Sumner County, TN Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)

Chapter 11, Section 1101(O) of the Zoning Resolution governs every temporary event in the parts of Sumner County that are not inside Gallatin, Hendersonville, Portland, or White House, since those cities enforce their own codes. An organizer applies to the Planning Office for a Special Exception permit that must include a graphic description of the property, a concept plan, a description of the proposed use, and enough detail to judge yard requirements, setbacks, sanitary facilities, signage, and parking. The Board of Zoning Appeals can add extra conditions to protect adjoining property and must hold a public hearing before granting the permit.

Community events and tent assemblies, the closest category to a street fair, are capped at forty-five days in any zoning district, and the lot must have adequate off-street parking without disrupting neighboring uses (Sec. 1101(O)(6)). A stand-alone carnival, circus, or fair is treated separately: it may run up to fifteen days in the CG commercial-general district, or up to seven days for children's rides in any commercial district, again conditioned on parking and traffic circulation (Sec. 1101(O)(1)). Outdoor food and merchandise sales tied to the event, including vendor booths, get their own temporary use permit good for up to six months per year as set by the Board of Zoning Appeals; such sales are allowed by right without a permit in the AR agricultural-residential district (Sec. 1101(O)(2)).

Renewals of the food, seasonal-attraction, and fireworks-tent categories can be issued administratively by the Planning Director if the applicant has drawn no citation or written warning from any law-enforcement or code agency in the prior twelve months; otherwise the request goes to the Board of Zoning Appeals under Chapter 14.