Brookhaven, NY Special Events & Permits: Park Event Permits (2026)

Chapter 10 (Parks and Recreation Areas) treats casual public use of a park differently from an organized gathering. Section 10-9 lets the Town Board, Trustees, or their designated representatives define which areas of a park may be used for particular activities and regulate that use to prevent congestion, and it specifically requires that 'all organized picnics and outings shall first obtain a special permit from the Commissioner of Parks, Recreation and Human Resources' before the event can proceed. Section 10-10 covers a wider set of organized activities: no person may erect a structure, stand, or platform, hold a meeting, perform a ceremony, make a speech or address, exhibit a performance, or form a parade or procession inside any Town park without prior permission from the Town Board, Trustees, or their designated representatives.

Together, the two sections mean that anything beyond a family visiting a beach or playground, whether it is a company picnic, a religious ceremony, a scheduled speech, or a small parade route that runs through a park rather than a public street, needs sign-off before it happens. Section 10-5 sets the general permitting mechanic for the whole chapter: any permit issued authorizes an activity only to the extent it is performed in strict accordance with its stated terms and conditions, and applications go to whatever agency the Town Board or Trustees designate.

Because § 10-9 and § 10-10 sit in the same chapter as the park hours and fee rules, an organizer booking a park picnic area should also expect to pay any facility use charge required under § 10-6 in addition to securing the special-event permission.