DOUGLAS COUNTY MAINTENANCE
Judicial & Law Enforcement Center
111 E 11th Street
Lawrence, KS 66044-2981
(785) 832-5330 Fax (785) 832-5262
www.dgcoks.gov 

Quick Basics

• The Fairgrounds reservation catalog may be viewed at: www.dgcoks.gov/fairgrounds.
• Event hosts are responsible for the actions of their employees, guests, and attendees.
• Reservations can only be made by individuals who are at least 18 years old and provide government-issued identification. Reservations may be made only in the name of the qualified individual requesting such reservations.
• Events must conclude by 10pm.
• Vehicles left on premises after 12:00 pm the day following the event may be towed at the vehicle owner’s expense.
• Douglas County shall not be responsible for fire, theft, damage to or loss of vehicles parked on County property or of personal property left in or around such vehicles.
• The County reserves the right at any time to make changes to these Policies and Procedures.
• The Fairgrounds are closed and unavailable for reservations on holidays.

Categories for Fairgrounds Usage

There are five categories of usage and associated rental deposits/fees at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, including:

• Youth – Free use is available for events which are produced, managed and attended in full by non-profit 501c3 or similar organizations operating in Douglas County and serving youth (17 years of age and younger) who reside in Douglas County. Examples include Lawrence USD 497, Douglas County 4-H, Boys and Girls Clubs, Douglas County Scout events, etc. These events are subject to Tier 1 & 2 deposits and miscellaneous fees as deemed appropriate by Fairgrounds Management.
• Non-Profit– Free use, for up to four (4) events per calendar year, is available to any non-profit groups which are using a facility for civic purposes such as education meetings, organization or service meetings, seminars, training, and fundraising. The non-profit organization must operate in Douglas County and be registered with the State of Kansas as a non-profit 501c3 community or similar qualifying non-profit entity. Examples include charitable fundraising events, animal adoption, and community workshops or training. These events are subject to Tier 1 & 2 deposits and miscellaneous fees as deemed appropriate by Fairgrounds Management.
• Standard– An event which is not open to the general public, is not sponsored by community or service organizations, and meets the following criteria:
  • No goods, services and/or products are sold (excluding food/beverage); and
  • No admission fee, charge, or donation is assessed or collected.

        Examples include wedding receptions, anniversary parties, company functions, birthday parties, etc.

• Commercial– An event which is open to the general public, is not sponsored by community or service organization, and does not satisfy the above criteria for Standard use. This includes any event at which goods, services and/or products are sold (excluding food/beverage) or an admission fee, charge, or donation is assessed or collected. Examples include craft shows, consignment sales, clinics, seminars, meetings, sporting and recreational events, etc. 
• Douglas County Government Agencies and Departments– Douglas County agencies and departments conducting official business of Douglas County may reserve facilities with no associated expenses. 

All facility use requires a Reservation Agreement, signed by Fairgrounds Management, and is subject to these Policies and Procedures as well as to any other reservation and use requirements, including without limitation those pursuant to the Reservation Agreement, other contract, or governing law. Such requirements include, but are not limited to, those relating to cleanup, damage, insurance, permits and restrictions. Standard charges apply for extended hours, equipment, supplies, extra cleaning, etc., even if rental fees have been waived.

***Please note that, if fees are waived for any event, Fairgrounds Management has the authority to move that event to a different location on the Fairgrounds. ***

