Rochester, MN Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)

Chapter 8-13 defines a 'parade' broadly under Sec. 8-13-1 as any march, procession or similar activity of people, animals, vehicles or things on a public street, sidewalk, alley or other public place that does not comply with normal traffic regulations, expressly excluding funeral processions. Sec. 8-13-2 bars anyone from conducting, sponsoring or knowingly participating in a parade unless the council has granted a permit. Sec. 8-13-3 requires the applicant to file with the city clerk at least ten days before the parade date, listing the applicant's name and contact information, the date and hours of the parade, the assembly and disbanding locations and times, the approximate number of participants and vehicles or floats, the exact route and which sidewalks or traffic lanes it will use, and a list of any animals in the parade, along with the license fee set by the council.

Sec. 8-13-4 requires the council to issue the permit if it can make six specific findings, including that the parade will not unnecessarily interfere with traffic without adequate mitigation, that enough peace officers or authorized volunteers will be available to protect participants and bystanders, that the concentration of people or vehicles will not block police, fire or ambulance access, that the parade will not be conducted for an unlawful purpose, and that it will not conflict with another permit already issued for the same area.

The council may instead limit the parade to a sidewalk or specific traffic lanes without that counting as a denial. Sec. 8-13-5 lets the city clerk secure informal approval from four councilmembers if no council meeting falls between the filing date and the parade date, and Sec. 8-13-6 lets the council offer an alternate date, time, location or route if it denies the original application.