Escambia County, FL Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)

The Outdoor Entertainment Event Ordinance, County Code §§ 86-210 through 86-221, covers any concert, theatrical production, festival of arts, crafts or food, circus, flight demonstration, holiday celebration or similar outdoor event whose daily attendance tops 5,000 people; events on county property or inside a certificate-of-occupancy venue built for crowds that size are exempt, and so is anything the Santa Rosa Island Authority separately authorizes. Organizers must apply at least 60 days before the event date, on the county administrator's form, paying an application fee set by the board of county commissioners and showing they have already contacted the Sheriff's Office, Public Safety/EMS/Fire Rescue/911/Emergency Management, building inspections, environmental services and the county risk manager. The application must name the event chairman, describe assembly, dispersal and parking plans, spell out amplified sound and loudspeaker use, and include a site plan reviewed by the Directors of Development Services and Environmental Services for stages, booths and lighting.

Before the county issues the permit, the applicant must carry insurance set by the county risk manager, delivered at least 30 days before the event with the county named as additional insured, and post a bond or cashier's check security, also due 30 days out, to cover cleanup and any county costs. All garbage and litter cleanup must be finished within 24 hours of the event's end, and every stage, booth, stand, sign and other movable fixture must come down immediately afterward. The county administrator can deny an application for good cause, including a felony conviction of moral turpitude by the applicant or an organization principal, and can revoke a permit already issued for noncompliance; a denial or revocation can be appealed to the board of county commissioners.