How many toilets does a Chicago street festival need?
The city's code sets at least 2 toilets for a temporary event with more than 30 people, then 1 more for every additional 300, or fraction of 300, beyond 600. That is a floor. Festival organizers usually order well above it, and add accessible units and handwashing, after talking to the provider.
A festival on a closed street is a temporary event under that code. Count the people you expect to be there at the same time, not the total over the day, because the code speaks of people present. A festival that draws thousands over the day may have far fewer at once, but the peak is what the lines see.
Lines are the real test. People leave a booth, a stage or a bar when they need a restroom, and a long queue sends them looking elsewhere. Add units until the wait seems reasonable, and ask the provider to help you size it.
One more habit helps. Walk the closure at the hour the crowd peaks last year, if you have been before, and note where lines formed, where people stood in the road and which corners felt crowded. Tell the provider what you saw, because a plan built on last year's lines is better than a plan built on a formula alone.
Where do units go on a closed Chicago street?
Units go where a truck can reach them and the crowd will use them: at the ends of the closure, near food, and along the main walking path. Ask the Mayor's Office of Special Events what its permit allows, then share your map with the provider so it can plan the drop.
Think about the day in two halves. Before the street is full, a truck can drive the block. After it fills, it cannot. Units must be delivered and set while access is open and serviced in ways that do not push through the crowd.
Keep units off the main flow and off the vendor lines. Leave clear space in front of them for a queue, and do not set them where a line would block a booth, a crosswalk or an exit.
What about food booths and handwashing?
The Chicago Department of Public Health reviews special-event food booths, and booths need a Summer Festival Food Vendor Sanitation Certificate. Beyond that, we state no handwashing rule. Ask the department what your booths need, and ask the provider about handwashing stations at the toilets.
Many festivals mix vendors, music and a street full of people eating. A handwashing station beside each bank of units, and one near the food area, is a sensible plan. It is not a stated city requirement here, so treat it as good practice.
The handwashing stations page covers the questions to ask about water, soap and refills.
Do recurring markets and fairs need different planning?
A weekly market, like the Logan Square Farmers Market every Sunday, repeats on a schedule, so a provider can plan around it. A one-off fair needs the whole plan made fresh. In both cases, describe the footprint, the hours and the crowd, and let the provider advise.
Sundays on State is a good example of a recurring closure: State Street shuts from Randolph to Jackson on select dates, and welcomed over one million people overall. A repeating event can settle into a routine, but a routine only works if everyone keeps it.
Whatever the schedule, confirm the dates with the provider each time. See parade and crowd restrooms for how a moving crowd changes things.
