Lakewood, WA Special Events & Permits: Block Party Permits (2026)

LMC 18A.30.710(F) authorizes 'neighborhood or community garage or rummage sales, block parties, parades or holiday celebrations, and other similar neighborhood or community activities' as temporary uses, and lets the Director exempt certain fund-raising or nonprofit activities from the permit requirement where the proposed activity is unlikely to have adverse impacts on surrounding land uses or the community. Where a permit is required, the application goes to the Planning and Public Works Department at least fifteen (15) days before the event on the Department's prescribed form with the applicable fee (LMC 18A.30.730).

Because a block party typically closes a residential street, it must also satisfy LMC 18A.30.740's general standards: the site must be cleared of debris after the event, off-street parking and circulation must remain adequate for any nonresidential uses affected, and use of a public right-of-way beyond the immediate block requires separate City Council authorization under 18A.30.740(D). No block party or similar neighborhood activity may run more than 45 days a year, though a single event is normally a single day and does not approach that ceiling.

Before approving, the Director must find the event is compatible with the vicinity and will not create a material adverse effect on livability, and must weigh traffic generation and neighborhood noise under LMC 18A.30.750. The Director's written decision under LMC 18A.30.760 may approve, deny, or approve with conditions such as barricade placement, hours of operation, or cleanup requirements.