Special events for organizers and vendors

Special events for organizers and vendors

What is a special event?

Special events are events that are open to the general public, such as:

  • Fairs
  • Festivals
  • Carnivals
  • Public markets
  • Craft shows where food or beverages are sold

Event organizers are responsible for collecting all special event vendor applications and submitting them to Southeast Public Health fourteen (14) days before the event.

Southeast Public Health does not require notice of the following events:

  • Events that are not open to the public (requires a personal invitation to attend).
  • Events organized by an organization (or member) for its members only (e.g., employee barbeques or staff events).
  • Religious Groups, Service Clubs, Fraternal Organizations:
  • Religious organizations, service clubs, or fraternal organizations who prepare and serve a meal as part of a special event to which the public has been invited. In this case the event organizers must:
    • Notify Southeast Public Health of the event.
    • Notify attendees in writing if the food premise where food for the event will be prepared has NOT been inspected by Southeast Public Health. The notice must be visible at the entrance to the event.
    • Keep a list of all persons who donate potentially hazardous food for the meal,and must provide a copy of that list to a public health inspector upon request. The list must contain each donor’s name, address, and telephone number.

It is the responsibility of the organizer and vendor to comply with all requirements of the Ontario Regulation 493/17: Food Premises as well as the Health Protection and Promotion Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.7.