Columbus, IN Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)

Chapter 5.04 of the Columbus Municipal Code makes it unlawful to hold a public gathering in the City of Columbus, Indiana without first obtaining a license. Section 5.04.020(C) defines a public gathering as an event on property owned or controlled by the city or its agencies and not sponsored by the city, and the list begins with a carnival, a circus and a street fair. It also covers like fairs with acrobats or clowns, demonstrations, fairs with rides, games and refreshments run as a commercial enterprise, conventions, sporting events, exhibitions, musical or theatrical performances, and other like activities where the public is expected to gather.

The organizer files a written sworn application with the city clerk. Under § 5.04.040(D) it names the people managing the event, describes the event and its attractions, gives the places and length of time, lists other gatherings run in the previous six months, describes goods or services offered, lists whoever sublets concession space, attaches copies of all advertising, and states that the event will comply with Indiana law and city ordinances. It also discloses whether managers have criminal or municipal-ordinance convictions.

The Board of Public Works and Safety sets the license term, for no term greater than one year, and licenses expire on December 31st. For a public gathering the fee is fifty dollars for each day, should the Board so direct, plus all reasonable expenses the city incurs for police protection or other services needed to insure an orderly gathering.

Vendors who sell on the street are licensed under the same chapter at seventy-five dollars per license per year. Under § 5.04.070, licensees cannot sell within five hundred feet of a public or parochial school, public park or public playground, cannot sell on Central Avenue, Washington Street, Jackson Street, Brown Street, Eighth, Eleventh, Sixteenth or Twenty-Second Street, cannot stay in one block on a public street or sidewalk longer than one hour, and cannot sell by outcry, bells or music.

Events inside the Downtown Columbus Social District add a layer: a beer, wine, catering or craft manufacturer permit holder must submit a special event permit application and a state designated outdoor refreshment area form each time, and the Board decides whether to approve the vendor for one of the ten numbered vendor locations in § 5.30.080.