Special Events & Permits in Portsmouth, VA (2026)
4 verified special events & permits rules for Portsmouth, Virginia, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Block Party Permits
A neighborhood block party that closes a Portsmouth street counts as a 'public assembly' under City Code § 22-12, so organizers need a written permit from the city manager before gathering, unless fewer than 30 people meet off a street.
Portsmouth Block Party Street Closure Permits
Significant RestrictionsPortsmouth City Code § 22-12(b)(5), (c)(1), (o)
Public assembly means any meeting, demonstration, picket line, rally or gathering of any kind that occupies any traditional public forum within the city and interferes with or is likely to interfere with the normal flow or regulation of pedestrian or vehicular traffic or with the customary public usage of said forum. ... It shall be unlawful for any person to conduct or participate in a parade,...
Park Event Permits
Portsmouth requires a director-issued permit before holding a meeting, exhibition, ceremony, or speech in a city park (Sec. 25-93), and a separate use permit under Sec. 25-90 for reserving designated park areas, with fees set by written agreement. Violating a permit's terms lets the director revoke it and forfeit fees paid.
Portsmouth Park Use Permits For Events
Significant RestrictionsPortsmouth, VA Code of Ordinances Sec. 25-90 and Sec. 25-93
Sec. 25-90. - Permit for use of designated portions of parks. The director is hereby authorized to issue a permit for the use of designated portions of parks upon the payment of fees to be established and upon the execution of a written agreement establishing the terms and conditions of the use. ... Sec. 25-93. - Meetings and exhibitions. No person shall in any park erect any structure, stand o...
Parade Permits
Anyone holding a parade in Portsmouth, a march, procession or motorcade that interferes with normal traffic on a public street, needs a written permit from the city manager under City Code § 22-12, filed 10 business days to 30 calendar days ahead depending on the route's size.
Portsmouth Parade Permit Requirements
Significant RestrictionsPortsmouth City Code § 22-12(b)(4), (c)(1), (o)
Parade means any march, demonstration, procession or motorcade consisting of persons, animals, or vehicles, or a combination thereof, upon any traditional public forum within the city that interferes with or is likely to interfere with the normal flow or regulation of pedestrian or vehicular traffic within said forum. ... It shall be unlawful for any person to conduct or participate in a parade...
Sidewalk Dining & Cafés
Restaurants in Portsmouth cannot put tables, chairs or planters on the public sidewalk without an outdoor dining area permit under Sec. 32-8. The city manager takes the application, but city council or its designee decides whether the layout will interfere with right-of-way use or create a hazard before issuing a permit that stays revocable at the council's pleasure and runs on an annual renewal.
Portsmouth Outdoor Dining Area Permit in Right-of-Way
Significant RestrictionsSec. 32-8
(a)It shall be unlawful for any person to cause an outdoor dining area to be established in any public right-of-way of the city except as permitted by this section.(b)Upon determination that an outdoor dining area will not materially or unreasonably interfere with the use of any public right-of-way or constitute a hazard, the city council or its designee may issue an outdoor dining area permit ...