• Project: Midway Music & Arts Festival (MMAF)
• Issuing Organization: Hamline Midway Coalition (HMC)
• Engagement Type: Independent Contractor (Form 1099)
• Total Project Budget Pool: $8,000 ($2,000 per role)
• Flexibility: Applicants may submit proposals for a single role or a combined package covering multiple roles. Proposals from collaborative teams or partnerships are highly encouraged, provided there is a single clear point of contact.

Festival Overview

The Inaugural Midway Music & Arts Festival, planned for October 2-4, 2026, will be a decentralized, neighborhood-wide event rooted in the Midway’s independent venues, creative communities, and DIY spirit. Rather than using a single central site, the festival activates multiple spaces across the commercial corridor through coordinated programming in music, performance, literature, film, visual arts, craft markets, and community engagement.

• Volunteer Integration: While the Festival Coordinator manages the overall volunteer infrastructure, all four leads will directly interface with, direct, and collaborate with the volunteers assigned to their specific spaces.

Independent Contractor Compliance (IRS & MN Rules)

To ensure strict compliance with IRS guidelines and Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) worker classification standards, these roles are structured exclusively for independent business entities, sole proprietors, LLCs, or formal partnerships.

By submitting a bid, contractors acknowledge and agree to the following framework:

• Behavioral Control: The contractor retains full autonomy over their methods, hours, and daily scheduling. HMC is concerned solely with the successful, timely, and professional end result.
• Equipment & Tools: The contractor must utilize their own tools, equipment, software, communication devices, and transportation.
• Business Status: Bidders must operate as an independent business offering services to the general public. A valid Form W-9 is required prior to contract execution.
• Payment Terms: In alignment with Minnesota state rules for non-employee contractors, compensation is paid strictly on a flat-fee, milestone-completed basis upon invoice submission.

 

Scopes of Work 

 

Role 1: Festival Coordinator

• Focus: Festival infrastructure, public relations, digital media, sponsorship fulfillment, and master volunteer management.
• Budget: Fixed project fee of $2,000
• Core Deliverables:
  • Leadership & Alignment: Provide general administrative oversight and maintain alignment across the three discipline leads (Performance, Literary, Visual Art).
  • Volunteer Management: Lead recruitment, training, orientation, and master scheduling for a database of 30–60 festival volunteers.
  • Sponsorships & Partners: Coordinate outreach to local businesses, manage agreements, and ensure all partner/sponsor logos are accurately represented across print and digital assets.
  • PR & Digital Media: Draft and distribute press releases to Twin Cities media outlets and neighborhood papers. Execute organic promotional campaigns across social media channels and the festival website.
  • Wayfinding & Mapping: Maintain the central digital/physical “Circuit Map” connecting all venues. Manage the main festival info hub and supervise the volunteer-led placement of physical street signage and posters.

 

Role 2: Performance Lead

• Focus: Venue logistics, curation, scheduling, and technical production for live music, dance, and comedy.
• Budget: Fixed project fee of $2,000
• Core Deliverables:
  • Venue Agreements: Finalize Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) and logistical arrangements with 5–10 participating independent venues.
  • Lineup Curation: Recruit, program, and schedule diverse performance lineups; assist participating venues that request booking support.
  • Performer Logistics: Act as the primary contact for booked artists to advance their technical specs, arrival schedules, and basic hospitality needs.
  • Production & Sound: Merge individual venue lineups into a single master festival schedule grid. Audit venue gear against production needs, coordinate shared DIY PA setups, and establish basic protocols to minimize sound bleed between close venues.
  • Volunteer Direction: Brief and guide the production/logistics volunteers assigned to live performance stages.

 

Role 3: Literary Lead

• Focus: Curation, venue layouts, and technical setups for text-based, cinematic, and theatrical arts.
• Budget: Fixed project fee of $2,000
• Core Deliverables:
  • Creative Curation: Recruit and schedule writers/poets for readings, theater groups for pop-up performances, and independent filmmakers for community screenings.
  • Space Design & Logistics: Coordinate with venues or outdoor spaces to design physical room layouts, seating arrangements, and audience flow.
  • Technical Asset Management: Coordinate the load-in, setup, and strike of shared AV assets needed for panels and screenings (projectors, screens, audio gear).
  • Copywriting: Draft clear, engaging descriptions of all literary and film sessions for the website and printed festival guides.
  • Volunteer Direction: Manage venue volunteers assigned to monitor panels, handle crowd flow, and assist with screening rooms.

 

Role 4: Visual Art & Vendor Lead

• Focus: Marketplace curation, artist exhibition layouts, vendor relations, and physical retail infrastructure.
• Budget: Fixed project fee of $2,000
• Core Deliverables:
  • Art Curation & Layout: Recruit local visual artists for pop-up galleries and temporary installations. Design and oversee the physical layout, hanging frameworks, and lighting for art displays.
  • Marketplace Curation: Lead the application, selection, and communication process for local craft vendors to ensure a diverse, high-quality market.
  • Vendor Logistics: Map out dedicated booth spaces and traffic flow within market areas. Act as the primary contact for vendors, managing operational guidelines and on-site load-in/load-out schedules.
  • Asset & Volunteer Management: Coordinate shared display assets (panels, panels, easels). Direct marketplace and gallery volunteers assisting with vendor check-in and public inquiries.

 

Milestone Schedule & Payment Terms

Payments are issued upon successful completion and invoicing of each phase. If a team or contractor is awarded a combination of roles, these milestones will be consolidated into a single unified contract.

Milestone	Deliverables & Phase Requirements	Payout %
1. The Kickoff	Fully executed contract, W-9 submission, and initial strategy alignment meeting.	20%
2. The Blueprint	Signed venue MOUs, active artist curation/rosters, or launched vendor applications and sponsor outreach.	30%
3. The Lock	Finalized master schedules, locked vendor/sponsor rosters, filled volunteer shifts, and print-ready signage.	30%
4. The Wrap	Successful delivery of festival operations and submission of a finalized post-mortem report.	20%

 

Proposal & Selection Process Anticipated Timeline

• RFP Release Date: June 23, 2026
• Deadline for Questions & Clarifications: June 27, 2026
• Proposal Submission Deadline: July 3, 2026 (by 5:00 PM CST)
• HMC Internal Review & Selection Period: July 3 – July 7, 2026
• Contract Awards & Project Kickoff: July 13, 2026 or 

This project is backed by funding intended to drive economic development along local commercial corridors. Where possible, preference will be given to proposals from businesses or individuals located within or adjacent to the Snelling and University Commercial Corridor, and/or that demonstrate an understanding of the Midway business community.

Hamline Midway Coalition is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and do not discriminate based on race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or socioeconomic status.

Submission Guidelines

Interested independent operators, creative agencies, or collaborative teams should submit a concise proposal to Lisa Nelson, HMC’s Executive Director, at director@hamlinemidway.org. The submission should include:

• Business Profile: Legal business name, entity structure (e.g., LLC, Sole Proprietor, Partnership), primary contact info, and a brief summary of relevant experience (event management, music booking, arts curation, marketing, or volunteer coordination).
• Team Structure (If applicable): Outline how workflow, responsibilities, and funds will be distributed internally among your partners.
• Role Selection: Clearly state which role(s) or custom combined package you are bidding on.
• Cost Proposal: State your flat-fee project bid for the selected scope (not to exceed the cumulative allocations of the combined roles).
• References: Provide 1–2 examples or professional references from independent contract work of a similar scale.