Haverford, PA Special Events & Permits: Block Party Permits (2026)

Haverford Township handles block parties through the traffic code, not a standalone block party chapter. Section 175-20 authorizes the Township Manager to designate as play highways, whenever he deems the action advisable and for whatever period of time he directs, any portion of any highway in the Township where block parties and festive occasions, sledding and coasting are permitted. The text names block parties directly, so a neighborhood that wants a street closed for a party is asking the Township Manager for this designation.

Once a street is designated, it is set apart for the purpose under the direction of the Police Department. That puts the Haverford Township Police Department in charge of the closure on the day. The closure lasts for the period the Township Manager directs, not for a period the organizer picks.

The operating rule is in subsection B. No person shall operate any motor vehicle or tractor on a play highway at any time when it is so designated. The only exception is an emergency, or special permission of the Township Manager or of the police officer in charge, and that officer must first clear the street of all persons using it for the purpose for which it was set aside. Subsection C separately establishes the portions of highways in Schedule XIII (§ 175-88) as standing play highways during the times designated there.

The cost is printed in the Board of Commissioners' fee schedule, Chapter A187, under Police services: a block party permit is $35. The same list prints police details at $95 per hour, per officer, and a live music permit at $10, which are separate line items for organizers who add those elements.