Portsmouth, VA Special Events & Permits: Park Event Permits (2026)

Sec. 25-90 authorizes the parks director to issue a permit for the use of designated portions of parks upon payment of fees and execution of a written agreement setting the terms and conditions of use. Sec. 25-93, "Meetings and exhibitions," separately makes it unlawful to erect any structure, stand, or platform, hold any meeting or exhibition, perform any ceremony, or make a speech or address in any park except by permit, covering the event-gathering use case directly. Sec. 25-89 governs how every park permit operates once issued: it authorizes the activity only to the extent performed in strict accordance with its terms, and any violation by the permit holder or their agents is grounds for revocation by the director, whose decision is final.

On revocation, all money paid toward the permit is, at the director's option, forfeited to and retained by the city, and the permit holder remains jointly and severally liable for any damages exceeding the forfeited amount, a liability that survives even full forfeiture. Related sections in the same article layer on additional permit requirements for specific event elements: Sec. 25-94 requires a permit for any commercial sale or business activity in a park, Sec. 25-96 requires a separate permit for operating a bus, taxicab, or commercial vehicle within a park (violation is a Class 3 misdemeanor), and Sec.

25-97 bars unpermitted signs or noise-making to attract attention to an exhibition. Absent a specific penalty, Article III's default under Sec. 25-88 applies: any violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor.