Reading, PA Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Application window
- 90 to 180 days ahead
- Adult items
- sold only to age 21+
- Vendor license
- City business license required
- Health documents
- health permit + food handler cert
Summary
Reading requires every vendor at a permitted street fair or festival to be listed by name and product on the special event application, barred from adult-item sales to minors, and licensed with a tax ID, business license and health permit.
Vendors: list each vendor, including products and services offered. The merchandise, products and services offered cannot be in violation of the duly enacted Code of the City of Reading and cannot include items that are "adult" related and can only be sold to persons over 21 years of age. All vendors must also provide a valid tax ID number, as required by Pennsylvania law, A valid City of Reading business license, a copy of a current City- or state-issued health permit and a food handler certificate.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-8: Current through August 10, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Vendors at a Reading street fair or festival operate under the city's special event permit, filed 90 to 180 days ahead with the Police Department Traffic Office. The application must list each vendor and the products or services offered; goods cannot violate any city ordinance, and nothing "adult"-related may be sold to anyone under 21. Every vendor must also carry a valid Pennsylvania tax ID number, a City of Reading business license, a current City- or state-issued health permit and a food handler certificate before the event.
Violations & Fines
An incomplete vendor listing or noncompliant merchandise can get the whole special event permit denied or revoked under § 576-1209; vendors selling age-restricted goods to minors violate both the permit and the underlying ordinance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do street fair vendors in Reading need a business license?
Can vendors sell adult-themed merchandise at a Reading street fair?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Reading
Compare Reading to another location·View the Pennsylvania special events & permits overview
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