HOPEFEST 2026
A Season of Hope
Saturday, November 14 at the Benton County Fairgrounds
HOPEFEST Reindeer Run 5K
Every Step Brings Hope.
Saturday, November 14, 2026 | 8:00 AM
Benton County Fairgrounds
Kick off Hopefest: A Season of Hope with the Reindeer Run 5K!
Run it. Walk it. Jingle your way through it. Whether you're chasing a personal best or simply coming out to support a cause that matters, every step helps Vision of Hope bring support, resources, and hope to local cancer patients and their families.
RUN FOR SOMETHING BIGGER.
Come by yourself, bring your family, grab some friends, or run in honor or memory of someone you love.
After you cross the finish line, stick around for the rest of Hopefest: A Season of Hope — including the Christmas Market, Chili Cook-Off, Team Reindeer Games, raffles, and more.
Registration is not complete until payment has been received.
$30 REGISTRATION
Your registration includes an official Hopefest Reindeer Run 5K T-shirt.
Deadline November 1 to guarantee your T-shirt.
FOOD TRUCKS AT HOPEFEST
FOOD TRUCK DETAILS
Vendor Fee: $75
Setup Begins: 9:30 AM
Ready to Serve: By 11:00 AM
Food truck spaces are limited, and applications are not accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Our Hopefest team will review applications and select vendors based on menu variety, space requirements, and overall event needs.
Submitting an application does not guarantee acceptance.
If selected, you will receive an acceptance email with payment instructions and additional setup information. Your space is not secured until the $75 vendor fee has been received.
INTERESTED IN JOINING US?
Bring your best menu, your crew, and your holiday spirit—we'd love to hear from you.
Come Hungry. Stay for the Hope.
Hopefest wouldn't be complete without great food!
We're inviting a limited number of food trucks and mobile food vendors to join us for Hopefest: A Season of Hope on Saturday, November 14, 2026 at the Benton County Fairgrounds.
Food vendors will be selected to help provide a good variety of food and beverage options throughout the event.
HOPEFEST CHRISTMAS MARKET
Shop Local. Give Hope.
We're bringing together local makers, artisans, boutiques, small businesses, and specialty vendors for the Hopefest Christmas Market!
Join us on Saturday, November 14, 2026 at the Benton County Fairgrounds for a festive day of shopping, community, and Christmas spirit—all while supporting Vision of Hope Cancer Foundation and local cancer patients and families.
BECOME A CHRISTMAS MARKET VENDOR
Have something special to offer? We'd love to hear from you!
Vendor Booth Fee: $50
Standard Booth Space: Approximately 10' × 10'
We're looking for vendors offering quality products such as:
Handmade Goods • Christmas & Holiday Items • Clothing & Accessories • Jewelry • Home Décor • Art • Candles • Bath & Body • Children's Items • Specialty Foods • Boutique Merchandise • Unique Gifts & More
READY TO JOIN US?
Submitting an application does not guarantee acceptance. Once applications are reviewed, we'll contact each applicant to let them know whether they've been approved.
Approved vendors will receive instructions for submitting the $50 booth fee, along with setup and event information. Your space is not officially reserved until payment is received.
A CURATED CHRISTMAS MARKET
Our goal is to create a beautiful, festive Christmas Market experience—not a flea market or yard sale.
Vendors should offer quality products or merchandise appropriate for a community holiday market. Booths should be neat, attractive, and thoughtfully presented, and we encourage vendors to add a little Christmas spirit to their displays!
Yard-sale items, used household goods, and miscellaneous flea-market-style merchandise will not be accepted.
Vendor applications will be reviewed based on product type, quality, presentation, variety, and overall fit with Hopefest. Applications are not approved on a first-come, first-served basis, allowing us to create a diverse shopping experience and limit excessive duplication of similar vendors.
TEAM OF HOPE
Raise Hope. Build Community. Make a Difference.
Bring your people together and be part of one of the most meaningful—and most fun—parts of Hopefest.
A Team of Hope can be made up of family, friends, coworkers, church members, students, community groups, or anyone who wants to come together for a cause that matters. There is no limit to the number of people on your team.
Each team chooses a Team Captain who serves as the main point of contact for Hopefest.
WHAT DOES A TEAM OF HOPE DO?
Teams spend the weeks leading up to Hopefest raising money for Vision of Hope Cancer Foundation and the local cancer patients and families we serve.
Then on Hopefest day, teams come together for a full day of Christmas-themed challenges, friendly competition, creativity, and community.