Scheduling Your Event

• Several items are necessary to schedule and prepare for your event:
  • Facility Rental Booking – basic information, location, dates, rental fee and any required deposits.
  • Rental Agreement(s) – overall contract for the Facility rental, which may include one of the following:
    • Event Camping with Electrical Hookups Permit - For events with overnight camping. Rental agreement is required to obtain a permit. All permits are issued by Fairgrounds Management.
    • Culinary Commons Agreement- For exclusive use of the Culinary Commons.
  • Insurance Information – if required, a copy of the Certificate of Insurance with the mandatory coverages, limits, and additional insureds must be provided to Fairgrounds Management.
• A signed Rental Agreement must be delivered to the Fairgrounds Office no later than 30 days prior to the event. If required, all deposits and fees must be paid no later than 30 days prior to the event. Failure to deliver these items to the Fairgrounds Office within by these deadlines will result in forfeiture of all rental rights and fees, including access to the Fairgrounds. 
• All facility reservations and deposits made via credit card will be assessed a non-refundable 2.35% convenience fee.
• Notice of cancellation is required within 72 hours of the date of the reservation in order to receive full refund. Failure to comply with this contractual obligation will result in forfeiture of any and all rental fees paid to date for the associated reservation.
• Any changes to the Rental Agreement must be agreed upon at least 30 days prior to event. Any such changes will be at the sole discretion of Fairgrounds Management.
• No reservation will be accepted more than twelve (12) months in advance of the event or activity. Any individual may reserve a facility up to twelve (12) months in advance for purposes of regular/monthly meetings or activities. If the individual wishes to continue such regular meeting reservation, they must be renewed on an annual basis.
• Tier 1 and Tier 2 event deposit holders with sufficient balance in their deposit accounts may reserve facilities up to two (2) years in advance, following consultation with and approval from Fairgrounds Management.
• An individual wishing to reserve Fairgrounds space for repeated annual events that occur on the same day(s) every year may have the option to place a hold on their date(s) up to five (5) years in advance, following consultation and approval from Fairgrounds Management. Any such arrangement must be reflected in a signed, written agreement and maintained on file with Fairgrounds Management.
• Renter is solely responsible for all set up, including tables, chairs and any other special requirements related to their events.

Major Event Liability Insurance and Damage Deposits

• Major event liability insurance is generally not required for meetings, small social gatherings, and/or family celebrations that do not require special equipment and/or activities.
• All renters for events that require permits to serve alcohol must pay a damage deposit in the sum of $150.
• For purposes of assessing and collecting the required damage deposit related to reservations for a major event, as delineated below or otherwise determined in the discretion of Fairgrounds Management, such management will consider which of the following categories applies to the event: 
  • Tier 1 - Low-impact events involving small animals and/or activities that do not require any special equipment or high-risk activities. Examples include car shows, bird/reptile/canine/feline shows or competitions, and some barn/farm animal shows or sales including swine, goats, sheep, etc. Generally, events in this category will not require liability insurance.
  • Tier 2 – High-impact events involving large animals, large audiences/attendees, special equipment, usage of a substantial portion of the Fairgrounds, some events where alcohol is made available, and high-risk activities. Examples include barn/farm animal events including llama, horse and cattle shows, demolition derbies, carnivals, and swap meets. Generally, events in this category will require liability insurance.
• Liquor liability insurance and/or major event liability insurance, including liquor liability coverage, may also be required at the discretion of Fairgrounds Management. 
• If required, the renter shall obtain and maintain, for the duration of the Rental Agreement, satisfactory general liability insurance with limits of not less than $1,000,000.00 for bodily injury and $500,000 for property damage and/or satisfactory liquor liability coverage with a limit of not less than $1,000,000. The cost of insurance shall be borne solely by the renter.
• If insurance is required for your event, you must provide a Certificate of Insurance which confirms the coverages and limits and which names Douglas County, Kansas and the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners, 1100 Massachusetts Street, Lawrence, KS 66044 as additional insureds. Proof of insurance must be presented to the County Fairgrounds Reservation Office no less than thirty days before the event.

Security

• The Douglas County Sheriff, County Administrator, or Fairgrounds Management reserve the right to require security at any and all events. If security is required, renters will be given additional information.
• The Douglas County Sheriff has the authority to cancel, relocate, or terminate functions in any or all buildings at the Fairgrounds, in the event of a declared county emergency. This could include, but is not limited to, public safety issues, severe weather response, and/or disruptions in normal county operations that may require the temporary relocation of county staff to facilities at the Fairgrounds. 
• All buildings at the Fairgrounds are subject to entry and inspection by members of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, other law enforcement agencies, and Fairgrounds Management at any time and without advance notice or warning, and users must fully comply with and accommodate their requests for entrance and inspection.
• Private security may be retained by event holders for their events, including outside of regular Fairgrounds hours, with advanced approval by Fairgrounds Management. Fairgrounds Management reserves the right to deny any persons or companies access to the Fairgrounds for security work. Requests for security review must be submitted at least 30 days prior to any event at which security would be present. If approved, private security is limited to the Fairgrounds parking areas and buildings included in the approved reservation. 

