Tonawanda, NY Curfew Laws: Park Curfew (2026)

Section 142-12, Hours; exceptions, amended 4-14-1980, closes every park, playground and recreation facility owned or maintained by the Town of Tonawanda between sunset and sunrise the following day. Three exceptions apply. Subsection A allows a person traveling to, from, or participating in an event or activity under the direct supervision of the town. Subsection B covers a person traveling to, from, or using a facility or location for which the town has issued a special permit allowing use during those after-hours periods, tying the curfew to the group-use permit system in Section 142-9.

Subsection C exempts anyone using the town boat-launching facility for boating or fishing, recognizing that anglers and boaters often need pre-dawn or after-dark access. The curfew sits alongside other Chapter 142 park rules that shape after-hours and event use: Section 142-1 bars discharging firearms or fireworks in a park without Town Board permission, Section 142-2 bars damaging park property including trees, signs, equipment, statues, fences and bridges, Section 142-4 requires dogs to be leashed at all times in a park, and Section 142-10 caps vehicle speed on park roads at 15 miles per hour while barring snowmobiles, motorcycles and motorized bicycles outright.

Together these provisions give town officials, including the Superintendent of Parks and the Police Department, the tools to close and secure parkland overnight while still allowing permitted evening events and lawful fishing or boating access.