La Mesa, CA Special Events & Permits: Park Event Permits (2026)

Section 9.08.152 sets three separate triggers for a park use permit: any group of twenty-five or more persons using a park, any individual or group of any size bringing alcohol into a park, and any use of temporary recreational equipment, structures or attractions, defined to include party jumps, merry-go-rounds, carnival rides or similar attractions that aren't part of the park's permanent amenities. The section directs that permit applications 'should be made not less than thirty days in advance of the requested date of use.' Permits are issued by the department of parks and recreation, whose separate Chapter 9.09 rules govern building-facility reservations and set hours (7:30 a.m. to 10:00 or 11:30 p.m., depending on the day and facility) for city buildings like the La Mesa Community Center and Recreation Center.

Section 9.08.154 warns that any individual, group or organization that abuses the privilege of special-permit park use 'will be deprived of using them at any future date,' and Section 9.08.151 separately bars firearms, air guns, archery equipment, slingshots or explosives from any park or recreational area regardless of permit status. Violations of the permit requirement, like other Chapter 9.08 rules, are infractions enforced under Section 9.08.160's reference to the code's general penalty clause in Section 1.01.080.