Downtown Street Festival Application Process

The closing of a street has the potential to create disruptions to downtown businesses and traffic and creates additional burdens on manpower from various City of Florence departments. Therefore, all requests for special events involving a street closure must be evaluated by the City of Florence and Florence Downtown Development Corp. to evaluate the feasibility and impact of the proposed event. Special event applications can be requested from the Downtown Development office via email at progress@florencedowntown.com or by phone at 843-678-5912. 

Street Festival Policy

Any Downtown Florence event that requires the closure of a street must receive prior approval from the City of Florence, City of Florence Police Department, and the Florence Downtown Development Corp. Board of Directors. All applicants must submit their application through the City of Florence Downtown Development Office located on the 2nd floor of the City Center located at 324 W. Evans Street. 

Applicants for street festivals are limited to:

(1) a local 501(c)3 or 501(c)6 non-profit organization

OR

(2) a local 501(c)3 or 501(c)6 non-profit organization that is partnered via contract with a downtown business, provided that at least 75% of the proceeds from the event be donated to the partnering non-profit organization. Submission of final accounting to the City of Florence Downtown Development Office will be required within five (5) business days following the conclusion of the event. Failure to submit a financial accounting for the event will result in forfeiture of a downtown business's right to apply for future street festival permits.

Only one application per month from a qualifying organization will be considered within any downtown overlay district. Proof of non-profit status is required to accompany all applications. The location of a proposed street festival is limited to the block(s) listed on the street festival application and are subject to change. 

For profit entities that are not located in the downtown historic district including event promoters and for-profit event organizers are not eligible to host a street festival in Downtown Florence. Individuals are not eligible to host a street festival in Downtown Florence.

If existing annual special events that have been grandfathered into policies approved prior to August 1, 2017 decide to change their format, layout, or decides to move/expand, their grandfathered status will be revoked, and the special event will be subject to application under the new policies and procedures. 

Event organizers may be required to meet with Downtown Development Office staff to review plans, activities, and logistics. 

Street festival applications are accepted January 1-31 for street festivals to take place in summer and fall. Applications are accepted July 1-31 for events taking place winter and spring of the following year. Incomplete applications will not be processed.