Outdoor-event noise is municipal, not countywide. Reading allows band concerts, block parties and church carnivals in public or private outdoor spaces only if they do not run between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. and all required permits are obtained.
Berks County sets no outdoor-music rule; municipalities do. Reading Code §387-107.C exempts “band concerts, block parties, church carnivals or other performances or similar activities” held outdoors from the noise chapter, but only if they do not occur between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. and all necessary permits have been procured. Stationary amplified announcements at athletic, political and civic events are also exempt (§387-107.A). Non-amplified school and public-program sounds are exempt too (§387-107.F). Outside those exemptions, outdoor amplified music must still meet the §387-104.A disturbance limits.
Events running past 10:00 p.m. or without permits lose the exemption and face $25–$1,000 fines plus costs per day.
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See how Berks County's outdoor music rules stack up against other locations.
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