Waco, TX Special Events & Permits: Block Party Permits (2026)

Chapter 13, Article XIV treats a block party differently from a commercial festival because it defines a specific category for it. Section 13-481 defines a 'neighborhood event' as an event with less than 500 attendees at any one time that is sponsored by a neighborhood association and held in the neighborhood of that association or in a city park adjacent to the neighborhood; a 'neighborhood association' under the same section must be open to all adult residents of the neighborhood, meet at least twice a year with minutes kept, and be registered with the city.

Any neighborhood event, like any other special event that closes a street, still needs a permit under Section 13-483 from the outdoor events manager. 00 in city fees and costs for one neighborhood event held each year. That waiver comes with conditions. It is unavailable if the event closes non-residential streets, occupies more than two city blocks, falls on a city holiday, charges an admission fee, or, most relevant to a residential block party, if the event requires closing a residential street, sidewalk or right-of-way and less than 60 percent of all property owners along the block faces of that closed block, as shown by the current tax roll, consent to the closure.

In practice, a neighborhood association organizing a street closure for a block party has to canvass its own block, document the 60 percent consent threshold, and still comply with every other article requirement, including the user agreement and insurance rules in Section 13-489, before the waiver applies.