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Southborough, MA Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified October 2026

Key Facts

Permit issuer
Select Board
Form of permit
Written permit, obtained before the parade or procession
Places covered
Public streets, public sidewalks and public ways in the Town
Printed exceptions
Military and funeral parades and processions
Noise bylaw exemption
Parades and events with appropriate permits or licenses (§ 130-5(E))

Summary

In Southborough, no person can form or conduct a parade in any public street, public sidewalk or public way, or any procession other than a military or funeral procession, without first obtaining a written permit from the Select Board. Section 127-1 is the only section in Chapter 127.

No person shall form or conduct any parade in any public street, public sidewalk or public way within the Town, or any procession, except a military or funeral parade or procession, within such public street, sidewalk or way without first obtaining a written permit from the Select Board.

View official code

Full Breakdown

Chapter 127 has one section, § 127-1. It requires a written permit from the Select Board before anyone forms or conducts a parade in any public street, public sidewalk or public way within the Town. The same permit requirement covers any procession on those streets, sidewalks or ways. Only two kinds of procession are carved out: a military parade or procession and a funeral parade or procession. Everything else needs the Select Board's written permit first. The chapter was adopted as Art. XI, Sec. 2 of the 1983 Code and amended 11-1-2021 by Special Town Meeting Article 2.

Chapter 127 itself prints no fee, application deadline, insurance requirement or penalty, so the permit conditions come from the Select Board. Related Town rules touch the same events. The noise bylaw exempts, in § 130-5(E), parades, public gatherings, or events for which appropriate permits or licenses have been issued or which are constitutionally protected. Section 130-7(D) also lets the Select Board grant temporary exceptions to the noise bylaw of no more than three days, and the Board can require notification of all abutters within 300 feet of the exception location. If an event needs staging or another temporary structure on a public sidewalk, § 152-4 requires a separate written permit approved by the Select Board or its designee. Chapter 131, Peace and Good Order, lists Chapter 127 among its general references to parades.

Violations & Fines

Chapter 127 prints no fine, fee or penalty clause. The printed prohibition is conducting a parade or procession in a public street, sidewalk or way without first obtaining the Select Board's written permit. The only exceptions printed are military and funeral parades and processions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit to hold a parade in Southborough?
Yes. Section 127-1 says no person shall form or conduct any parade in any public street, public sidewalk or public way within the Town, or any procession on them, without first obtaining a written permit from the Select Board. The only exceptions are military and funeral parades and processions.
Is a funeral procession exempt?
Yes. Section 127-1 excludes a military parade or procession and a funeral parade or procession from the written permit requirement. Every other parade or procession on a public street, sidewalk or way within the Town needs the Select Board's written permit before it forms.
Who issues the permit?
The Select Board issues it, and the permit must be written. Chapter 127 does not print a fee, an application deadline or a penalty, so an organizer asks the Select Board for the conditions. Staging on a public sidewalk needs its own permit under § 152-4.
Does a permitted parade have to meet the noise bylaw?
Section 130-5(E) exempts noise from parades, public gatherings, or events for which appropriate permits or licenses have been issued or which are constitutionally protected. Section 130-7(D) separately lets the Select Board grant a temporary exception of no more than three days, with abutter notice within 300 feet.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Southborough

Block Party PermitsLight RestrictionsParking Rules: Loading ZonesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Driveway RulesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Commercial & Oversized VehiclesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Abandoned VehiclesSome RestrictionsAnimal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic ZoningSignificant RestrictionsLandscaping Rules: Native PlantsLight Restrictions

All Southborough rules

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Parade Permits in Nearby Cities

How other cities in this county handle parade permits.

Leominster, MA
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Worcester, MA
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