Arapahoe County, CO Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Events per property per year
- Maximum of 4
- Consecutive weekends
- Not allowed
- Annual event-day cap
- 10 days total (setup/breakdown excluded)
- Extension eligibility
- Requires pending permanent-use application
- Extension time limit
- Up to 3 years from application date
- Underlying permit
- Temporary Use Permit, LDC § 5-5.3
Summary
Outdoor festivals, concerts, and assembly events on unincorporated Arapahoe County land need a Temporary Use Permit and are capped at four events per property per year under LDC § 3-3.13.C, with no consecutive-weekend events and a 10-day annual limit on total event time.
C. TEMPORARY OUTDOOR ENTERTAINMENT AND OUTDOOR ASSEMBLY EVENTS Outdoor entertainment and outdoor assembly events, Including but not limited to fairs, festivals and concerts may be permitted upon compliance with the use specific standards of this section.
1. Event Requirements Each property shall be limited to no more than four events per calendar year. A property shall not hold events on consecutive weekends. An event shall have a collective duration (duration refers to actual event time exclusive of setup and breakdown) of no more than 10 days per calendar year unless otherwise provided in conjunction with an approved Planned Unit Development, Use by Special Review or other development approval, and except as otherwise provided in this section.
Full Breakdown
C covers Temporary Outdoor Entertainment and Outdoor Assembly Events, defined to include but not limited to fairs, festivals, and concerts, and requires compliance with the section's use-specific standards before any such event can be permitted. The Event Requirements subsection limits each property to no more than four events per calendar year, bars holding events on consecutive weekends, and caps the collective duration of events, counting only actual event time, not setup or breakdown, at 10 days per calendar year, unless a Planned Unit Development, Use by Special Review, or other development approval provides otherwise.
The Zoning Administrator does have room to approve additional events or days beyond those caps, but only while the property has a pending, complete application to make the temporary use permanent through a General Development Plan, Specific Development Plan, or similar land use approval, and any such extension is capped at three years from when that application was first submitted. 3(10) if those conditions aren't met.
Violations & Fines
Holding more than four qualifying outdoor entertainment or assembly events on one property in a calendar year, scheduling them on consecutive weekends, or exceeding the 10-day cumulative-day cap without an approved extension violates Section 3-3.13.C's Event Requirements; because the events also require a Temporary Use Permit under Section 5-5.3, the county can deny future permits or revoke an active one under Section 5-5.3(10) for noncompliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many outdoor festivals or concerts can I hold on my property in unincorporated Arapahoe County each year?
Is there a limit on how many total days these events can run?
Can the county approve more events than the four-per-year cap?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Arapahoe County
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