Bloomfield, NJ Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)

Section 408-16 of the Bloomfield Township Code applies to a vendor operating at a special event, party, fair, festival or movie production where there will be a food vehicle. The section states an exception for Township-organized and -sponsored special events, which § 408-16.1 handles separately. Other vendors are required to comply with Article II of Chapter 408, but in place of the full licenses the Township Clerk can issue a permit for one day to three days, subject to the approval of the Township Administrator, upon payment of a fee of $100 to the Township Clerk.

Timing is fixed. The application must be filed no later than two weeks before the event. Applications made less than two weeks before the event can be accepted up to the day of the event at the discretion of the Township Administrator, and a late service fee can be charged that does not exceed double the standard fee. The last sentence of the section is categorical: in no case can a food vehicle operate without approval by the Township Administrator.

Section 408-16.1, added 3-22-2021 by Ord. No. 21-7, covers a vendor at a Township-organized and -sponsored special event, including Bloomfield Center Alliance sponsored events. That vendor is also required to comply with Article II. Permits for one day to three days can be issued by the Township, applications are due no later than two weeks before the event, and later applications can be accepted up to the day of the event at the Township Administrator's discretion. The printed text of § 408-16.1 sets no fee.

Because the vendor must comply with the article, the day-to-day rules of § 408-12.1 still apply: food and drinks can only be sold between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., and each establishment places a trash can of adequate size and a recycle can near its location. A vendor selling in a park also needs written permission from the Director of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs under § 399-5, and § 399-4 requires the same written permission for any booth, stand or other structure placed in a park.