Special Events & Permits in Cocoa, FL (2026)
5 verified special events & permits rules for Cocoa, Florida, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Block Party Permits
Cocoa defines a block party in City Code § 2-401(d) as a non-commercial gathering closed to the general public, under 200 people, that closes a local residential street, and then expressly writes block parties out of the special event and parade permit requirement that otherwise applies citywide.
Cocoa Block Party Permit Exemption
Few RestrictionsCocoa Code of Ordinances § 2-401(d)
Block party shall mean a non-commercial activity, closed to the general public, with an anticipated attendance of less than two hundred (200) persons, and which requires the temporary closing of a local residential street. ... The definition of special event shall not include events which are city organized events, block parties, nor events which are solely parades, unless such parade is propos...
Park Event Permits
Cocoa lets a special event gate a park or charge admission at the city manager's sole discretion, while gating or closing an actual street for the event needs city council approval. City Code § 2-402(l) puts these two closure decisions in different hands.
Cocoa Park Closure For Special Events
Significant RestrictionsCocoa Code of Ordinances § 2-402(l)
(l)Closure or gating of public property and streets.(1)Streets may be closed, portions of streets may be gated, and an admission fee may be charged in connection with a special event involving a street closure, at the discretion of the city council. Closure of parks or portions of parks may be gated, and an admission fee may be charged in connection with a special event involving a park closure...
Parade Permits
Cocoa requires a parade permit from the city manager for any march, procession or similar display on city streets or parks under City Code § 2-403. Applications go in at least 20 days ahead, but not more than a year out, and are reviewed by the police and fire chiefs before the manager decides.
Cocoa Parade Permit Requirements
Significant RestrictionsCocoa Code of Ordinances § 2-403
Sec. 2-403. - Parades.(a)Authority of city manager. The city manager is authorized to issue parade permits and to close streets for approved parades. ... (b)Application.(1)Any person or organization which desires to hold a parade must submit a completed application for a parade permit at least twenty (20) days prior to the proposed parade, but no sooner than one (1) year prior to the date of th...
Street Fair Rules
Any permitted special event or street fair in Cocoa must scale its dumpsters and toilets to the crowd. City Code § 2-402(i)-(j) requires one eight-cubic-yard dumpster per 2,000 attendees and at least five portable toilets for the first 2,000 people, with two more toilets for every additional 500.
Cocoa Street Fair Sanitation Rules
Some RestrictionsCocoa Code of Ordinances § 2-402(i)-(j)
(i)Sanitation. One (1) eight-cubic yard dumpster (or equivalent yardage) must be utilized for every two thousand (2,000) people in attendance at the special event. ... Dumping in an unapproved dumpster is prohibited. ... (j)Portable toilets. A minimum of five (5) portable toilets must be accessible to the attendees of the event for the first two thousand (2,000) people in attendance. For every ...
Sidewalk Dining & Cafés
Cocoa only allows sidewalk cafes, tables and chairs placed on the public sidewalk by a restaurant, bar, lounge, ice cream shop or coffee shop, inside city council-designated cafe zones, primarily the Cocoa Village overlay district. Operators need an annual city manager permit, liability insurance and must keep a three-foot clear path for pedestrians.
Cocoa Sidewalk Cafe Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsCocoa Code of Ordinances §§ 14-61(b)(6), 14-62(1), 14-63(a)
(6)Sidewalk cafe shall mean the placing, locating, or permitting of chairs, benches, tables, and other objects within the sidewalk area adjacent to and within seventy-five (75) feet of a business duly licensed to operate a restaurant, bar, lounge, ice cream shop, or coffee shop. ... Sidewalk cafes shall only be permitted within the following geographical areas designated as "cafe zones" by the ...
Looking for Brevard County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Cocoa city rules.
Special Events & Permits in Brevard County →