Hendersonville, TN Special Events & Permits: Park Event Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- Board of Parks and Recreation
- Activities requiring one
- Meetings, speeches, parades, sales, exhibitions
- Permit scope
- Limited strictly to its written terms
- Revocation trigger
- Any violation of permit terms
- Fee forfeiture
- Board may keep fees on revocation
- Picnics/outings
- Governed by separate board rules, § 20-503(13)
Summary
Holding a meeting, ceremony, exhibition, sale, or organized gathering in a Hendersonville city park takes a permit from the Board of Parks and Recreation first: Section 20-503(9) limits every permit strictly to its written terms, and the board can revoke it and keep the fee if those terms are broken.
(9)Permits. A permit to do any act shall authorize the act only insofar as it may be performed in strict accordance with the written terms and conditions thereof. Any violations of any law, chapter, provisions of this code, or rule or regulation of the board or of any other Hendersonville Department by the holder or the agents or employees of the holder of any permit of any term or condition thereof, shall constitute grounds for revocation of the board or by its authorized representative, whose action therein shall be final. In case of revocation of any permit, all monies paid for or on account thereof shall, at the opinion of the board, be forfeited to and be retained by the government; and the holder of such permit, together with his agents and employees who violated such permit, shall be jointly and severally liable to the Government of Hendersonville for all damages and loss suffered by it in excess of money so forfeited.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 4).
Full Breakdown
Hendersonville Municipal Code Section 20-503 (Prohibited Uses) requires a permit from the Board of Parks and Recreation for most organized park activity. Subsection (9) states that a permit to do any act authorizes the act only insofar as it may be performed in strict accordance with its written terms and conditions, and any violation of those terms by the holder or the holder's agents constitutes grounds for revocation by the board or its authorized representative, whose decision is final; on revocation, all monies paid may be forfeited to the government at the board's option, and the permit holder, together with any agent who violated the permit, stays jointly and severally liable to the city for damages and loss suffered in excess of the money forfeited.
Several specific park uses each require their own permit under the same section: Subsection (10) covers erecting a stand or platform, staging a dramatic performance, holding a parade, or running an athletic contest; Subsection (12) requires a permit to erect a structure, hold a meeting, perform a ceremony, or make a speech, address, or oration in any park, with the board setting its own criteria for approving or denying that request; Subsection (13) authorizes the board to adopt separate rules governing picnics and outings; and Subsection (14) requires a permit before anyone sells, exhibits, or offers merchandise or a commercial service in a park.
Section 20-502 makes clear the permit requirement applies throughout, within, and upon all areas under the supervision and control of the board, covering every Hendersonville park, playground, and recreation facility.
Violations & Fines
Holding an unpermitted meeting, parade, sale, or exhibition in a Hendersonville park violates Section 20-503, and a permit holder who breaks any written term of an issued permit faces revocation by the board under Section 20-503(9), forfeits fees already paid at the board's option, and remains jointly and severally liable, along with any agents involved, for damages the city suffers beyond that forfeited amount.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to hold a birthday party or reunion in a Hendersonville park?
Can I sell merchandise or run a booth in a city park?
What happens if I break the terms of my park permit?
Do I need a permit for a parade or athletic contest in a park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hendersonville
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