Smithtown, NY Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)

Chapter 119, Article III governs parades, defined in § 119-1B as an organized procession, march, walk or run. Section 119-9 mirrors the special-event ban: all parades are prohibited in the Town of Smithtown except when approved in writing by the Town Board, and an approved parade may only proceed once the Town Clerk issues a permit. That permit requires a written, verified application filed by an officer of the sponsoring organization at least 60 days before the date the parade is to commence. Section 119-10 details what the application must contain, starting with a detailed parade route accompanied by a map of the route to be traveled, drawn from an established, authorized parade route list promulgated by the Town Clerk, meaning organizers cannot design their own route from scratch but must select from or conform to routes the Clerk has already designated.

This same article structure carries over the general-provisions definitions in § 119-1, including that 'procession' is treated as synonymous with 'parade,' and the chapter's stated legislative intent in § 119-1A is to regulate parades alongside carnivals, circuses and outdoor assemblages to preserve public peace and good order and protect resident health and safety. Because Article III sits in the same chapter as the special-event rules, the penalty provision in § 119-7 applies chapter-wide, covering parade violations as well as special-event violations, and permits obtained under either article are enforced the same way.

A parade organizer who fails to secure Town Board approval before applying to the Clerk, or who deviates from the Clerk-promulgated route without authorization, is out of compliance with the permit that was actually issued.