Irving, TX Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)

Chapter 33B, Article II governs special events, and Section 33B-13 sets the terms every vendor at a permitted street fair or festival must follow. Vending, whether merchandise, food, or beverages, is confined to the footprint marked on the event's approved site plan; a vendor cannot simply set up wherever there is space. The ordinance separately bars vending activity from blocking or impeding pedestrian traffic or creating congestion or public hazards for people walking through the event, which covers everything from a booth's placement to overflow lines.

Tax compliance is built into the permit conditions rather than left to a separate department: vendors selling taxable goods or services must hold a valid Texas Sales and Use Tax Permit, must be licensed by the city as a vendor, and are personally responsible for all local, state, and federal taxes and fees tied to their sales. Because these vendor conditions are part of the special event permit issued under Chapter 33B, an event organizer's failure to enforce them, or a vendor's own noncompliance, exposes the underlying special event permit to denial or revocation, not just a citation to the individual vendor.

The fire marshal's office layers on additional conditions for food vendors that involve open cooking demonstrations without suppression systems, which can trigger a fire watch requirement under Section 33B-12. Event organizers are expected to vet vendors against these conditions before the event and to keep proof of tax permits and city vendor licenses on file in case of inspection.