A new city ordinance on sideshow spectators takes effect Wednesday in the city of Fairfield.
Sideshows have posed a problem for cities all around the Bay Area, and that includes Fairfield. The city has experienced several sideshows in recent years, with some of them resulting in serious injuries to spectators.
In September, the Fairfield City Council approved a new misdemeanor ordinance prohibiting spectators at sideshow events.
The new ordinance prohibits knowingly being a spectator at a sideshow, speed contest or exhibition of speed, or, at a place where preparations are being made for sideshows, speed contests or exhibitions of speed, a police spokesperson said. The ordinance is enforceable on all city roadways, public property and private property, without the owner’s consent. It applies to drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.
Police added that a violation of the ordinance is a misdemeanor punishable by six months in jail or a $1,000 fine. It also gives the Solano County District Attorney’s Office the discretion to prosecute the offense as an infraction.
The ordinance sets a 200-foot distance requirement around the sideshow to be applicable as sometimes innocent motorists can be stuck in the traffic caused by these events.