1. Overview
This Privacy Policy explains what information the San Diego Mega Desi Mela & Food Festival ("we", "us", "our") collects through this website (the "Site"), how we use it, and what choices you have. We respect your privacy and only collect what we need to plan and run the festival.
2. Information We Collect
2.1 Information you give us directly
When you fill out a form on the Site, we collect the information you choose to provide. Depending on the form, this may include:
- Vendor application: business name, contact person, email, phone, vendor category, products/services, booth size, business license number, social/website link, special requirements
- Sponsor application: company name, contact person, email, phone, sponsorship tier, approximate budget, website, description of company, partnership ideas
- Volunteer sign-up: full name, email, phone, age group, availability, preferred area, t-shirt size, languages spoken, previous experience, notes
- Community partner application: organization name, contact person, email, phone, organization type, website, description, and optionally an uploaded logo image
- Contact message: name, email, subject, message
2.2 Information collected automatically
- Our hosting provider (Netlify) may log standard request data such as IP address, user agent, referrer, and pages visited, for security and operational purposes.
- The Site uses your browser's local storage to remember festival content (so it loads instantly on repeat visits). We do not use third-party advertising cookies or tracking pixels.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information you provide for the following purposes:
- To review and respond to applications, sign-ups, and enquiries
- To send shift information, booth details, or partnership materials if you sign up
- To answer your contact messages
- To publish accepted community partner listings on the Site (with the organization details and logo you submit)
- To improve the Site and the festival
- To meet legal, safety, or regulatory obligations
We do not sell your personal information. We do not use it for unrelated marketing.
4. Who We Share Information With
We share information only with:
- Festival staff and authorized volunteers who help process applications and run the event
- Our service providers who help us operate the Site (Netlify Forms for receiving form submissions; Firebase for storing site content, if enabled) — these providers process the data on our behalf and are bound by their own privacy commitments
- Authorities when required by law, court order, or to protect safety
5. Logos and Uploaded Images
If you upload a logo or image through the community partners form, the image is stored as part of your application. If your application is approved, the image will be displayed publicly on the Site to identify your organization. You confirm you own the rights to any image you upload.
6. Data Retention
We retain application submissions for the duration of the event planning cycle and for up to one year afterward for record-keeping. Volunteer information is retained through the end of the event week. You may request earlier deletion at any time (see "Your Rights" below).
7. Your Rights
Subject to applicable law, you may:
- Ask what information we hold about you
- Request correction of inaccurate information
- Request deletion of your information
- Withdraw consent for future communications
- Object to certain processing
To exercise any of these rights, email hello@sandiegodesimela.com with your request. We will respond within 30 days.
California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to know and the right to opt out of any sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information).
8. Children's Privacy
The Site is intended for general audiences. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us and we will delete it.
Volunteer applications for ages 13–17 require parent/guardian consent, which we will confirm before assigning a shift.
9. Security
We take reasonable technical and organizational steps to protect the information you submit, including:
- HTTPS encryption for all pages
- Encrypted storage with our service providers
- Restricted admin access protected by password (and Firebase Auth where enabled)
No system is 100% secure. We will notify you if a security incident affects your information, as required by law.
10. Cookies & Browser Storage
The Site uses your browser's local storage to cache festival content for fast loading. We do not use advertising or analytics cookies. If you clear your browser data, the cached content is removed and re-fetched on your next visit.
11. Third-Party Links
The Site links to vendor, sponsor, and community partner websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those third-party sites. Review their privacy policies before sharing personal information.
12. International Visitors
The Site is operated from the United States. If you visit from outside the U.S., your information will be transferred to and processed in the U.S., which may have different data-protection laws than your country.
13. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. Significant changes will be highlighted on the Site.
14. Contact
For privacy questions or requests, email hello@sandiegodesimela.com, or write to:
San Diego Mega Desi Mela & Food Festival
Attn: Privacy
San Diego, CA