Durham, NC Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)

Section 54-114 provides that except to the extent a special-event permit otherwise provides, no person other than the special-event permittee may engage in right-of-way sales activities on a portion of a street closed or blocked by an order issued under Section 66-430, and the general right-of-way sales prohibition in Section 54-88(a) does not apply on that closed portion. The permittee, not other vendors, controls who else may sell there; the permittee may create exceptions on the closed street subject to conditions the city manager deems proper.

Section 66-430 authorizes the city manager to issue orders closing streets and sidewalks and to issue the accompanying use permits. Section 66-431 requires a written application and lets the manager approve it only after finding the closing won't unreasonably interfere with surrounding residents or businesses, that traffic, security, and fire protection can be safely handled, and that the applicant has obtained required liability insurance; applications for solely First Amendment-protected activity get expedited review, generally within 48 hours. Section 66-432 lets the manager attach conditions covering driveway access, insurance, noise limits, and security.

Section 66-435 allows the manager to revoke a permit for fraud, a permit violation, or a public-safety risk, after notice and an opportunity to be heard except in emergencies, and Section 66-436 sets a $200 civil penalty per violation of the article or a permit's terms, plus city cleanup costs, reviewable by written request to the city manager within ten days.