Loudoun County, VA Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)

13 defines "public gathering" to include "demonstrations, picketing, speechmaking, vigils, parades, ceremonies, meetings, rallies, entertainment, games, shows, concerts, picnics and all other forms of public assembly," and requires anyone sponsoring a gathering of more than 75 people on county-owned parks, recreation areas, or outdoor areas adjacent to community centers to get a permit from the County Administrator or designee first. The application must reach the Director of Parks and Recreation at least seven days ahead and must list the sponsors' names and contact information, the on-site supervisor, expected attendance, dates and hours, whether sound-amplification devices will be used, and the nature of the activity.

The County Administrator must grant or deny within 72 hours of receipt, and silence after 72 hours means the permit is automatically granted; a denial must come with written reasons. Late applications inside the seven-day window can still be accepted if the delay was not the applicant's fault and the county's planning interests can still be met. Permits can be denied only for specific reasons under subsection (e): likely excessive property damage, more attendees than the site can hold, an incomplete or false application, refusal to agree to conditions, a scheduling conflict with an earlier applicant, or a proposed activity that would violate state law or county ordinances.

The County Administrator may attach reasonable conditions on timing, duration, location, sound devices, crowd-control assistance, restrooms, parking, traffic control, fire and police protection, first aid, site clean-up, or bonding and insurance, and subsection (g) requires the process to be applied uniformly regardless of the applicant's views. This applies to gatherings on county park and recreation property; a parade proposed for a public street or an incorporated town such as Leesburg falls under separate road-closure or town permitting processes.