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

A block party on a Riverside residential street is processed by the Public Works Department as a Temporary Street Closure. Applicants submit at least 10 business days before the event, typically 21 days for weekend events, with a petition signed by a supermajority (commonly 75 percent) of residents on both sides of the affected block, a hand-drawn traffic diagram, and confirmation that emergency vehicle access is maintained via a minimum 15-foot-wide lane. No fee or a nominal administrative fee applies to purely residential block parties with no alcohol sales and no vendors; larger or commercial activities migrate to the Special Event Permit process. Amplified sound must end by 10 p.m. under Municipal Code Chapter 7.35, and bounce houses, jump houses, or mechanical amusement devices need liability insurance from the rental company. Alcohol may be served to attendees without a Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control license if it is free and private, but any sale or donation exchange requires an ABC daily-license permit. Streets classified as arterials or collectors cannot be closed for block parties — only local residential streets. Barricades are supplied by Public Works or rented from an approved traffic-control vendor.