Cathedral City, CA Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)

Chapter 5.36 of the Cathedral City Municipal Code, Novelty Sales at Special Events, is the city's own rule for vendors working crowds at public events in Cathedral City, Riverside County. Section 5.36.010 covers any novelty, such as a souvenir, balloon, trinket or other small nonedible item, sold at any special event open to the general public, such as a parade, rodeo, sports event or holiday celebration gathering. The seller needs a permit from the city manager first.

The eligibility screen is narrow. Permits are issued only to locally based organizations that the city manager finds to qualify as charitable organizations tax-exempt under Revenue and Taxation Code Section 23701d, and that will contribute the total net proceeds of the novelty sales to local philanthropic, charitable or educational purposes. No fee is charged for the permit. A for-profit seller does not fit that description.

Other parts of the code touch event vending. Section 5.98.140(A) bars sidewalk vending within three hundred feet of a permitted event during the event's duration or operating hours, and it counts certified farmers' markets, swap meets, and any event needing an encroachment permit, special event permit, or temporary use permit. Section 5.98.140(C) prohibits sidewalk vending between dusk and dawn. Under Section 5.48.020(B), peddlers are exempt from the peddler chapter when participating in an event under a special events permit, street closure permit, or other permit specifically authorizing the activity. The zoning code's definition of a swap meet, a use with stalls for more than five independent vendors, expressly includes street fairs, public fairs and farmer's markets.