Monterey Park, CA Special Events & Permits: Block Party Permits (2026)

Chapter 9.57 defines a "block party" as a noncommercial sociable gathering on a local, not arterial or collector, street requiring partial or complete street closure for the festival (§ 9.57.020). Every general event application must first supply organizer contact information, dates, boundaries, participant counts, and vendor and sound equipment details (§ 9.57.130). Section 9.57.150 requires block party applicants to additionally provide the number of occupied houses within the proposed boundaries, a drawing of the street layout and proposed barricades, and the written consent of at least two-thirds of the property owners and residents on the affected street, with the petition stating the time, date, place, and sponsor of the event and each signer's name, address, and phone number.

Under § 9.57.190, a completed block party application must be filed at least fifteen business days before the event, or ten business days if the applicant waives administrative review rights, and the public works director must approve, conditionally approve, or deny it within seven business days. The applicant's written acceptance of an approval must follow within three business days of notice. If the permit is denied or conditioned and the applicant filed at least fifteen business days out, an administrative review request may be filed with the director within three business days of the decision, but that decision is final: there is no city council appeal for block parties. Permit conditions can cover barricades, traffic cones, sound amplification limits, cleanup, and insurance under § 9.57.250 and § 9.57.270.