Cheektowaga, NY Curfew Laws: Park Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Cheektowaga Code § 174-14
- Closure window
- Sunset to sunrise, every park
- Lit-diamond exception
- Open only during an active game there
- Post-game grace period
- Closes 15 minutes after game ends
- Excluded even during games
- Picnic areas, trails, shelters, playgrounds
- Penalty
- Up to $200 fine or 90 days jail (§ 174-19)
Summary
Every Town park in Cheektowaga closes at sunset and reopens at sunrise, and remaining inside after closing is itself a violation. The only carve-out is a lighted baseball or softball diamond during an active game, and even then only players, officials and spectators may stay, and only near the diamond.
All parks shall be closed between the hours of sunset and sunrise the following morning, and no person shall remain inside any park during the hours when so closed, except that any park which has a lighted baseball or softball diamond shall remain open after sunset when baseball or softball games are being played on such lighted diamond. Such park shall be open only to players, officials and spectators involved in such baseball or softball games. Such players, officials and spectators must remain in the immediate vicinity of the lighted diamond or diamonds. "Immediate vicinity" excludes picnic areas, shelters, trails, playground areas and other athletic facilities. Comfort stations and vehicular roads for access and egress are constituted as being within the vicinity of a lighted diamond. The park shall be closed to the public 15 minutes after the conclusion of any such game. ... § 174-19. Any person, firm or corporation violating any of the provisions of this article shall, upon conviction thereof, be guilty of an offense and shall be subject to the payment of a fine not exceeding $200 or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding 90 days, or both.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4996449; v35 updated 2026-05-26; through 05-26-2026).
Full Breakdown
Section 174-14 of the Town Code sets a blanket sunset-to-sunrise closure for all parks, with no permit or override available except the built-in lighted-diamond exception. A park with a lighted baseball or softball diamond may stay open past sunset while a game is actually being played there, but that exception is narrow: it covers only players, officials and spectators of that specific game, who must stay in the "immediate vicinity" of the lit diamond. The section expressly defines that vicinity to exclude picnic areas, shelters, trails, playground areas and other athletic facilities, while comfort stations and the access/egress roads count as part of the vicinity.
Once the game ends, the grace period is short: the park closes to the public 15 minutes after the final out. Outside that scenario, anyone found inside a Town park between sunset and sunrise is in violation of Chapter 174, Article I, the same article that bans park alcohol use, unauthorized fires and off-hours swimming.
Violations & Fines
Section 174-19 makes any Article I violation, including being in a closed park after hours, an offense punishable by a fine of up to $200, imprisonment of up to 90 days, or both. Park staff and police may also remove violators under the Town's general park-enforcement authority.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time do Cheektowaga's Town parks close?
Can I stay in a Cheektowaga park after dark if there's a night softball game?
What happens if I'm caught in a Cheektowaga park after closing?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cheektowaga
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