Henrico County, VA Special Events & Permits: Park Event Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permission required for
- Vending, signs, amplified sound
- Granted by
- Parks & recreation director
- Reservation priority
- Picnic facility reservation holders
- Noise cap
- Audible past 200 ft, unless reserved
- Refusing to yield facility
- Charged as trespassing (§14-48)
Summary
Henrico's parks and recreation department controls who can hold gatherings, sell goods or run amplified sound in county parks. County Code §§ 14-43, 14-44 and 14-48 require written permission from the director for vending, signage or noise, and give reservation holders priority over walk-in use of picnic facilities.
No person may sell or offer for sale, hire or lease, or let out any object or merchandise... or erect any building, booth, tent, stall or any other structure whatsoever, except for bona fide camping purposes, within any park without prior written permission from the director. ... No person may erect or post within any park any sign, notice or advertisement of any nature, nor may any person operate any musical instrument, radio, talking machine, phonograph, tape recorder or drum, or make any noise, for the purpose of attracting attention to any exhibition of any kind within a park, without prior express, written permission from the director as part of an approved park reservation. ... Persons with reservations issued by the director have priority in the use of picnic facilities. Failure to relinquish picnic facilities to a person with such a reservation is a violation of this section and constitutes trespassing.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 14, Article II governs every county park. ' Section 14-48 gives reservation holders priority at picnic facilities: anyone who refuses to give up a reserved picnic shelter to the person holding the reservation is committing trespass under that section. Section 14-53's noise restriction carries the same reservation exception: amplified sound that would otherwise be capped at audible-beyond-200-feet is allowed when it runs under the director's written permission as part of an approved park reservation. Section 14-54 lets the director publish rules for picnic, playground, recreation and athletic-field use, and makes violating those published rules grounds for expulsion, enforceable by law enforcement.
Violations & Fines
Operating a booth, sign or sound system in a park without the director's written permission violates §§ 14-43 and 14-44. Bumping a reservation holder out of a reserved picnic facility is a trespass violation under § 14-48. Breaking rules the director publishes for an amenity under § 14-54 is grounds for expulsion from the park, enforced by law enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to reserve a picnic shelter in a Henrico park?
Can I run a speaker or PA system for an event in a Henrico park?
Do vendors need permission to sell items in a county park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Henrico County
Compare Henrico County to another location·View the Virginia special events & permits overview
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