If you want to hold a major street fair or festival in Delray Beach, the city wants some cash up front first.
Delray Beach officials say they're tired of the unpaid bills left behind by major event organizers in recent years. The city is in the hole for about $50,000 after certain festivals failed to cover costs for events not hosted by the city.
Several major fairs – including the Carnevale and the Delray Beach Film Festival -- have been banned for skipping out on the tab.
"If they're closing streets we have to put up barricades, the trash has to be collected and removed,” says Delray Beach City Manager David Harden. “And frequently, for security, you have police and if it's a really large event, we also have paramedics. And we think it's not fair to ask taxpayers to absorb those costs."
Delray Beach holds about 50 fairs and festivals annually.
But this year, the city's new "no pay, no play" policy swings into effect. It requires event organizers to submit a detailed site plan in advance and pay a 50 percent deposit at least five weeks before the event.
