Flagstaff, AZ Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)

Flagstaff City Code § 8-12-001-0002 requires anyone conducting a special event on City property, defined in § 8-12-001-0001 to include an outdoor festival, parade, or other outdoor event needing extra City services or exclusive use of the property, to first obtain a special event permit from the City of Flagstaff Recreation Section's Office of Community Events. A parade itself is defined as a march, procession, or similar activity of persons, animals or vehicles that disrupts normal traffic flow on a public street, excluding funeral processions.

Applications are scored against criteria in subsection C, including whether City property is available and suitable for the requested date and whether a requested street closure would interfere with traffic, harm nearby businesses, outstrip available public-safety staffing, or serve only to expand alcohol sales, the last of which subsection C(5)(g) bars outright. Subsection D lists grounds for denial or revocation, among them a late or incomplete application, material misrepresentation, prior permit violations by the applicant, unpaid damage to City property, a scheduling conflict with a previously planned City program, and a proposed use prohibited by law.

Permits go only to applicants 18 or older, 21 or older if alcohol will be served, and must be kept on site and shown on request. Protest rallies and picketing are exempt from the permit requirement under subsection E(8), though organizers seeking a street closure for a protest are told to contact the Flagstaff Police Department. Subsection G gives an applicant ten days after a denial or revocation to file a written appeal with the Office of Community Events, which must respond within five days through the City Manager or a Deputy City Manager, deciding the appeal solely on the criteria set out in the section.