Scottsdale, AZ Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Farmers market frequency cap
- Once per week, 52x per year
- General special-event day cap
- 10 consecutive or 24 total days/year
- Vendor disclosure requirement
- Sec. 22-8(a)(8) on application
- First permit violation fine
- $500 minimum, civil
- Repeat violation within a year
- Class one misdemeanor, $1,000+
Summary
Scottsdale regulates recurring outdoor vendor fairs as "farmers markets" under Sec. 22-3, capping any single location at once per week and 52 events a year under Sec. 22-7(c). Organizers must still disclose vendors and concessions on their special-events permit application and meet the chapter's general noise, sanitation and trash-management criteria.
Farmers market means a recurring special event at which multiple vendors primarily sell locally made, prepared or grown fresh produce, flowers or plants, food products or food to the general public at a fixed location on a consistent basis with standard hours of operation...(a)A special event shall not occur more than 10 consecutive or 24 total days during the calendar year and, of the 24 calendar days per year, no more than 10 total days in any calendar quarter, unless otherwise provided by this Chapter...(c)A farmers market shall not be held on a property more than once per week and no more than 52 times per calendar year.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
Section 22-3 defines a "farmers market" as a recurring special event at which multiple vendors primarily sell locally made, prepared or grown fresh produce, flowers or plants, food products or food to the public at a fixed location with standard operating hours, and classifies it as a type of special event under Chapter 22. Section 22-7(c) then caps that recurrence: a farmers market cannot be held on a property more than once per week nor more than 52 times in a calendar year. That sits alongside the chapter's general special-event duration cap in Sec.
22-7(a), which limits any special event to 10 consecutive or 24 total days per calendar year, with no more than 10 of those days in any single calendar quarter. Because a recurring vendor fair still counts as a special event, organizers must satisfy Sec. 22-4's criteria that noise be managed to minimize impact on neighboring residences and businesses, that trash be removed and the site left in the same or better condition, and that adequate restrooms and security be provided. The permit application itself must disclose vendor and concessions information under Sec. 22-8(a)(8), along with sanitation information and whether a band, DJ or PA system will be used.
Violations & Fines
Holding a special event, including a recurring vendor fair, without the required permit is unlawful under Sec. 22-17(a)(1). A first violation is a civil offense with a minimum $500 fine under Sec. 22-20(a); a second or subsequent violation within one year becomes a class one misdemeanor with a fine of at least $1,000, and the court cannot suspend any part of the fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often can a recurring vendor market or street fair run at one Scottsdale location?
Do vendors have to be listed on the event permit application?
What if a street fair or market runs without a city permit?
Is there a cap on how many days a general street fair can run each year, separate from farmers markets?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Scottsdale
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How other cities in Maricopa County handle street fair rules.