Manchester, NH Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)

Manchester Code of Ordinances § 115.60 makes it unlawful to promote a fair where merchandise is displayed for sale by peddlers or vendors without a license from the City Clerk. The application must list the fair's purpose, location, and hours, name every vendor allowed to display goods, include a City Health Department license for anyone selling food, and carry proof of general liability insurance with a $500,000 combined limit that can't be cancelled without 30 days' written notice to the city. Under § 110.20(C)(5), the business license fee is $300 for the first day and $50 for each additional day; a fair operating as a farmers market pays a flat $300 seasonal fee for up to 40 non-consecutive days a year. License holders may not let vendors sell food without a Health Department permit, allow sales without state-required licenses, or serve food for immediate consumption outdoors without adequate litter receptacles (§ 115.61).