The City of Alexandria's Special Events Policy governs the special event permitting process and is managed by the Special Events team. 
 
What is CONSIDERED a Special Event? 

According to the Special Events Policy, a special event is a short-term activity that requires special permitting needs and/or support from City staff, such as Alexandria Police Department or Fire Marshal, or due to the anticipated number of attendees or nature of the event. 

Events, including but not limited to, parades, foot races, charity walks, fundraisers, concerts, outdoor film series, or festivals in any park, should submit a Special Event Permit Application. Please read the Special Event Guidelines for information on the permitting process for Special Events.

A Special Event Permit may be required when:

• Use of a city park is involved.
• More than 500 people are expected to attend throughout the event.
• Coordination between two or more permitting agencies is required.
• Food is being sold/served to the public.
• Public safety may be at risk.

Family reunions, birthday parties, and picnics should make their reservations through the Registration and Reservation Office at 703.746.5414 if the reservation is not in Oronoco Bay Park, Waterfront Park, EF Pier Gazebo, King Street Gardens Park, or Montgomery Park. Picnic areas are available for rental April through October, beginning March 1 of each year through the Registration and Reservation Office.

The Department of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities is not responsible for activities immediately surrounding the vicinity of the area permitted for a special event or wedding. The Waterfront District is an active marina with continuous improvement projects that occur as scheduled or without notice.

Alexandria is a very popular location for hosting events, which means that some dates are not available for multiple events. 

To ensure every event has the resources it needs to be safe and fun for the community, new special event applications will not be accepted for the following dates: 

Special Event Permit Guidelines provides information about the Special Event Permitting process and related topics of public health and safety for special events held in the City of Alexandria.

The RPCA Fee Schedule is updated yearly and published July 1 of each year. It contains current park rental and event related fees. 

Park Rental Fees are charged according to which district a park is in and the day and type of event taking place. Fees may be reimbursed if the event is canceled due to inclement weather. If an event organizer cancels the event after the application has been processed and permitted for reasons other than weather, 50% of the fees may be reimbursed, but 100% of the cost of City personnel who arrived to staff the event will be billed to the event organizer. The $50 application fee is nonrefundable. 

Flooding occurs in some City parks, and fees are not reimbursed for flooding. The City is not responsible for damage to equipment or other costs/fees the organizer may lose due to flooding or other natural disasters. 

Event organizers must provide the Special Events Permit Manager with an Event Schedule that includes equipment delivery and pickup dates and times. The Schedule must be received by the Special Events Permit Manager at least 30 days before the event date. 

Event organizers may not set up equipment before the park rental begins or leave event equipment in the park after the rental ends. All park guidelines apply to events held in parks. 

Vehicles are not allowed to be driven inside of parks. Organizers of events in Oronoco Bay Park and Waterfront Park need to have optional event plans in case the park floods. The City is not responsible for damage to event equipment or cancellation of events and/or some of their activities due to flooding in either park. 

All lights in City Parks are on sunrise/sunset timers that cannot be changed for events.

Event organizers are responsible for picking up and disposing of all litter and trash created by their event. Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities and Transportation and Environmental Services may require staffing for events to manage collection and disposal of litter/trash. The event organizer is required to pay for these services if it is determined that City staff are needed for refuse collection and/or disposal.

The City of Alexandria does not provide any other event equipment for rent or loan. The City of Alexandria has ordinances and policies relating to the use of public property and City parks. These ordinances and policies apply to all Special Events in the City, and permits may be issued for some exceptions.

Not all parks and public spaces are available for weddings and events. Below is a list of public spaces where events may be permitted (availability is subject to change without notice): 

• Waterfront Park
• Oronoco Bay Park
• Montgomery Park
• Robinson Landing
• Chinquapin Park (circle)
• Booth Park
• Four Mile Run Park
• Ben Brenman Park
• EF Pier (weddings only)

Events are current not permitted in the following locations: 

• Fort Ward Park
• Hensley Park

Events, including but not limited to, parades, foot races, charity walks, fundraisers, concerts, outdoor film series, or festivals in any park, should submit a Special Event Permit Application. 

Special Events are permitted using the following process: 

1. Applicant submits a complete Special Event Permit Application and accompanying site map/race route and pays the $50 application fee.
2. The application and accompanying materials are reviewed by the Special Events Committee at its monthly meeting.
3. The Special Event Permit Manager will then: a. Email the applicant the list of additional permits they need to file for the Special Event and any feedback from the Committee if the event is approved; or b. Email the applicant questions and/or feedback from the Committee and next steps the applicant needs to take for the event to be approved if the event is not approved for permitting.

Applications received on or after the 1st of the month will be reviewed the following month. This will ensure that staff has enough time to work with the event organizer to make sure there application is complete and ready for review. 

Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. 

If the event is approved by the Committee, the applicant must then: 

1. Pay any additional fees, such as a deposit and/or turf bond
2. File additional permits, pay related fees, and submit additional materials required to permit the event, such as the Certificate of Liability Insurance Once these steps are completed, the Special Event Permit will be issued. 

If the event is not approved by the Committee, the applicant: 

1. Must provide additional information requested by the Committee to the Special Event Permit Manager for the Committee’s consideration at its next monthly meeting; and/or
2. May appeal the denial using the appeal process outlined in the Special Event Policy.