Apply to Participate
We are so excited that you're interested in participating in Here is How 2026!
Please read the following Guidelines and Criteria before filling out your application at the bottom of the page.
Informacion en español AQUI
The Basics
Rather than charging traditional booth fees, HERE IS HOW replaces financial barriers with a shared exchange of practical knowledge.
To make this work, we ask that all selected participants agree to the following:
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Custom "How-To" Pages: Every participating entity contributes a printed page teaching a practical skill or service representing their core mission (e.g., How to Mend a Hem, How to Find a Patient Advocate, or How to Start a Coalition).
How Distribution Works
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Tables/Booths: Distribute your "How-To" pages directly from your table or space.
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Performers, Food Vendors: Leave your pages at our central book-binding station for distribution.
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Remote Participants: We'll print out and have QR codes and other communications pointing folks to the digital archive during the event.
If you need help developing an idea for your "How To" page, apparatus is happy to support you.
Timeline
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Application Deadline: September 14th, 2026
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Notification Deadline: on or before September 20th, 2026
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"How To" Page Deadline: October 7th, 2026 (please submit a digital file ahead of time so we can feature it on our website and archive!)
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Event Load-in: October 17th, 2026 | 12:00pm - 2:00pm
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Event Breakdown: October 17th, 2026 | 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Selection Criteria and Equity Guidelines
To ensure the festival remains rooted in informal mutual aid and grassroots organizing, participant selection follows these guidelines:
All participating individuals, entities, and organizations must be located or actively operating within New Mexico.
Who Can Apply
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Grassroots Organizers & Mutual Aid Networks: Unincorporated collectives, tenant unions, civic advocates, book clubs, mutual aid networks, and neighborhood stewards focused on skill-sharing, community engagement, and collective action.
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Makers, Artisans, Crafters & DIY Creators: Builders, woodworkers, textile crafters, menders, repair technicians, and practical creators seeking an accessible platform to share their trade, craft, or hands-on techniques with neighbors.
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Artists, Cultural Workers & Visual Storytellers: Painters, printmakers, sculptors, underrepresented voices, and multidisciplinary practitioners looking for an accessible space that prioritizes community connection over commercial sales.
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Buskers, Musicians & Street Performers: Acoustic musicians, street theater acts, buskers, dancers, and ambient artists looking to activate the All Trades Road street footprint with live performances and creative energy.
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Educators, Mentors & Youth Organizers: Teachers, skill-sharers, student groups, and literacy champions passionate about democratizing knowledge and making practical learning engaging and accessible for all ages.
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Caretakers, Healers & Mutual Care Practitioners: Patient advocates, community health workers, herbalists, wellness practitioners, and care workers offering practical tools for physical, mental, and collective well-being.
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Urban Farmers, Gardeners & Environmental Stewards: Seed savers, composters, home gardeners, and climate resilience advocates eager to share sustainability practices, plant care, and food sovereignty skills.
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Food Vendors & Culinary Creators: Local cooks, bakers, and food pop-ups bringing neighbors together over shared food while practicing reciprocal, community-centered distribution.
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Everyday Neighbors & Unofficial Collectives: Community members and informal groups who have a practical skill, hobby, trade, or actionable knowledge set they want to share.
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Mission-Aligned Small Businesses & Cooperatives: Worker-owned cooperatives, ethical local vendors, and community-based organizations that actively practice reciprocity and non-extractive support.
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Non-Profit Organizations Formal 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations are welcome to apply; however, priority is intentionally given to individuals, independent makers, and unincorporated groups. This reserves available spaces for informal mutual aid networks and neighbors who lack institutional backing.
Surprise Us!
Have a unique skill, interactive concept, or community resource that doesn't fit into the categories above? We want to hear about it! Whether it is a mobile bicycle repair booth, a live oral history station, a seed swap, or an idea we haven't even dreamed up yet—if it fosters collective care, learning, and neighborly connection, submit your application and pitch us your idea
Who Is Not Invited to Apply
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Corporate entities, commercial brands, and state agencies: We intentionally reserve this platform for groups centered on mutual care, democratized knowledge, and grassroots reciprocity. Outright corporate marketing, direct sales pitches, political campaigning, and traditional fundraising are prohibited.
We are here to build real community connections, not client lists.
Sorry, not sorry.
Other Criteria & Expectations
To preserve the safety, integrity, and radical hospitality of apparatus and RELAY Santa Fe, all participants, partners, and patrons must actively align with the core principles that govern our footprint.
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Community Over Profit: Engagement within our space must prioritize mutual benefit, shared learning, and solidarity over commercial extraction, direct sales pitches, or corporate lead generation.
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Commitment to Cultural Plurality: We maintain zero tolerance for discrimination, harassment, bigotry, or oppressive behavior. Everyone who enters must respect, protect, and uplift the diverse identities, cultural traditions, and lived experiences that intersect within our shared space.
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Active Participation & Generosity: Our platform thrives on genuine reciprocity. Whether through skill-sharing, artistic contribution, volunteer effort, or respectful presence, everyone in the space is welcomed to engage as an active co-creator rather than a passive consumer.