Farmington Hills, MI Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)

Farmington Hills treats a street fair as a "special event" under § 5-102's definition, which lists "outdoor festivals" among the activities requiring a license before they may operate. Section 5-121 bars anyone from running the fair without first procuring that license from the city clerk, and § 5-122 requires the application at least 30 days ahead with a site plan showing booths, tents, signs, lighting, electrical and sound equipment, parking, and portable toilets. Beyond the event license, § 5-129 lists permits vendors and organizers must separately obtain: a permit from the Oakland County Health Department covers "all sanitary, water and food service facilities," though § 5-129(1) exempts booths selling only pre-packaged, ready-to-eat food; a city permit and a licensed electrical contractor are required for any temporary generator or electric supply; and the fire department must certify the flame-spread rating of tents and cloth enclosures before the fair opens.

Section 5-129(5) requires the building department to inspect the premises and each booth, charging a temporary permit fee, before it will issue the temporary certificate of use that lets the fair operate for its scheduled dates. Section 5-125 still requires that the fair's location be a permitted use under the zoning ordinance (chapter 34), a general exception, or approved by the zoning board of appeals. Section 5-130 exempts events the city itself holds or sponsors, or events on city property under its own facility-use policies, from this entire licensing article.