Brainerd City Council Agrees to Not Regulate Street Performers, Buskers

While downtown Brainerd may be relatively quiet during the day, it hosts a bit of a nightlife, with bars and restaurants open as late as one in the morning. People who visit these businesses may see street performers or buskers entertaining passersby.

Those street performers were a topic of conversation at a recent Brainerd City Council meeting after the city received an inquiry about policies relating to them. The council was informed that there were no existing policies on the topic and agreed unanimously to not regulate the performers.

“Then it would pertain to somebody who just wants to play acoustic guitar somewhere out in the park or walking down the sidewalk,” said At Large councilor Mike O’Day. “I don’t want to see people getting arrested for playing a kazoo on a sidewalk.”

The council agreed to not pursue any action following discussion, with councilman Kelly Bevans saying, “I feel like we are fixing something that’s not broken.”