Special Events

A special event means a temporary event, gathering, or organized activity, which may or may not be open to attendance or participation by the general public, and including but not limited to parades, bike races, marathons, fun runs, block parties, parking lot parties, concerts, carnivals, or festivals estimated to include two hundred (200) or more invitees, or which include one or more of the following components: 

(1) Closing or impacting a public street, sidewalk, or trail; 

(2) Blocking or restricting city-owned property; 

(3) Sale or distribution of merchandise, food, or beverages on city-owned property; 

(4) Erection of a tent equal to or greater than four hundred (400) square feet in area; 

(5) Installation of a stage, band-shell, trailer, van, portable building, grandstand, or bleachers; 

(6) Placement of portable toilets on city-owned property; 

(7) Placement of temporary no-parking signs in a public right-of-way; 

(8) Placement of pedestrian boundary markers on city-owned property; 

(9) Placement of additional waste containers; 

(10) Outdoor amusement equipment or attractions to be placed on public property, such as carousels, inflatable gymnasium devices (“bounce houses” or “party jumps”); or 

(11) Events identified by the Princeton Police Department as impacting public safety.

Special Event Permit Application Process

Step 1: Secure Event Date(s)

A $50 refundable deposit is required to secure event dates in City parks. The deposit is refunded pending no damage to City property. Event organizers are responsible for securing event dates and can pay the deposit at the Princeton Municipal Center or by calling Stephanie O’Brien, at 972-734-2416, ext. 313 or Email City of Princeton Community Events.. Securing dates with the deposit does not imply pre-approval of the Special Event Permit Application.

Step 2: Submit Application with the Supplement Requirements

• Submit application 60 days prior to the event start date.
• Submit Site plan, Public Safety Plan, Traffic Plan and Waste Management Plan, as needed.

Step 3: Application Assessment and Approval Process

• Applications are reviewed and assessed in coordination with other City department staff and may result in the need for additional information.

Step 4: Application Approval, Denial

• A Special event Permit is granted once the application, supplemental documents, plans and payment have all been approved and paid.