Fort Lauderdale, FL Special Events & Permits: Park Event Permits (2026)

Fort Lauderdale keeps its parks and public beach open to general public use as a baseline right, and treats any exclusive reservation as the exception that needs sign-off. Sec. 19-1 states the city holds its parks and beach for the use, convenience and enjoyment of the citizens and visitors of the city and bars exclusive use by any person, group or association to the exclusion of the general public, except with the approval of the city commission. That makes the city commission, not staff, the approving body for any event or gathering that would take over a park area for private use.

Related provisions round out the permit picture for organized activity in parks. Sec. 19-2 requires anyone selling food, goods, services or merchandise in a park or beach area, including vendors at a private event, to have either an awarded concession contract or written approval from the city manager or a designee tied to a city-sponsored, cosponsored, or administered special event. Sec. 19-3(a) gives the city manager authority to set park and recreational facility user fees, weighing comparable fees elsewhere, the value received, and the cost of operating and maintaining the facility. Sec. 19-3(b) allows the parks and recreation director to waive that fee and donate facility use to a recognized homeowners association or a government entity that shows a public purpose, but only if the group first provides insurance satisfactory to the city's risk manager and signs an indemnification agreeing to defend and hold the city harmless.

Violating the exclusive-use rule in Sec. 19-1 or the vendor-approval requirement in Sec. 19-2 is a Code of Ordinances violation enforced under the general penalty provision, Sec. 1-6: fine up to $500, up to 60 days in jail, or both, with continuing violations charged per day.