Special Events & Permits in Massachusetts (2026)

Any parade, procession or lawful assembly that would occupy a Fall River street needs a written permit from the Mayor…

Quincy street closures for block parties or other lawful assemblages require the Chief of Police's authorization, who…

Anyone organizing a gathering on Chelsea public land needs a permit issued by the city agency the city manager…

Leominster requires city council permission before anyone speaks, sells goods or sets up a booth on the Common or in…

Boston requires a Mayor's permit before anyone erects a booth, tent or amplified-sound setup, or holds a ticketed show…

Cambridge requires a Recreation Commission permit before Sunday sports or games run on any public park or playground…

Fall River requires a permit from the Department of Recreational Facilities and Cemeteries to use a public park for a…

Reserving exclusive use of a Lawrence city park or playground for games requires a written permit from the director of…

Groups wanting to use a Somerville park or playground between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., such as for an athletic event…

Chelsea requires a special event permit from the licensing commission for any parade, procession or other organized…

Lawrence requires a police-issued permit before anyone may hold, organize or take part in a parade, public meeting or…

Anyone organizing a parade, march, procession or race on a Leominster street needs a permit from the chief of police…

New Bedford bars any parade or procession from occupying a street to the exclusion of other travelers unless the chief…

Quincy, Massachusetts (Norfolk County) requires a written permit from the Board of Licensing Commissioners before any…

Anyone organizing or joining a parade or procession that would take over a Revere street to the exclusion of other…

Conducting a parade or a motorcade of 25 or more vehicles on a Springfield street, sidewalk, or alley requires a permit…

Taunton makes it unlawful to use any street, roadway or sidewalk for a parade, rally, demonstration, speech or public…

Any parade, march, picket, vigil or speechmaking event on Boston park land needs a permit from the Commissioner of…

Brockton has no separate parade-permit application: Section 12-27 lets the police chief temporarily close any street…

Any parade, procession, or lawful assembly on a Fall River street needs a written permit from the Mayor, approved by…

Worcester requires a permit from the chief of police before any person or group can march or parade on a city street…

Boston runs its historic open-air Haymarket-Blackstone Market by ordinance: vendors need a license from the Health and…

Any carnival, circus, festival, fiesta, or street fair in Somerville needs a mayor-issued license or permit, and it…

Only a not-for-profit corporation can organize a licensed street fair in Worcester, and the commissioner of public…

Restaurants in Revere cannot serve food or alcohol outside their licensed premises without written License Commission…

Somerville restaurants need a Licensing Commission permit to put outdoor seating on the public sidewalk, must post a…

Restaurants and bars in Springfield, Massachusetts need a Department of Public Works permit before putting tables in…

Boston's Public Works Commissioner controls sidewalk café use of the public way and must set licensing rules that keep…

Any restaurant that wants to seat diners outside in Brockton needs a one-year license from the license commission…

Restaurants in Chelsea need a Licensing Commission permit to place an outdoor cafe or dining area on the public…

Licensed Lawrence restaurants and bars can add outdoor cafe seating from April 1 through October 1 under Chapter 5.76…

Lynn's Zoning Ordinance treats a restaurant's outdoor seating tent, canopy or pergola as a temporary structure: it must…

A New Bedford restaurant needs an outdoor cafe permit from the department of inspectional services before placing…

Taunton requires a license from the Board of License Commissioners before any business sells food or drinks on a City…

A Worcester restaurant that wants to extend seating or displays onto the adjoining public or private sidewalk must…

Fall River exempts sidewalk restaurant seating from its usual public-way structure permit, but the restaurant must…