Privacy Policy

Overview

Istanbul Cultural Center of Georgia ("we", "our", or "us") operates the Atlanta Turkish Food Festival website at turkishfoodfestga.com. This page explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the rights you have over your data.

Information We Collect

RSVP Form

When you submit the RSVP form, we collect the following information:

• Your full name
• Your email address
• Your phone number (optional)
• Number of guests in your party
• Which day(s) you are most likely to attend
• Which festival edition you signed up for, and the date you submitted the form

We may also use the email address you give us to tell you about changes to the festival dates, hours, or location.

Vendor Portal

Vendors who apply for a booth sign in with a Google account (we receive your name and email address from Google) and submit an application containing: business name, business website (optional), contact name, phone number, email address, product type, number of tents, electricity and table needs, any notes you add, and which festival edition you applied for. Applications are visible only to our administrators.

Analytics & Usage Data (only if you choose "Allow")

When you first visit, a banner asks whether we may enable analytics and error monitoring. Nothing in this section runs unless you choose Allow. If you choose Essential only, it stays off. You can change your choice at any time with the "Cookie settings" link in the footer.

With your permission we use Google Analytics (via Firebase) to understand how visitors use the site. It collects information such as:

• Pages visited and time spent on each page
• Approximate geographic location (city-level)
• Device type, browser, and operating system
• Referring website

We also keep our own simple, anonymous usage records in our database: daily counters (for example, how many times a menu item or the parking map was viewed each day, and whether the visitor was on a phone, tablet, or desktop) and individual entries noting the page viewed, the device category, and the time. These records carry no name, email, IP address, or account identifier, and do not identify you.

Error Monitoring (only if you choose "Allow")

With your permission we use Sentry to monitor and diagnose technical errors. When an error occurs, Sentry may collect information about your browser, the page URL, and a replay of the actions leading to the error. This helps us fix bugs quickly.

Bot Protection

To protect the RSVP form and our database from automated abuse, every page loads Google reCAPTCHA (through Firebase App Check). reCAPTCHA works in the background, may set a cookie, and evaluates signals such as your IP address and how you interact with the page. This is essential to running the site and does not depend on the analytics choice above. It is subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service linked below.

How We Use Your Information

• To plan for attendance at the festival and ensure adequate food, staff, parking, and shuttles
• To email RSVP contacts when the festival dates are confirmed and with essential festival updates (such as a postponement)
• To review vendor applications and contact applicants about them
• To improve the website experience based on anonymous usage data, if you allowed analytics
• To diagnose and fix technical issues, if you allowed error monitoring
• To protect the site and our database from spam and automated abuse

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes.

Data Storage & Security

RSVP and vendor application data is stored securely in Google Firebase (Firestore), which uses industry-standard encryption both in transit and at rest. Access is restricted to authorized administrators only, and every write is checked by Firebase App Check and database security rules.

We retain RSVP information until approximately 30 days after the 19th festival (rescheduled to October 17-18, 2026) ends, after which it is deleted. Vendor applications are kept for the festival season they apply to and deleted within 90 days after the event unless we need them for records of a booth agreement.

Cookies

Essential (always on) — cookies and similar technologies such as browser localStorage that the site needs to work:

• Your analytics choice from the consent banner ("Allow" or "Essential only")
• The time of your last RSVP, so the form cannot be submitted repeatedly within a minute
• Your language preference in the Vendor Portal
• Google sign-in session for vendors and administrators
• Google reCAPTCHA (bot protection, described above)
• Offline caching of pages by the site's service worker, so the site still opens with a poor connection

Optional (only after you choose "Allow") — Google Analytics cookies and Sentry error monitoring. Choosing "Essential only", or switching to it later via "Cookie settings" in the footer, turns these off.

You can also clear or block cookies in your browser settings, but some features of the site may not work correctly.

Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your personal information
• Withdraw your RSVP or vendor application at any time
• Ask us not to email you about the festival dates

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at the email below.

We extend these rights to everyone who uses the site. If you are a California resident, you may exercise your rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to know and delete your information; note that we do not sell or share personal information as those terms are defined under the CCPA. If you are in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, you may also exercise your rights under the GDPR/UK GDPR.

Children's Privacy

The festival is a family-friendly event and we welcome children. However, we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through the RSVP form. Parents or guardians should submit RSVPs on behalf of their children.

Third-Party Services

This website uses the following third-party services:

• Google Firebase (hosting, database, analytics, authentication) — Privacy Policy
• Sentry (error monitoring) — Privacy Policy
• Google Maps (directions to the venue) — Privacy Policy
• Google reCAPTCHA (bot protection via Firebase App Check) — Privacy Policy and Terms of Service
• Google Forms (the optional post-event feedback survey on our Feedback page; responses are processed by Google) — Privacy Policy

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page will reflect the most recent revision.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this privacy policy or wish to exercise any of your rights, contact us at: