Special Events & Permits in Wisconsin (2026)

Little Chute requires a street use permit from the director of public works before closing a residential street for a…

Milwaukee County requires a public-way permit to close a county highway for a special event, but only public taxing…

Residents who want to close a Mosinee street for a block party or similar use need a street use permit from the common…

Closing a Sun Prairie street for a block party requires a street use permit from the city administrator, a $35…

Closing a Beloit street for a block party or other special event requires a Class A, B, C or D Special Event Permit…

De Pere Code § 22-8(b) lets residents ask to close a city street for up to 24 hours for a neighborhood gathering. The…

Green Bay treats a block party as a 'simple event' capped at 250 attendees, requiring a special event permit filed at…

Kenosha residents who want to close a residential street for a block party need a Street Party Permit under Sec…

A neighborhood block party that closes a Madison street runs through the same Street Use Permit at MGO § 10.056 as any…

Milwaukee classifies a block party for residents of one contiguous block as a special event: organizers must file a…

New Berlin lets residents close a local street for a block party only under a Special Event Permit, and closure…

A Waukesha block party needs a free permit from the City Clerk, filed at least 14 days ahead, unless it is late, in…

Wausau lets residents close one city block for a block party with a Director of Public Works permit filed at least two…

Wauwatosa lets the police chief issue permits under Chapter 12.40 to temporarily close a street for a block party…

West Allis treats a residential block party as its own special-event category, closing a street to non-vendor neighbors…

Fitchburg, Wisconsin lets neighbors hold a block party or similar event that uses but does not close a public street by…

Neighborhood block parties in Neenah are exempt from the City's special event permit process as long as they stay…

Groups that want to reserve equipment, host a gathering or pitch a tent in an Ashwaubenon village park need a permit…

Fitchburg, Wisconsin requires committee approval before any large scale festival event, meaning an open…

Organizing a gathering on Green Bay public property, including a City park, with over 100 attendees, vendors, alcohol…

Kenosha requires a Board of Park Commissioners or Superintendent of Parks permit before anyone can hold a gathering of…

Anyone wanting to hold a public meeting or gathering in a Marathon County park must get a Parks Commission permit at…

Milwaukee lets the parks director grant exclusive-use permits for picnic and play areas on a specified date, and bars…

Racine County Code Sec. 14-71 requires written permission from the public works committee before holding a parade…

Any gathering of 400 or more people planned for a Waukesha park needs a Special Event permit filed at least 30 days…

Waukesha County requires a written permit from the director of parks and land use before anyone can hold a planned or…

Anyone wanting to use a Winnebago County Parks Department facility for a picnic, party, or performance must first get a…

Appleton requires a permit before holding a public meeting, assembly, entertainment, tournament or speech in any city…

Beloit park facilities are first-come, first-served, but Code § 18.02(16) lets anyone reserve a specific area in…

Brown County requires a written Parks Director permit for any public meeting, assembly, or organized sporting event…

To hold a gathering in a Burlington municipal park beyond the 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. closing hours, § 234-2A requires…

Anyone planning a public meeting, assembly, entertainment, tournament or speech in a Dane County park needs a written…

The director of parks and recreation permits private and public groups to use De Pere's parks under City Code Sec…

Reserving an enclosed hall, shelter, or pavilion, running a commercial event, or gathering ten or more people in…

Groups wanting exclusive use of a Little Chute park, shelter, or facility must file a written permit application with…

Anyone who wants to occupy Madison parkland, a greenway, or other city-owned land for 90 days or less, including…

Groups that want to reserve a shelter, park, or other City of Middleton park facility must get a written permit from…

Public meetings, religious services, assemblies, and sporting events in Milwaukee County parks all need a written…

New Berlin requires a written Commission permit for any public meeting or assembly inside a City park under § 184-4…

Groups that want to reserve an Outagamie County park area for an event must apply in advance to the County Clerk's…

Reserving a Sun Prairie shelter house or softball diamond runs through the parks, recreation and forestry department…

Anyone wanting to camp overnight or hold a special event in a Walworth County park needs a permit under Section 42-2…

Washington County requires any group of more than 100 people using a county park without a shelter rental agreement to…

Wausau requires payment before using any City park facility, shelter or land carrying an established fee, and bars…

Reserving a Wauwatosa city park for an event requires a written use permit from the director of public works under §…

Anyone who wants exclusive use of a West Allis park area, for a gathering, party, or event, must get a park permit from…

Rock County park facilities are available first come, first served unless reserved in advance under Sec. 5.02(17)(K)…

A parade, festival or other special event in Appleton needs a license approved by the Common Council before it can go…

Any parade, festival, concert, run or similar special event using Village right-of-way, parks or Village property in…

Beloit requires a Special Event Permit under Code § 18.01(4)(c) to close a street for a parade or civic, social or…

Kenosha requires a Special Event Permit for any parade, march, or ceremony that uses City streets or property and draws…

Anyone leading a parade, run, walk, bicycle race or marathon on a Little Chute street needs a village clerk permit…

Madison regulates parades separately from general street closures under MGO § 12.87. Anyone forming, leading or joining…

Any gathering of 5,000 or more people in Marathon County's unincorporated area, including parades, races, and…

Any special event on Middleton public property, including races, concerts or events expecting 200 or more participants…

Anyone forming or holding a parade, march or procession on a Mosinee street, park or public place needs a permit from…

Parades, marches and rallies in Neenah are 'special events' that need a City permit before they happen: high-impact…

Oneida County has no stand-alone parade ordinance, but General Code § 12.04 licenses any large gathering, an assembly…

