Lower Merion, PA Special Events & Permits: Park Event Permits (2026)

Section 109-11 of Chapter 109, Parks and Playgrounds, governs organized park use by any group of five or more people, whether the purpose is an organized game, overnight camping, reserving picnic tables or any other special activity. Subsection A puts the Director of Parks and Recreation in charge of issuing the permit on application, requires the written application at least 48 hours before the intended use, and charges an application fee set by the Township Schedule of Fees, which the Board of Commissioners adopts and amends from time to time.

Any permit holder is made liable for loss, damage or injury caused by the negligence or fault of the applicant or the applicant's servants, agents or employees, so a group reserving a pavilion or ballfield takes on that liability exposure by accepting the permit. Subsection B lets the Township charge a separate reservation fee for particular park facilities beyond the base application fee, and Subsection C, not quoted here but part of the same section, makes a confirmed time-slot reservation take precedence over other public use of that area.

Subsection D gives the Director of Parks and Recreation authority to attach additional regulations to any group permit, which in practice can include conditions on cleanup, noise and vehicle access. The permit requirement sits apart from the age-restriction and hours rules in §§ 109-9 and 109-20, so a group with a valid permit for an event is exempted from those default limits only to the extent the permit itself authorizes it.