Kennewick, WA Special Events & Permits: Park Event Permits (2026)

KMC 10.08.040(4)(a) sets the baseline: "Parks close one-half hour after sunset until 6:00 a.m., with the exception of the Lawrence Scott Pickleball Complex, which closes at 10:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m.," and adds that "Written permission from City of Kennewick Parks and Recreation Department may be obtained for special events." That written-permission mechanism recurs through the same subsection: alcohol is otherwise barred on park and recreation premises under 10.08.040(4)(d) unless written permission is obtained; open fires require Parks and Recreation authorization under 10.08.040(4)(f); and vehicles cannot stop, stand, or park on grass areas under 10.08.040(2)(i) except when authorized "by a valid special event permit issued by the City," which may designate specific parking areas. The Director of Parks, Recreation and Facilities, or a designee, is authorized to set additional restrictions on the use of City parks, facilities, and memorials.

A "park" is defined at 10.08.040(1)(a) as any public park, green space, or recreational area owned, leased, or maintained by the City, so the permit mechanism covers the full park system, not just Columbia Park. Applicants should expect the permit to address the specific rules being waived, such as after-hours access, alcohol, fire, or vehicle parking on turf, since each carve-out in the ordinance is tied to its own written-permission clause rather than one blanket special-event form. Violations of the after-hours, alcohol, and fire provisions in subsection (4) are classified as misdemeanors, a heavier penalty tier than the class 3 infractions that cover most other park rules in subsection (2), such as leash and dog-park requirements. The Kennewick Police and the Parks Director may also issue a trespass notification, valid 30 to 365 days, against anyone with probable cause of an offense in a park, and the Parks Commission can extend or expand that exclusion by motion.