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Ascension Parish, LA Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Application deadline
90 days before the event
Council vote deadline
At least 60 days before event
Extra approval
District council member sign-off required
Exemption
Religious, community, civic, social club events
Unpermitted event penalty
Misdemeanor under Sec. 13-32

Summary

Ascension Parish requires anyone staging an outdoor fair, festival, or jamboree to apply at least ninety days ahead and win a majority vote of the parish council, plus the sign-off of the council member representing the event's district, under Code § 13-30. Religious, community, civic, and social club events are exempt from the whole article.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Ascension Parish. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

All applications for the conduct of outdoor fairs, festivals or jamborees shall be made at least ninety (90) days in advance of the scheduled event and approved by a majority vote of the parish council not less than sixty (60) days prior to the event; provided further, that any such event shall also have the vote and approval of the council member from the area in which the event is to be held or conducted. ... There shall be excepted from this article any such activity sponsored or sanctioned by religious, community, civic or social clubs recognized in the parish and held for the purpose of promoting a religious, community, civic or educational purpose.

Full Breakdown

Article II of Chapter 13, adopted by a motion of the police jury on July 21, 1977, still governs 'outdoor fairs, festivals or jamborees' held in unincorporated Ascension Parish. Section 13-30 sets two deadlines that run on different clocks: the application itself must be filed at least ninety days before the event, and the parish council's approval, a majority vote, must come at least sixty days before the event, leaving roughly a month between filing and the required vote. The section adds a local check beyond the council majority: the event also needs 'the vote and approval of the council member from the area in which the event is to be held or conducted,' giving the district's own council member an effective veto separate from the full council's vote.

Section 13-31 carves out an exemption for events 'sponsored or sanctioned by religious, community, civic or social clubs recognized in the parish' when held for a religious, community, civic, or educational purpose, so a church festival or a civic association's fall fair does not need this permit at all, only commercially or privately promoted fairs, festivals, and jamborees do. 00 a year, on top of whatever permit process a given event triggers.

Violations & Fines

Running an outdoor fair, festival, or jamboree without first getting the parish council permit is a misdemeanor under Section 13-32, punishable as provided in the Code's general penalty clause, Section 1-8, up to thirty days in jail or a $500.00 fine, or both. The misdemeanor reaches not just the promoter but 'any officer and agent of a firm or corporation' involved in staging the unpermitted event.

Frequently Asked Questions

How far ahead do I need to apply to hold a festival in unincorporated Ascension Parish?
At least ninety days before the event, under Code § 13-30. The parish council then has to approve the application by majority vote no later than sixty days before the event, and the council member representing the event's district must also approve it separately.
Does a church fall festival need this permit?
No. Section 13-31 exempts activities sponsored or sanctioned by religious, community, civic, or social clubs recognized in the parish when held for a religious, community, civic, or educational purpose, so most nonprofit and congregational events fall outside Article II entirely.
What happens if I hold a festival without council approval?
Section 13-32 makes it a misdemeanor to conduct or cause to be conducted an outdoor fair, festival, or jamboree without the required permit, punishable under the Code's general penalty section, up to thirty days in jail or a $500.00 fine, and liability extends to any officer or agent of a sponsoring firm.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Ascension Parish

All Ascension Parish rules

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