Sauk County, WI Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)

Sec. 12.02 requires a license before anyone can hold, or is reasonably expected to hold, an assembly of 1,000 or more people that continues, or can reasonably be expected to continue, for 18 or more consecutive hours, on public or private land anywhere in unincorporated Sauk County; the application must reach the County Clerk at least 30 days before the event, and Sec. 12.02(3) sets the fee at $100.00 per license, good for five consecutive days before a new license is required. Sec. 12.02(6) exempts an established permanent venue, such as a stadium, arena or place of worship, as long as the crowd does not exceed the venue's normal seating capacity by more than 250, and (7) exempts government-sponsored fairs held on regular fairgrounds.

An applicant must file an indemnification agreement and proof of a $2,000,000.00 comprehensive general liability policy, a $2,000,000.00 fire legal liability policy, and worker's compensation coverage under Sec. 12.02(8). Sec. 12.03 lays out the conditions the applicant must meet before the license issues: potable water meeting Wis. Admin. Code ch. NR 809 standards, separate enclosed toilets sized to the crowd under Wis. Admin. Code ch. COMM 55 Table 55.32, a solid-waste plan at 2.5 pounds per person per day, an EMT-staffed medical station, security guards with a named licensed security officer, fire protection, and a sound-amplification curfew of midnight to 8:00 a.m.

Sec. 12.05 gives the Law Enforcement and Judiciary Committee, working with the Sauk County Public Health Department, the Sheriff's Department and the Planning and Zoning Department, 20 days to process a complete application, and Sec. 12.06 lets the County revoke a license any time its conditions stop being met.