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

Chapter 2.53 of the Mason County Code, the special event policy for Mason County parks and trails adopted by the Board of County Commissioners under Resolution No. 33-11 on May 10, 2011, governs any use, business, carnival, community-sponsored activity, art and craft fair, or similar function that operates temporarily inside a county park; temporary is capped at no more than three consecutive days for a maximum of three times in a calendar year under § 2.53.040. Item 5 of § 2.53.030 requires that a special event permit be obtained from the parks and trails office in advance, and the group leader or sponsor may be required to submit a roster of names and addresses for everyone registered, the way a fun run applicant would list participants.

Item 10 sets a firm lead time: the application must go in at least thirty days before the event for processing. Item 17 lets the department require a refundable damage and cleanup deposit that cannot exceed five hundred dollars, returned once the responsible adult leader has left the site clean under item 18. If the permit holder fails to comply with any condition in the permit, item 26 lets the county revoke it and stop the event while it is already underway. The permit does not guarantee exclusive use of the site; the general public can keep access depending on the event's size, per item 4, and the permit cannot be assigned or the park sublet without the county's prior written consent under item 27. Noncommercial nonprofit groups that collect no fees from the public qualify for lower special-use fee tiers than commercial applicants under § 2.53.050.