Lenexa, KS Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)

Section 4-1-B-25-B-3 defines Type 2 special events as large scale short-term cultural and entertainment events, including concerts, circuses, fairs, carnivals and festivals. The Community Development Director decides whether an event qualifies using three criteria: it is advertised to the general public, it creates traffic or noise significantly above what the zoning district normally sees, or it is of community or regional significance. City festivals and City sponsored events on City property need no permit under Section 4-1-B-25-C-2.

Every Type 2 application requires City Council approval. The complete application must be filed at least 30 days before the requested start date, although the Director has the authority to waive deadlines, and it goes to the next available regularly scheduled Council meeting after staff review. The application carries a fee set by the City Council and must include a written description of the event, hours, anticipated attendance and structures or signs, a sketch plan showing on-site rest rooms and trash receptacles, written confirmation from the property owner, and a certificate of insurance naming the City as additional insured and dated within 30 days of the event.

The duration and hours of a Type 2 event are recommended by the Director and established by the Council. A business license, building permit or temporary certificate of occupancy can be required before any tent, stage or booth structure is built, and every structure must come down promptly after the event. Adequate on-site restrooms and solid waste containers are mandatory, and the organizer removes all litter at no cost to the City. Noise, dust, smoke and glare must meet Section 4-1-C-4.

Signs get specific limits. Search lights run no more than three days, go off by 11:00 P.M. and cannot be lit when the beam angle to the ground is under 60 degrees. Promotional balloons are capped at 30 feet and three days, and must be taken down at the end of each work day or when wind exceeds 10 miles per hour. The Director or Council can also require a performance bond and can charge the organizer for extraordinary City services such as traffic control or security.