Sun Prairie, WI Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)

56 governs anyone who wants to sell goods, food or services in a public right-of-way in Sun Prairie, including vendors at a street fair or community festival. 010 bars putting up a booth or otherwise offering items for sale on a street, sidewalk, alley or other public place without a special event vending permit issued by the city clerk. The requirement reaches two situations: an individual vendor whose selling is an integral part of a special event, and a citywide or area-wide promotion, trade show or festival, where the sponsoring organization itself must obtain the permit as agent for all of its participating vendors rather than each vendor applying separately.

020 lays out the process: the application goes to the city clerk and city administrator, who reviews it for conformity with the chapter and either forwards a recommendation to the common council or, if requirements are not clearly met, notifies the applicant in writing within three days of what is in doubt; the council can then deny, approve or conditionally approve the permit. A sponsoring organization must also give the city administrator a complete list of its sponsors and participants at the time of application.

Once issued, the permit is only good for the exact days and location named on it. 030 adds operating conditions: a permittee needs comprehensive general liability insurance naming the city as an additional insured, with minimum limits of $100,000 per occurrence for bodily injury and $50,000 per occurrence for property damage, proof of which must reach the city administrator at least seven days before the event starts, and the permittee has to coordinate booth locations and any street or sidewalk encroachments with the chief of police at least seven days ahead as well.