There is no minimum fundraising requirement and no fee to register a Team of Hope.
YOUR TEAM TENT CAN RAISE HOPE TOO
Teams may also use their Team Tent to continue fundraising during Hopefest.
Offer a game, activity, treat, craft, item for sale, donation opportunity, or another creative fundraiser that fits your team.
All money raised can count toward your team's fundraising total.
We'll provide guidelines before Hopefest for anything being sold, served, or offered from team spaces.
WHO WILL BECOME THE TEAM OF HOPE CHAMPION?
Points earned throughout the day will be added together to determine the Hopefest Team of Hope Champion.
We'll also recognize the Top Fundraising Team for raising the most money for Vision of Hope.
In the event of a tie in total challenge points, the team that raised the most money will win the tiebreaker.
READY TO BUILD YOUR TEAM?
Pick your team name. Choose your captain. Gather your people. Start raising hope.
THE TEAM OF HOPE CHALLENGE
Throughout Hopefest, teams earn points through fundraising, participation, and competition.
Challenges include:
Fundraising Challenge
Raise as much as you can leading up to Hopefest. Teams will be ranked by total funds raised, with points awarded to the top finishers.
Grinch Scavenger Hunt
Work together to solve clues, find hidden items, and complete Christmas-themed challenges around Hopefest.
Christmas Tree Decorating Challenge
Put your creativity to work and transform your team tree into something festive, meaningful, funny, or completely original.
Ugly Christmas Sweater Pageant
Each team may choose one person to represent them in the pageant. The more outrageous, festive, creative, and ridiculous, the better.
Team Tent Decorating Contest
Turn your Team of Hope home base into part of the Christmas experience. Decorate it, show off your team personality, and compete for points.
Team Hope Walk
Throughout the designated Hope Walk time, each Team of Hope must keep at least one team member walking at all times. Team members may rotate as often as they like.
The goal is not speed or distance. The goal is to keep hope moving.
Chili Cook-Off
Cook Up Hope. Serve With Purpose.
Think your chili has what it takes?
Join us for the Hopefest Chili Cook-Off during Hopefest: A Season of Hope on Saturday, November 14, 2026 at the Benton County Fairgrounds.
This is a tasting competition, not a full meal, and it's all for a great cause.
HOW IT WORKS
There is no fee to enter.
Each participant brings their best chili and serves small tasting portions to Hopefest guests.
Guests purchase $1 voting tickets and use those tickets to vote for their favorite chili.
One ticket = one vote.
There is no limit to the number of voting tickets a guest may purchase, and all voting proceeds benefit Vision of Hope Cancer Foundation and the local cancer patients and families we serve.
WHAT PARTICIPANTS NEED TO KNOW
Each entrant should plan to bring a minimum of 3 gallons of chili for tasting. More is welcome and encouraged.
Hopefest will provide small tasting cups and voting materials.
Participants are responsible for:
Bringing chili ready to serve
Keeping chili at a safe serving temperature
Providing serving utensils and any needed warming equipment
Clearly labeling their chili for guests
Each chili station should display:
Chili Name
Type/Style of Chili
Spice Level
Major Ingredients or Common Allergens
Participants will also receive a chili number to help make voting simple and organized.
READY TO ENTER?
Bring your best recipe, give it a great name, and get ready to cook up some hope. There is NO FEE to enter.
CHILI COOK-OFF SCHEDULE
Tasting & Voting Opens: 11:30 AM
Voting Closes: 3:30 PM
Winner Announced: 5:00 PM
BECOME A HOPEFEST SPONSOR
Help Us Light the Way.
Hopefest: A Season of Hope is more than a community event. It's a day designed to bring people together, celebrate hope, and raise funds to support local individuals and families affected by cancer.
Your sponsorship helps make Hopefest possible while allowing Vision of Hope Cancer Foundation to continue providing support and resources right here in our community.
Whether you're a local business, organization, church, family, or individual, we invite you to help us make this first Hopefest something special.
YOUR SUPPORT STAYS LOCAL.
Funds raised through Hopefest benefit Vision of Hope Cancer Foundation and our mission to support individuals and families in our local communities affected by cancer.
Every sponsor becomes part of something bigger—neighbors helping neighbors and a community choosing to give hope.
CHOOSE YOUR SPONSORSHIP LEVEL
$1000 - Beacon of Hope
$500 - Light of Hope
$250 - Spark of Hope
Sponsorship Deadline: October 30
Schedule of Events
