Catawba County, NC Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)

Section 34-27(b) requires a group of 25 or more persons to submit a written application to the county manager identifying the sponsoring organization, the individual submitting the application, the person responsible for carrying the permit, the specific county property location (permitted locations include the lawns of the Justice Center, Government Center, 1924 Courthouse, and Social Services and Public Health), the date with start and end times, and the anticipated number of participants. Upon receipt of a completed, valid application, the county manager 'shall approve' it, meaning approval is mandatory once the paperwork is in order rather than discretionary.

The permit holder must carry the permit at all times and present it on request. Once underway, assemblies are restricted to grassy areas and cannot block vehicle entry/exit, street crossings, building entrances, emergency personnel, or traffic; parking must be in designated spaces; signs and placards cannot exceed 36 inches and their poles must be blunt, non-metal, and no more than three-fourths inch in diameter if made of wood. Law enforcement can assign competing groups separate locations without regard to message content, based on which group applied first.

Article II was substantially rewritten by Ordinance No. 2012-12, adopted August 20, 2012, replacing a prior facilities-and-grounds article dating to 2004, and further amended by Ordinance No. 2022-03 on February 7, 2022.