Mount Prospect, IL Special Events & Permits: Block Party Permits (2026)

Section 10.102(B) of the Mount Prospect Village Code carves block parties out of the special event permit system. It sets four conditions in one sentence: the event closes a village street, it is a neighborhood block party, it is intended for residents of the block, their family members and close friends, and it is not intended to be open to the general public. An event that meets that description is not a special event.

The line is drawn by who is invited. The definition in section 10.101 treats a planned temporary activity on Village-controlled property as a special event, including entertainment, food and beverage service, or the sale of souvenirs or other merchandise. It also lists street closures and barricades among the special village services that mark an event as one needing a permit. A block party that advertises to the public, sells goods, or draws people from outside the block falls outside the exemption and returns to the permit process, which has a thirty business day filing deadline, a $1,000,000 per incident insurance requirement and a minimum age of twenty-one for the permit holder.

The exemption speaks only to the special event permit. Section 10.102(A) separately warns that additional permits, such as a tent permit or temporary food permit, can be required for special events. The only mention of a block party in the Village Code is this exemption, and the code as staged prints no separate block party application, fee or notice procedure. The ten foot emergency vehicle path in section 10.109 is worded for closures included in a special event permit. Residents planning a closure should contact the Village of Mount Prospect about how a closure is arranged before setting a date.