Lake Charles, LA Special Events & Permits: Park Event Permits (2026)

Sec. 15-70 sets the park-reservation process administered by the community services department. Anyone wanting to reserve "certain areas or facilities in a park or sponsor a park activity" must file an application "at least 15 working days prior to the date of the requested use," and a permit from the director is required before the activity can proceed. Groups of 25 or more face an extra layer: they "must submit an application and receive approval prior to access or use of any such park, area, or facility," while smaller groups still file an application but without the pre-access approval requirement.

The application must list the applicant's name and address, any sponsoring organization, requested day and hours, the specific park or portion sought, an estimated attendance, and any other information the director finds necessary. The director issues the permit only after finding the activity will not unreasonably interfere with public enjoyment of the park, is not reasonably anticipated to incite violence or disorder, will not entail extraordinary police or city expense, and does not conflict with an existing reservation for the same time and place. If a permit is refused, Sec.

15-70(d) requires the director to explain the refusal in writing within seven working days, and the applicant can appeal in writing to the mayor within seven working days; the mayor must sustain or overrule the denial within 30 working days, and that decision is final. Sec. 1 layers on cost recovery for large groups: a $100 cleanup deposit for 25 to 50 people, $200 for more than 50, security officers billed at the current police rate with a four-hour minimum paid directly by the organizer, and community services staff billed at a two-hour minimum for events after normal park hours.