Owensboro, KY Special Events & Permits: Park Event Permits (2026)

Sec. 19-4 gives the parks and recreation director authority, subject to the city manager's approval, to establish a schedule of rates, rentals and fees for admission to and use of all services the city renders in connection with operating its park facilities and programs, which is the administrative basis for reserving a shelter, field or other park space for a private gathering. That reservation system sits alongside the broader restricted-activities list in Sec. 19-6, which separately bars erecting tents or structures, serving alcohol, or holding commercial activity in a park without authorization.

If a planned event would otherwise violate one of those restrictions, Sec. 19-7 lets the special events committee approve it in writing, or lets the city manager grant a variance considering factors including impact on public health and safety, traffic, access to emergency services, and diversion of city resources. The Parks and Recreation Department, created by Sec. 19-1 and headed by the director established in Sec. 19-3, administers both the fee schedule and the variance process. Because the fee schedule itself is set and posted administratively rather than printed as a fixed dollar figure in the code, the section's only fixed text is the authorization to charge for use and require permits, not a specific rate table.