Portage County, WI Special Events & Permits: Park Event Permits (2026)

Section 6.1.2, 'Public Meetings and Sales,' opens with the permit rule at subsection (1)(a): anyone who wants to hold a public meeting of any kind in a Portage County park must first obtain a permit from the Park Commission or its authorized agent, filed no less than 48 hours ahead of the scheduled event. Subsection (1)(b) directs the Commission to grant permits for lawful public assembly consistent with its published regulations on the reasonable use of parks, shelters and other facilities. The same section separately regulates commerce: subsection (2) bars peddling, soliciting, distributing handbills or commercial and political advertising, and posting unauthorized signs anywhere in a county park unless the Park Commission has authorized it in writing first.

Reserving space itself runs through § 6.1.1(5): a $100.00 security deposit is required to reserve any park shelter, refundable once the area is cleaned to the Parks Director's satisfaction, and the person who registers for a shelter or facility is personally responsible for compliance with every federal, state and local law as well as Commission rules, and for the conduct and any damage caused by the rest of their group. Special facilities or areas beyond the standard shelter list can be reserved for a Commission-set charge under § 6.1.1(5)(c).

Group event organizers should expect the Commission's own published rules, referenced but not reprinted in the code itself, to layer on top of these baseline permit and deposit requirements.