Palm Beach Gardens, FL Special Events & Permits: Block Party Permits (2026)

Sec. 78-751 of the Palm Beach Gardens Code defines a block party as a temporary gathering of one street block, other than an arterial or collector street, in a residential zoning district that is closed to through traffic. Because closing a public street would otherwise violate Sec. 62-2's ban on obstructing a right-of-way, Sec. 78-187(g) carves out a specific exemption: a special event or block party that blocks off, fences, or otherwise appropriates a publicly-dedicated street, sidewalk, or alley is exempt from Sec. 62-2, provided the closure request is still reviewed under the general standards of Sec.

78-187(d). The exemption comes with two conditions unique to block parties: a majority of the residents on the affected block must consent to the closure, and the event must be sponsored solely by those residents rather than for any commercial or for-profit purpose. Closure of a right-of-way outside the city's jurisdiction, such as a county- or state-maintained road, still needs separate approval from that road's owning agency. Sec. 78-187(d)(4) also exempts block parties from the general special-event rule that vehicular access must come from a collector or arterial roadway, recognizing that a block party by definition sits on a local residential street.

Because a block party remains a special event for permitting purposes, organizers still file an application with the growth management department, and city police and fire rescue review the request for traffic-control and emergency-access needs before signing off.