Asheville, NC Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)

Chapter 16, Division 2 (Sec. 16-111 through 16-120) governs parades and picketing, administered by the chief of police under Sec. 16-112. A 'parade' is defined at Sec. 16-113 as any march, demonstration, ceremony or procession moving along a specified route in or upon a street, sidewalk or other city-controlled public ground; a 'parade permit' is prior written authorization to use those areas. Sec. C. Gen. § 14-4. Sec. 16-115 requires participants to follow the permit's terms, bars unreasonably obstructing a parade, and flatly prohibits parading without a permit from the chief of police, each a separate misdemeanor.

Exceptions excuse funeral processions, school groups under staff supervision, government agencies, and traditional public-forum demonstrations from the permit requirement; assemblies on sidewalks, parks, Pack Square or Pritchard Park need no permit unless they are expected to require closing a street. Applications must be filed with the chief of police at least five days before the parade, listing the organizer's contact information, date and hours, proposed route with start and end points, approximate number of participants/animals/vehicles, and the assembly area. The city charges an administrative fee from its fees and charges manual to cover processing and logistical support such as barricades and police escorts, but the chief must waive the fee in whole or part for indigent applicants or when needed to avoid infringing constitutional rights. The chief must issue the permit unless specific issuance-standard conditions listed in subsection (h), such as inadequate provision for safe movement, are present.