Bethlehem, PA Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- Department of Public Works
- Permit fee
- No cost for sanctioned events
- Vendor license issuer
- Community and Economic Development Dept.
- Vendor insurance
- $1,000,000 liability, City as additional insured
- Max fine
- $300 per violation
- Max jail
- 90 days if fine unpaid
Summary
Any municipally sponsored or sanctioned event occupying a Bethlehem street, sidewalk or right-of-way needs a permit from the Department of Public Works before setup. The permit is free, but organizers must follow whatever conditions and rules DPW attaches to the event.
For all Municipal Sponsored or Sanctioned Events that occupy the right-of-way a permit to operate within the portion of the right-of-way occupied by the event must be obtained at no cost from the Department of Public Works, subject to conditions, rules, and regulations, if any, attached by the Department of Public Works.
Full Breakdown
Bethlehem regulates festivals and street fairs through Codified Ordinances Article 721, the same chapter that governs sidewalk vendors, sidewalk sales and outdoor dining. 07 requires that for all Municipal Sponsored or Sanctioned Events occupying the right-of-way, organizers obtain a permit to operate within the portion of the right-of-way used by the event. Unlike the commercial permits elsewhere in Article 721, this permit carries no fee, but it is issued subject to whatever conditions, rules and regulations the Department of Public Works attaches. 06 bars ordinary sidewalk sales and outdoor dining from operating during a Municipal Sponsored or Sanctioned Event unless DPW separately permits that activity to continue.
00 permit fee for the everyday sidewalk-sale and outdoor-dining uses it is displacing, which shows how the free event permit interacts with existing right-of-way users. 05, administered by the Community and Economic Development Department, which requires a license application, proof of a commercial zoning location, a $1,000,000 liability policy naming the City as additional insured, and background checks for anyone selling on the premises. Organizers should apply to DPW with enough lead time for staff to review street-closure and safety conditions before the event date.
Violations & Fines
Operating a street fair or festival in the right-of-way without the Section 721.07 permit, or violating the conditions attached to one, is enforced under Section 721.99: a fine of not more than $300.00 per separate violation plus costs, or up to 90 days imprisonment if the fine and costs go unpaid. Each day of unpermitted use after notice of violation is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Bethlehem charge a fee for a street fair permit?
Can sidewalk vendors keep selling during a street fair?
What happens if an organizer runs an event without the required permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bethlehem
Compare Bethlehem to another location·View the Pennsylvania special events & permits overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.