Williamson County, TN Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)

05(D)(7) of the Zoning Ordinance governs cultural events, musical events, celebrations, festivals, fairs, carnivals, circuses, artisan sales and communal camping held on private property in the county, treating them as a Special Use requiring Board of Zoning Appeals or Planning Staff approval unless the event qualifies for an exemption. Government-sponsored events and small private gatherings not open to the public, such as family reunions or weddings with only supporting vendors like caterers and valets, are exempt, as are organized activities held at venues built for them, such as fairgrounds, reception halls or sports fields.

For events that do need a permit, the ordinance caps Special Events - Extensive Impact at fifteen cumulative days per calendar year on a single parcel, except the Leiper's Fork Village Zoning District, which gets thirty days a year. Before the county acts on an application, the applicant must send a copy of the application materials to the Sheriff's Department, the Office of Public Safety, and the applicable fire department, and prove that submission was made. 5 pounds of waste per person, and parking must be provided at one space per four attendees.

Night events need lighting of at least five footcandles across the site while capping spillover at one footcandle at the property line, security guards are required at a rate of one per 750 attendees, and a 200-foot buffer must separate event activity from the site perimeter. unless overnight camping is part of the approved event, though the BZA or Planning Staff can allow an earlier start if it serves the public interest without harming neighbors. Events that draw more than 750 people at once, exceed 1,000 total attendance, exceed two consecutive days, include overnight camping, or include an artisan sale are reclassified as Extensive Impact regardless of label, and are capped at four such events per parcel per year.