Special Events & Permits in Massachusetts (2026)

In the City of Everett, Massachusetts, Section 17-19 of the Revised Ordinances requires a City Clerk permit to block a…

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

In the City of Chicopee, Massachusetts, the Chief of Police decides whether a street is closed temporarily. Section…

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

In the City of Framingham, Massachusetts, neighborhood advisory groups can get permit and license fees waived for their…

Southborough's bylaws print no block party permit by name. Section 207-3 authorizes the Chief of Police to close any…

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…

Teams and youth sports leagues that want to use Haverhill's city-owned ball fields for tournaments or a full season…

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…

In the City of Chicopee, Massachusetts, no one can parade in a public street or square without a written permit from…

Any funeral, procession or parade in Haverhill with 50 or more people or 20 or more vehicles needs a permit from the…

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…

In Southborough, no person can form or conduct a parade in any public street, public sidewalk or public way, or any…

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…

In the City of Everett, Massachusetts, Section 18-181 requires a permit from the chief of police for any funeral…

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

A funeral, procession or parade with 200 or more persons or 50 or more vehicles needs a permit from the chief of police…

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…

Anyone holding a carnival, festival, fair or other outdoor public event in the City of Haverhill needs a license from…

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

In the City of Everett, Massachusetts, the City Council can declare any event a special event and fix its area, name…

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

In the City of Framingham, restaurants may set up permanent outdoor seating on sidewalks, parking lots, on-street…

In the City of Haverhill, businesses in or near the Central Business District can convert curbside parking spaces into…

Medford lets restaurants convert an on-street parking space into 'parklet seating,' outdoor dining built into the paved…

In the City of Framingham, a business that wants to place tables, chairs or a cafe structure on a public sidewalk needs…

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…

In the City of Everett, Massachusetts, no one can operate an outdoor dining area without first obtaining an outdoor…

In the City of Haverhill, restaurants and cafes can serve food and drinks on adjacent public sidewalks under City Code…

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…

Restaurants that want tables on a Medford sidewalk need an annual outdoor dining license from the building…

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…

In the City of Everett, Massachusetts, no fire source can be kept inside a permitted outdoor dining area, and the…