Special Events & Permits in Indiana (2026)

A block party, neighborhood picnic, or similar event that closes a county street needs a permit from the Board of…

Fort Wayne requires a permit for any block party, issued jointly by the Directors of Public Works and Public Safety…

Indianapolis treats a block party, a single-day event held by and for a neighborhood's own residents, as a special…

Private residents closing a Lake County road for a block party that will serve beer or liquor need only the…

A South Bend block party counts as a Tier I 'neighborhood' special event and needs a Special Event Committee permit…

Anyone staging a circus, carnival, festival, athletic contest, exhibition or outdoor beer garden on county-owned land…

Groups that want exclusive use of a LaPorte County park facility, or a picnic of 25 or more people, must get a…

Any meeting, exhibition, parade, concert, athletic contest or organized picnic in a South Bend park requires a permit…

Elkhart County requires a written reservation agreement before anyone can occupy a park shelter or facility posted as…

Using a reserved Fishers park shelter, athletic facility, or other posted facility without the official Parks…

Fort Wayne requires a permit from the Parks and Recreation Department to reserve pavilions, gardens, athletic fields…

Picnics and gatherings in Indianapolis city parks require a permit from the Board of Parks and Recreation or the park's…

Reserving a shelter, field or other facility in a St. Joseph County park runs through a permit governed by Code Section…

Tippecanoe County requires prior written approval before anyone holds an event or operates a vehicle in a county park…

Clark County requires a permit from the County Sheriff before any parade or procession may occupy, march or proceed…

Evansville requires a $5.00 permit from the Board of Public Safety to hold or join a parade, with applications due at…

Fishers requires a Police Chief-issued permit before any procession of 200 or more people or 25 or more vehicles…

Fort Wayne requires a permit from the Directors of Public Safety and Public Works before any parade, public assembly of…

Hamilton County has no separate parade ordinance, but any gathering of 500 or more people at a venue not built for…

Parades in Indianapolis need a special event license, and Sec. 986-303 requires organizers to submit the route, start…

Anyone planning a circus, carnival, bazaar, festival, exhibition, athletic contest, outdoor beer garden, or similar…

Organizing or joining a parade or rally on county roads or county property in LaPorte County requires a permit from the…

Anyone who wants to conduct, organize, or promote a parade or other special event on South Bend streets, sidewalks or…

St. Joseph County's sheriff's office, not the county council, is the permitting authority for parades, holidays…

A not-for-profit organization must obtain a City festival license before letting vendors sell goods or run rides or…

Any festival using city streets, sidewalks, alleys, parks or parking lots needs a barricade, sidewalk or parade permit…

Vendors who sell food, merchandise, or souvenirs at an Indianapolis street fair or festival inside the special event…

A food vendor selling at a fair, carnival, or festival in unincorporated Lake County operates under a "temporary food…

Anyone operating a circus, sideshow, carnival or street fair for pay in unincorporated St. Joseph County needs a permit…

Evansville requires a City Controller-issued license before any business may run a sidewalk cafe in the public…

A sidewalk café in Indianapolis is legally an 'encroachment' into the public right-of-way, so it needs a written…

Running an outdoor cafe on a South Bend sidewalk without a Board of Public Works permit is unlawful. Permits cost…