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

Chapter 138, Parades and Public Assemblages, was adopted by the Town Board in 1974 and rewritten in its entirety on 4-19-2021 by Local Law No. 1-2021. Section 138-1 requires a written permit from the Town Clerk, issued after review by the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, before any parade, demonstration, public gathering or assembly may take place on a street, highway, sidewalk or similar public place within the Town, outside the Village of Kenmore's corporate limits, which has its own separate permitting. Section 138-1.1 defines a demonstration broadly to include marches, protests, student walk-outs, assemblies and sit-ins that attract a crowd, but excludes casual activity without the intent or propensity to draw one, and defines a parade as an event on public streets or highways in the Town outside Kenmore.

Under Section 138-1.2, an applicant submits a completed application to the Town Clerk or Police Department along with the town's rules and guidelines for the event; if the Town Clerk denies the permit after police review, the applicant can file a written appeal with the Town Attorney within five business days, and the Town Attorney must issue a written decision within five business days of receiving that appeal. The Chief of Police may issue further rules and guidelines to implement the chapter. Section 138-1.3 places enforcement with the Town of Tonawanda Police Department.