Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK Special Events & Permits: Park Event Permits (2026)

Matanuska-Susitna Borough Code Chapter 8.55 requires a permit for any 'mass outdoor gathering,' defined at MSB § 8.55.010(A)(3) as an outdoor event attended by more than 500 people that includes theatrical exhibition, public show, display, entertainment, amusement or similar exhibition such as a musical or rock festival. The chapter applies only in the areas of the borough outside the incorporated cities of Wasilla, Palmer and Houston (MSB § 8.55.020), so a festival inside those city limits falls under that city's own rules, not this one.

It exempts events run by a government agency on public land, events held entirely inside an enclosed structure, and activities already covered by a Title 17 conditional use permit. An operator applies to the director of Planning and Land Use on borough forms at least 90 days before the first day of advertising and pays a fee set by the assembly (MSB § 8.55.050). The application must include a site plan covering security and crowd control, traffic signage, potable water, sanitation, noise control and a public safety and fire protection plan (MSB § 8.55.060).

Standards under MSB § 8.55.040 set one uniformed security guard per 150 attendees, at least one EMT per 1,000 attendees for larger or remote events, one gallon of water per person per day, one toilet per 75 persons, and general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence naming the borough as additional insured. Amplified sound may not carry across the site's property line between midnight and 8 a.m. The director must issue a decision within 30 calendar days of an application (MSB § 8.55.080), and a denied applicant may appeal in writing to the borough manager within seven days (MSB § 8.55.090).