Cowlitz County, WA Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)

030 makes it unlawful to "allow, conduct, hold, maintain, permit or participate in a music festival, without the limits of incorporated cities or towns in Cowlitz County" without a valid permit, and a separate permit is required for each event. 020 defines a "music festival" as an outdoor musical entertainment or assembly running 8 or more hours in a single day, or 12-plus hours across two or more consecutive days, that draws or is expected to draw 1,000 or more people. 040, must be filed 45 to 180 days before the first day of the event, and must include a $2,500 permit fee, organizer identification, a legal description of the site, and the owner's verified consent if different from the applicant.

070 requires organizers to satisfy Conditions 1 through 5, health, fire, bonding, security and parking, at least seven days before the event. 090 require written sign-off from the County Health Officer and the local fire protection district. 100 requires general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, plus a cash or surety bond scaled to expected attendance: $5,000 for up to 10,000 attendees, $7,500 for 10,000 to 20,000, $10,000 for 20,000 to 30,000 and $2,500 for each additional 10,000. 110 requires the organizer to fund peace officers through contracts with the Cowlitz County Sheriff, one officer per 200 attendees for crowd control and one per 400 for traffic control.