End of the Event

• Events must conclude by 10:00 pm and check-out must be completed by that time.
  • Music/loud noise for inside events must stop no later than 9:45 pm.
• • Music/loud noise for outside events must stop no later than 8:30 pm.
  • If alcohol is permitted at your event, alcohol must stop being served at 9:30 pm. 
• Any overage of time beyond the required check-out time will be billed at an hourly rate for the building/area rented, with a one hour minimum, plus $45.
• While your event may end at 10:00 pm, you should set aside enough time for cleanup. Cleanup must be complete by the close of your event.
• Renter is responsible for general cleaning and picking up of the facility and for removing all personal items, including without limitation any and all trash, garbage, and animal waste. Please refer to attached Event Guidelines and Procedures document for additional details.
• If additional time is needed to clean the facility (tables/chairs, floors, etc.), by Fairgrounds staff, the renter will be charged $45 per hour, per staff member, for such cleaning.
• Renter is responsible for the actual repair and/or replacement costs for any damage to Fairground property.
• If there is, follwing an event, an amount due to the County, over and above the normal costs already paid (including damages), such amount is due immediately upon receipt of the invoice. Interest of 1% per month will be charged on any unpaid balance after 30 days.

Other Considerations

• The following activities are prohibited and reservations that include any of these activities will be ineligible to reserve facilities at the Fairgrounds:
  • Firearms and weapons shows and/or sales;
  • Exotic animals, including circus events; and
  • Large indoor or outdoor musical events with sound amplification, including but not limited to concerts.

        Any violation of these prohibitions will result in a fine and, in addition, Douglas County may refuse to allow future use of the facilities by the violator.

• Posting Signs for Event: If you want to post signs advertising your event, be aware that the City of Lawrence makes it illegal to post placards, advertisements, pamphlets posters, and other such signs on trees, street light poles, trash containers, and public right of way. Any signs that are posted in these areas will be removed without notice and you may be subject to a fine. For more information, call the Building Inspection Department at (785) 832-3100.
• Horses: Only permitted to be on driveways, parking lots, and north grass field.
• Vending Machines: Do not unplug, cover, or place an ‘Out of Order’ sign (or similar) on Fairgrounds vending machines.

Kansas Tort Claims Act

• No provision of these Policies and Procedures will be given effect that attempts or purports to: (1) expand liability beyond what is imposed under the Kansas Tort Claims Act (K.S.A. 75-6101, et seq.); and/or (2) waive or otherwise limit any immunity provisions available under the Kansas Tort Claims Act.

Alcohol

• If you would like to have alcoholic liquor, wine, beer, or cereal malt beverages available for consumption at your event, you must request and obtain an event permit from the County Administrator or Fairgrounds Management and comply with your permit and any rules governing alcohol at the Fairgrounds. Applicant must be the event holder and at least 21 years of age with a valid driver’s license. If you are issued an event permit, this authorization is solely for serving, consuming, possessing, and/or carrying alcohol and does not allow for the sale of alcohol.
  • Once you have received an appropriate event permit, alcoholic liquor (ex: rum, whiskey), wine, beer, and cereal malt beverages (ex: 3.2% beer) shall only be served, consumed, possessed, or carried upon those areas of the Fairgrounds premises as designated in the event permit.
  • Unless otherwise stated in an event permit, alcoholic liquor, wine, beer, and cereal malt beverages may only be served, consumed, possessed, or carried upon the designated areas of the Fairgrounds between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. All alcoholic liquor, wine, beer, and cereal malt beverages must be removed from public view and not available for consumption during all other times.
  • Anyone serving, consuming, possessing, or carrying alcoholic liquor, wine, beer, or cereal malt beverage on the Fairgrounds premises must comply with all applicable state and local laws.
  • Only those individuals and entities identified in the event permit are authorized to serve or provide alcoholic liquor, wine, beer, or cereal malt beverages at the Fairgrounds premises. Violation of this policy will result in forfeiture of rental fee, damage deposit and immediate closure of the event.
• Prohibitions: 
  • Alcoholic liquor, wine, beer, and cereal malt beverages are PROHIBITED on the Fairgrounds premises during events given or hosted for persons under 21 years of age. Misrepresenting the nature of the event could result in closing the event and forfeiture of all fees.
  • Alcoholic liquor, wine, beer, and cereal malt beverages are PROHIBITED on the Fairgrounds premises during the Douglas County Fair or any 4-H event, except in approved designated beer garden areas.
  • The County Administrator reserves the right to prohibit alcoholic liquor, wine, beer, and cereal malt beverages for other events at the Fairgrounds premises.
• The County Administrator or their Fairgrounds Management reserves the right to deny an event permit application involving alcohol based on the applicant’s prior history of failing to comply with a permit, any rules governing alcohol at the Fairgrounds, and/or any applicable state or local laws.