The KAF Foundation presents
UNDER DOG
Cultural Arts Festival · Year 1
The event
A free cultural arts festival at Heartwood Soundstage, bringing under-represented creatives and community builders across North Central Florida into the same space. Hosted by The KAF Foundation.
Family-friendly. Open to everyone.
Why "UNDER DOG"
It's for the people who don't usually get the platform, the room, or the audience.
U is for us.
Giving back
Half of what UNDER DOG raises goes to Caring & Sharing Learning School in Gainesville: 50% of vendor fees, food truck fees, sponsorships, and donations.
Every underdog is the superhero of their own story.
One night. All of it running 6 to 10.
- Vendor marketArt, crafts, and goods from local and regional vendors.
- Food trucksOn site all night.
- Interactive stationsHands-on, led by local creatives and our partners.
- Artist performancesLive music and scheduled sets on the main stage.
- And moreMore to come.
What you need to know.
- Date
- Friday, December 18, 2026
- Time
- 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM
- Place
- Heartwood Soundstage, Gainesville, FLOutdoors, after dark.
- Admission
- Free for the general publicAn RSVP helps us plan for the crowd.
- Who it's for
- Everyone. Family-friendly.
- Questions
- info@kaffoundation.org
Sell, serve, perform, or lead a station.
Open to creatives and community builders across North Central Florida, not just Gainesville. Apply here on the site. If you're accepted, we email you a payment link. Half of every vendor and food truck fee goes to Caring & Sharing Learning School.
Vendors
$30early bird for vendors who apply by Oct 31 ($20 youth vendors under 18) · then $90, $40 youth vendors under 18
Booth space in the vendor market for your art, crafts, or goods.
Apply as a VendorFood Trucks
$100up front if you apply by Oct 31 · then $150 · plus 10% of that night's sales
Vendor space on site for the full event.
Apply as a Food TruckInteractive Stations
Freeno fee to host a station
For creatives and organizations with something hands-on to bring: a table where people make, try, or take part in something. Bring your own tent or canopy and supplies.
Apply to Lead a StationApplications close Friday, December 4, 2026.
Sponsored in part by Visit Gainesville, Alachua County.
Back the festival.
Three ways for a business or organization to stand behind a free community event and the youth helping build it. Half of every sponsorship goes to Caring & Sharing Learning School in Gainesville.
Community
$100
- Logo on the event flier
- Named in our sponsor thank-you posts, before and after the event
- Shoutout from the stage
Creative
$250
- Everything in Community
- Your own stand or backdrop displayed on site, at a spot we assign
- A dedicated thank-you post on Instagram and Facebook
- A small info table on site, if space allows
Founding
$750
- Everything in Creative
- Your stand or backdrop at a premium spot near the main stage
- Named as a founding sponsor in all press and promotional materials
- A thank-you feature in our event recap
The KAF Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, so sponsorships are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Creative and Founding include an info table with an estimated fair market value of $50, so the deductible amount is $200 for Creative and $700 for Founding. Decline the table in writing and the full amount is deductible. Sponsors bring their own stand or backdrop.
Help us build it.
Festival helpers sign up through the KAF Ambassador Portal. There are two teams. Open each one to see what it does. These are volunteer roles, and you take on as much or as little as fits your schedule.
Graphic Design TeamBuilds everything the public sees: the logo, the flier, the posts, the signs.
- Graphic designFlyers, social posts, signs.
- IllustrationCharacter art, stickers, icons, hand-drawn pieces.
- PhotographyArtist portraits before the festival, and the day itself.
- Video and editingPromo Reels, behind-the-scenes clips, the recap.
- Writing and captionsCaptions, artist features, announcements.
Event Planning CommitteeHelps plan the festival and run the night, working alongside Kione Forrest, who leads the planning.
- Before the festival
- Vendors and sponsorsHelp reach out to vendors, food trucks, and sponsors.
- Talent and performersHelp find acts and build the stage lineup.
- Marketing and social mediaHelp spread the word: posts, press, and outreach to clubs, schools, and businesses.
- General committee memberHelp wherever planning needs a hand.
- Festival night · December 18
- Check-in tableCheck in vendors, food trucks, and volunteers.
- Vendor and booth supportHelp vendors find their booth, unload, and get what they need.
- Run-of-show helpGet each act to the stage on time and keep the night moving.
- Setup and breakdown crewBefore doors and after close. Build the site from 5:00 PM and take it down after 10:00 PM.
- 1. Sign upCreate an Ambassador Portal account and check the UNDER DOG box. It takes a few minutes.
- 2. Quick callKAF reaches out to set up a 15-minute call and find where you fit.
- 3. Get to workFestival updates and ways to help show up in your portal and your email.