Aiken County, SC Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Duration cap
- 10 days per festival/fair permit
- Setback
- 500 ft from residential property line
- Parking plan
- Required with permit application
- Renewals
- Up to 2 per calendar year
- Removal
- Structures removed promptly after expiration
Summary
A festival, carnival, circus, fair, or outdoor concert in Aiken County needs a temporary use permit from the planning and development director before it can open. The event is capped at 10 days, must sit at least 500 feet from any residential property line, and the permit application must include a parking plan.
The planning and development director is authorized to issue a permit for temporary uses as specified in this section. No temporary use may be established without receiving such permit. ... (5)Festival, carnival, circus, fair or outdoor concert in any district where such activities are permitted for a period not to exceed ten (10) days provided:a.Said use shall be located no closer than five hundred (500) feet to any residential property line;b.The permit application shall be accompanied by a parking plan, showing the number of spaces and adequate ingress and egress to the site.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 119).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 1 authorizes the planning and development director to issue temporary use permits, and no temporary use, including a festival or fair, may operate without one. A permit can be renewed no more than twice within a calendar year, provided the event does not create traffic congestion or a nuisance, and the director can revoke it if it does. Sec. 2(5) sets the specific terms for a festival, carnival, circus, fair, or outdoor concert: it may run only in a district where the activity is otherwise permitted and only for up to 10 days, the site must be located no closer than 500 feet to any residential property line, and the permit application must be accompanied by a parking plan showing the number of spaces and adequate ingress and egress.
Sec. 3 then requires that the temporary structures and uses be removed promptly from the site once the permit expires, so tents, stages, or vendor booths cannot linger after the event's authorized window closes.
Violations & Fines
Running a festival or fair without a temporary use permit, exceeding the 10-day window, sitting closer than 500 feet to a residential property line, or failing to submit a parking plan violates Sec. 24-3.19.2(5). The planning and development director can revoke an active permit for traffic congestion or nuisance under Sec. 24-3.19.1, and failing to remove temporary structures promptly after the permit expires is a separate violation of Sec. 24-3.19.3.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a festival or fair run in Aiken County?
How close can a fair be to homes?
Can the county shut down a festival mid-run?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Aiken County
Compare Aiken County to another location·View the South Carolina special events & permits overview
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