Battle Creek, MI Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)

Chapter 815 treats a fair, festival, show, celebration or special promotion as a special event, and § 815.03(a) requires a permit before anyone promotes, advertises or holds one upon any City street, park, or public area. Sections 815.05 and 815.06 then set the conditions that follow the permit into the street.

Under § 815.05(a) the permit is issued for a period to be established by the city, and permits are not renewable, so an annual street fair applies again each year. Under § 815.05(b) the permit is non-transferrable and non-assignable; a sponsor cannot hand its approval to another organization. Under § 815.05(c) the permit can include reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions as a condition of approval when they are reasonable and necessary for the protection of the public health, safety and welfare, and it can require a liability insurance policy as prescribed in Section 802.24.

Section 815.06 controls vendors. No solicitations or sales can be made or permitted in the designated special event area during an approved special event unless an additional permit fee, if required, is paid to the organization sponsoring the special event. The fee goes to the sponsor, not to the City, and the section caps it: it can never be greater than the fee charged other participants of a like class. A food booth cannot be charged more than another food booth, and a craft table cannot be charged more than another craft table.

The approval process sits with the City Clerk. Applications are due not less than thirty days in advance (§ 815.04(b)), must include a plat or map of the proposed area with any barricade, street route plans or perimeter and security fencing (§ 815.04(a)(8)), and are circulated to city departments before the Clerk approves, approves with conditions or denies in writing (§ 815.04(c)). The Clerk weighs possible excessive noise, unusual litter, damage to city property and consumer protection. City permit fees are set under § 815.07 in the schedule provided for in § 802.24, and the permit is in addition to any other permit required by another agency, state law or local ordinance.