Knox County, TN Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Vendor category
- "Street barker," Knox County Code § 12-26
- License duration
- Tied to recognized festival/parade dates
- Noise exception
- May cry out during festival/parade days
- Still barred from
- Fixed booths, blocking traffic, posted property
- Penalty
- Up to $500.00 per offense, § 12-36
Summary
Knox County licenses festival and parade vendors as "street barkers" under Code § 12-26, lets them cry out to attract customers during recognized festival or parade days as an exception to the general anti-noise rule for peddlers, and ties their license period to those event dates under § 12-34.
Street barker means any peddler who does business during recognized festival or parade days in the county and who limits his or her business to selling or offering to sell novelty items and similar goods in the area of the festival or parade. ... No peddler, street barker, solicitor, solicitor for charitable purposes, or solicitor for subscriptions shall: ...(4)Call attention to his or her business or merchandise or to his or her solicitation efforts by crying out, by blowing a horn, by ringing a bell, or creating other noise, except that the street barker shall be allowed to cry out to call attention to his or her business or merchandise during recognized parade or festival days of the county. ... The license of street barkers shall be for a period corresponding to the dates of the recognized parade or festival days of the county.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23).
Full Breakdown
Knox County's peddler and solicitor chapter singles out festival and parade vendors with their own defined category. " That distinct category matters because § 12-30 otherwise bars every peddler, solicitor and street barker from calling attention to their merchandise "by crying out, by blowing a horn, by ringing a bell, or creating other noise," but item (4) of that same section carves out street barkers specifically, letting them cry out to draw attention to their business during recognized parade or festival days. The license mechanics track the event itself: under § 12-34, while an ordinary peddler or solicitor license expires 30 days from issuance, "[t]he license of street barkers shall be for a period corresponding to the dates of the recognized parade or festival days of the county," so a vendor cannot use a festival license to sell outside the event window.
Street barkers are not otherwise exempt from the chapter's other restrictions: § 12-30 still bars them from setting up a fixed booth or stand on a street or sidewalk, blocking pedestrian or vehicular traffic, or entering property posted against peddlers and solicitors. Like every peddler, a street barker must first obtain a county license under § 12-28 before operating during the festival or parade.
Violations & Fines
A street barker operating without a license, selling outside the licensed festival or parade dates, or violating the booth, traffic-blocking or posted-property restrictions in § 12-30 is subject to the chapter's general penalty at § 12-36: up to $500.00 for each offense, with each day of continued violation counted as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a "street barker" under Knox County's code?
Can festival vendors call out to customers in Knox County?
How long does a street barker license last?
Do street barkers still need a county license to sell at a festival?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Knox County
Compare Knox County to another location·View the Tennessee special events & permits overview
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