Bozeman, MT Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)

The Bozeman Municipal Code does not use the term street fair. Downtown festivals and fairs run through § 34.05.130 of Chapter 34, which lets the director of transportation and engineering issue a temporary permit for special or temporary events in the downtown business district, naming Crazy Days, Taste of Bozeman and Music on Main. Section 34.05.020 defines a special event as any occasion including fairs, shows, exhibitions, city-wide celebrations and festivals within a specifically defined area of the city. The director can waive any Article 5 requirement that the director considers inapplicable and allow alternative provisions consistent with the article's purposes.

The downtown business district means the B-3 zoning district areas on or between the north side of Lamme Street and the south side of Olive Street and on or between the east side of Broadway Avenue and the west side of 3rd Avenue. Vendors operating there use the city sidewalk as provided in the article (§ 34.05.040). Anyone selling food or beverages must give the city a copy of a food purveyor's license or an approval statement from the Gallatin City-County Health Department (§ 34.05.090).

Vendors must keep the sidewalks, roadways and adjacent spaces free of paper, peelings and refuse from the business, and food vendors must provide a marked litter receptacle, empty it regularly, and leave the area thoroughly clean when operations stop for the day (§ 34.05.120). Where a fair is large enough to be a public assembly or parade, Article 8 applies too. Section 34.08.060 approves events whose primary purpose is to advertise or promote products, goods or services, or that are primarily for private profit, only if the public facility is not otherwise needed for public purposes and all direct and indirect city costs are reimbursed in full by the sponsor.

Participant fees can be charged if noted on the application and approved by the city manager, and the only signs permitted on city property are those identifying organizations or sponsors furnishing exhibits or structures.