Tucson, AZ Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Max fair duration
- 5 consecutive days
- Vendor licensing
- Sec. 19-41(c)(2) street fair vendor license
- Alcohol booth ratio
- 1 per 800 linear feet of craft booths
- Animal violation fine
- Up to $250
- Community service credit
- $10 per hour toward fine
Summary
Tucson caps street fair events at five consecutive days and requires every vendor to be selected by the fair sponsor and licensed under Sec. 19-41(c)(2). Alcohol booths are capped at one per 800 linear feet of arts-and-crafts frontage.
Street fair vendors of food and beverages shall be selected by the street fair sponsor so as to make available as wide a variety as possible, subject, however, to reasonable limitation in accord with size of the fair and applicable provisions of state law and/or city ordinances; however, the city shall, pursuant to its authority under A.R.S. § 4-203.02, approve no more than one (1) alcoholic beverage booth for each eight hundred (800) linear feet of right-of-way occupied by arts and crafts booths. ... No product, goods, merchandise, food or beverage shall be sold at a street fair unless the vendor has been selected by the street fair sponsor as provided in subsections (a) and (b) above and the vendor is licensed as a street fair vendor pursuant to section 19-41(c)(2) or is subject to the exemption of subsection (d) below.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-150: Current through June 23, 2026).
Full Breakdown
City Code Chapter 7, Article XIII governs street fairs, defined in Sec. 7-300 as an open-air marketplace event lasting no more than five consecutive days on city streets, alleys and sidewalks that the city has specifically closed to normal public access for the event. Under Sec. 02, will approve no more than one alcoholic beverage booth for every 800 linear feet of right-of-way occupied by arts and crafts booths. Vendors of other goods are selected through a juried system the city accepts as customary for judging quality and competence in the vendor's category, per Sec.
7-301(b). Sec. 7-301(c) makes it unlawful to sell any product, goods, merchandise, food or beverage at a street fair unless the seller was selected by the sponsor under subsections (a) or (b) and is licensed as a street fair vendor under Sec. 19-41(c)(2). Sec. 7-301(d) exempts anyone already licensed by the city under Chapter 19 who is also selected as a fair vendor by the sponsor, or who operates a permanent place of business within the fair boundaries conducting its regular operations there. Sec. 7-302 separately bars animals from the fair boundaries during the event once notice signs are posted at each public entrance, exempting event animals, service animals and working animals used by law enforcement.
Violations & Fines
Selling without sponsor selection and the required Sec. 19-41(c)(2) vendor license, or bringing a prohibited animal past posted signs, is a civil infraction under Sec. 7-303(a). The animal-prohibition violation under Sec. 7-302 carries community service or a fine up to $250, with community service credited at $10 per hour toward the fine under Sec. 7-303(b).
Frequently Asked Questions
Who picks the vendors at a Tucson street fair?
Do I need a separate license to sell at a Tucson street fair?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tucson
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Street Fair Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Pima County handle street fair rules.