A gathering expected to draw 1,500 or more people for 18 or more consecutive hours anywhere in Outagamie County needs a…

Rock County requires a County Board license for any assembly of 1,500 or more people lasting 8 or more consecutive…

Anyone organizing a parade or demonstration on a Waukesha public right-of-way must file a free permit application with…

Waukesha County requires a license from the county clerk before anyone organizes, promotes or advertises an assembly of…

Wausau requires anyone who wants to use a city street for a parade, procession, or similar public assembly to get a…

West Allis requires a city clerk-issued special event permit, covering parades, block parties, and other public…

Winnebago County classifies parades on county park land as a "special event," and the County, not the organizer…

A parade or procession through a Brown County park or parkway needs a written Parks Director permit filed at least 14…

Burlington requires a special event permit under § 100-5 for any parade, race, procession or festival on public…

De Pere requires a permit from the chief of police before anyone may form or take part in a parade on city streets…

Fitchburg, Wisconsin requires anyone wanting to close city streets for a parade or special event to get a street use…

Green Bay requires an approved special event permit before any parade, race, or march, with specific rules against…

Milton requires a special event permit before anyone can hold a planned public event, whether on city property like…

Parades, races, festivals and demonstrations on Milwaukee streets need a special event permit filed with the Department…

Parades and processions through Milwaukee County parks and parkways require a written permit from the parks director…

New Berlin requires a Special Event Permit under § 152-23 for any parade using public streets, rights-of-way or…

A race, walk, tour, or other event that takes place on or significantly affects a Walworth County highway needs a…

Anyone who wants to close a Wauwatosa street for a parade, block party, civic celebration or similar function needs a…

Appleton requires a City license for any special event under its Special Events Policy, with the Common Council…

Festivals, fairs, and markets in Kenosha fall under the same Special Event Permit as parades. Any vendor selling food…

Anyone selling goods or services at a Neenah street fair or festival needs a special event permit verified in advance…

Any public gathering, rally, assembly or festival in unincorporated Walworth County drawing more than 5,000 people…

Carnivals, fairs, circuses and traveling shows in Waukesha need a Common Council permit under Municipal Code § 8.11…

Street fairs and festivals that impede public property or don't comply with zoning need a special event permit from the…

In a Winnebago County park, no one may sell or advertise goods except the park's own concessionaire, but the Parks…

Any festival, fair, parade or similar event that disrupts De Pere's streets, sidewalks or parks needs a special event…

Any street fair or festival in Green Bay needs a special event permit filed at least 60 days ahead for a large, medium…

A festival or street fair vendor working inside a Madison Street Use Permit event needs coverage under the event…

Milwaukee exempts vendors from its mobile seller's license inside a permitted street festival's barricaded area, but…

New Berlin's Special Event Permit ordinance names festivals and fairs as covered events, and every vendor working one…

Any temporary food stand set up at an Outagamie County festival, carnival, or other special event must get its own food…

Anyone vending at a street fair, festival or community-trade event in Sun Prairie needs a special event vending permit…

Wausau bars mobile food and merchandise vendors from setting up within two blocks of a City-permitted Class I Special…

Madison's version of a parklet is the Roadway Cafe Expansion License, an add-on that lets a licensed sidewalk cafe…

Milwaukee restaurants and bars need a public right-of-way occupancy permit before installing a parklet, plus any…

Wausau caps street-side parklets, platforms built into on-street parking spaces for restaurant seating, at two per…

Restaurants and shops in Burlington's B-2 and B-2A downtown districts can put tables and chairs on the public sidewalk…

Restaurants, coffee shops and similar food businesses that want tables on a Kenosha sidewalk, right-of-way or public…

Restaurants, bars, and taverns in Kenosha County's B-2 and B-3 business districts cannot add outdoor dining…

Selling food at tables set up on a Middleton sidewalk, street terrace or other public right-of-way requires a sidewalk…

Neenah restaurants may set up sidewalk cafés only in the C-2 Central Business district, with Common Council approval…

Putting tables on a public sidewalk in the City of Sun Prairie requires a special use permit under Zoning Code §…

Restaurants and bars in Waukesha that want to serve food or drinks outdoors on public property need a Sidewalk Café…

Appleton restaurants that want tables on the sidewalk need a Street Occupancy Permit from the Department of Public…

A restaurant that wants to seat diners on a Beloit public sidewalk needs a sidewalk cafe license from the City Clerk…

A restaurant that wants tables and chairs on De Pere's public sidewalk needs a sidewalk cafe permit under §…

Green Bay bars sidewalk cafes in the public right-of-way without a two-part permit: a revocable occupancy permit from…

Little Chute requires a village permit to operate a sidewalk cafe, limited to public sidewalks in the Central Business…

Outside the State Street Mall/Capitol Concourse, MGO § 9.135(7)(b)6 requires a citywide sidewalk cafe to be enclosed on…

Restaurant patios and sidewalk cafes in unincorporated Marathon County towns need a right-of-way use permit, must leave…

Restaurants and bars in Milwaukee must obtain a sidewalk area dining permit before placing tables or chairs in the…

New Berlin treats outdoor seating and dining as a temporary use requiring a permit. City Code § 275-43 A(1) lists…

A full-service Wausau restaurant needs a Public Health and Safety Committee permit before setting up an outdoor…

Placing tables and chairs on the public sidewalk in Wauwatosa to serve food or drinks requires a sidewalk cafe permit…

West Allis allows outdoor dining as a limited accessory use in its commercial and industrial districts, but every…

Outdoor heaters at a Madison sidewalk cafe need Madison Fire Department approval before use under MGO § 9.135(5)(h)…