had a cancellation like this. For example, I’ve had experimental events like the Wild Wicked Woods from a good 10 years ago that we decided not to go forward with. We weren’t getting enough response.”
But in 2024, reports independent journalist Cassandra Yorgey: “The Wicked World’s Fair in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, that did occur, and there was a very public vendor meeting confronting Mach about how everything went down and how they were scammed out of money and what Mach chose to do with their funds.”
Yorgey has been covering Mach’s events since 2009 and along with vendors out of their deposits, does not support the upcoming Halloween Market.
Some venues partner with organizers to host events. I reached out to Blackthorne Resort, where the Catskills Free Halloween Market & Festival will take place in October. An employee told me over the phone that vendors have nothing to do with the Blackthorne.
