Surprise, AZ Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)

43 requires a temporary use permit (TUP) for any special event that needs additional parking, special equipment such as generators or portable sanitation, or added security, including carnivals, circuses, festivals, fairs, firework shows, and holiday events; concerts, exhibitions, or other outdoor live entertainment; farmer's markets and temporary retail sales of arts, crafts, or food; grand openings, tent sales, and sidewalk sales; religious or revival gatherings; political or organizational rallies; and parades, races, walk-a-thons, and sports tournaments. Each special event is capped at no more than 7 consecutive days, and no single site may host more than 4 event periods in a calendar year.

A separate category, seasonal activities such as Christmas tree lots or pumpkin patches, may run up to 45 consecutive days per event but cannot exceed 90 cumulative days per property, or per tenant in a commerce center, each calendar year. Permanent facilities or structures are never allowed under a TUP, and the organizer must clear the site of temporary facilities, trash, and debris when the event ends. If applicable, county health department approval must be obtained before the city will issue the TUP, and all parking areas must be paved or dust-controlled; if the event uses an existing parking lot, it cannot reduce the available spaces by more than 10 percent.

Any TUP covering retail sales must also carry the necessary business or vendor license, and the city can revoke a TUP outright if activities tied to it violate the Code.