Redding, CA Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)

Chapter 18.17 splits temporary uses into those exempt from a permit (Section 18.17.020) and those requiring one (Section 18.17.030). Street fairs, festivals, carnivals and farmers markets fall into the second group and are limited by the specific day counts in subsection E, "Standards and Time Limits for Specific Events." Carnivals, circuses, fairs, festivals and outdoor entertainment or sporting events are capped at ten calendar days per event, with no more than four events of any one type allowed on the same property in a year.

Outdoor concerts, flea markets, rummage sales, secondhand sales and swap meets carry a four-calendar-day cap per event. Farmers markets are treated separately and limited to three days per site per week, a schedule built for a recurring weekly market rather than a single festival. Off-site vehicle sales, including boat and RV sales events, are capped at five days per event and two annual events per property per dealer. Parking-lot or outdoor sales not tied to an on-site business are limited to five days per event and cannot use more than ten percent of the site's on-site parking spaces.

Every one of these events needs a temporary use permit from the director under Section 18.17.040, filed at least fifteen days before the event under Section 18.17.050, with the property owner's written consent attached. The director must make the five findings in Section 18.17.070, covering traffic, parking demand and nuisance impacts, before approving the permit. A permit becomes effective immediately on approval, but any appeal of the director's decision must be filed within ten days under Section 18.17.090, following the common procedures in Chapter 18.11.