Waynesville, MO Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)

Chapter 160 of the Waynesville Municipal Code, adopted by Ordinance No. 2585 on March 21, 2024, governs any festival, event, activity or program held on city property, in a city park or in a city right-of-way, and Section 160.020 spells out that Festivals, Events or Programs include arts and craft shows, outdoor barbeques, carnivals, circuses, dances, entertainment activities, exhibitions, fairs, flea markets, shows, symposiums and workshops, language that squarely covers a street fair or vendor festival. Under Section 160.030, the organizer must apply for a Special Event permit before the event and should file the application at least ninety (90) days ahead of the proposed date; the City Administrator or a designee then has thirty (30) days from a complete application to issue or deny the permit, per Section 160.050.

Section 160.070 lets the city attach conditions on time, place and manner, and bars charging admission fees on city property, though vendor fees and craft-booth charges for goods and services stay allowed. Section 160.080 requires the organizer to pay the city's fee schedule and to reimburse the city for any extra personnel or supply costs the event causes, while Section 160.090 lets the City Administrator waive some of those charges for a nonprofit or city-sponsored event. Section 160.110 makes the organizer carry general liability insurance naming the city as an additional insured, with coverage limits set by the City Administrator, and Section 160.100 requires the organizer to indemnify and hold the city harmless for claims arising from the event.

Under Section 160.120, the city can summarily revoke the permit for a public emergency, false information in the application, or the organizer exceeding the permit's scope, and Section 160.060 gives a denied or revoked applicant ten (10) calendar days to appeal to the Economic Development Committee.