Fauquier County, VA Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit trigger
- musical/entertainment festivals in open spaces
- Filing deadline
- 30 days before event, 21 days before board meeting
- Base compliance bond
- $10,000 minimum
- Daily fee range
- $250 to $2,500 by attendance
- Full exemption
- gatherings under 500 persons
- Music curfew
- midnight to 8:00 a.m.
- Penalty
- up to $1,000 fine or 90 days jail
Summary
In unincorporated Fauquier County, anyone staging a musical or entertainment festival in open spaces must get a special entertainment permit from the Board of Supervisors before promoting or holding the event, under County Code § 3-4. Gatherings of 500 or more people trigger detailed applications, bonding and daily fees scaled to attendance.
No person, firm, corporation or partnership shall stage, promote or conduct any musical or entertainment festival in Fauquier County unless he shall first have obtained from the board a special entertainment permit for said festival. This permit shall not relieve those conducting the festival from obtaining the appropriate zoning, health department and other applicable permits. ... There is hereby imposed a daily fee for the issuance of a permit under this article based upon the following scale:(1)For a gathering of 5,000 to 7,000 persons . .$250.00(2)For a gathering of 7,001 to 10,000 persons . .500.00(3)For a gathering of 10,001 to 15,000 persons . .1,500.00(4)For a gathering in excess of 15,000 persons . .2,500.00 ... exempts entirely from the operation of this article a gathering of less than five hundred (500) persons. ... Any person, firm or corporation who violates any provision of this article shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) or by confinement in jail not exceeding ninety (90) days or both such fine and imprisonment.
Full Breakdown
The permit application must be filed with the county administrator at least 30 days before the event and 21 days before a regular board meeting, and must include plans for sanitation, food, medical care, parking, fire protection and outdoor lighting, each approved by the relevant county official (§ 3-5). Organizers post a base compliance bond of $10,000, plus a separate liquidated-damages bond scaled from $10,000 for 5,000-7,000 attendees up to $1,500 per additional 1,000 people over 15,000 (§ 3-8). Daily permit fees range from $250 to $2,500 depending on expected attendance (§ 3-9). Gatherings under 500 people are fully exempt; gatherings of 500 to 5,000 only need to file a simple statement with the county administrator covering dates, promoters and sanitation plans instead of the full permit (§ 3-10). Music cannot be played between midnight and 8:00 a.m. under any permit (§ 3-6). A permit does not substitute for required zoning, health department or other applicable permits.
Violations & Fines
Staging, promoting or conducting a festival without the required Board of Supervisors permit is a misdemeanor under § 3-11, punishable by a fine up to $1,000, up to 90 days in jail, or both, with each day of the violation charged as a separate offense. The county administrator can also revoke a permit for noncompliance and the Board may sue in circuit court to enjoin a violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a small local festival in Fauquier County?
How much does a festival permit cost in Fauquier County?
Can music play all night at a permitted festival?
What happens if I hold a festival without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fauquier County
Compare Fauquier County to another location·View the Virginia special events & permits overview
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