Permits for Special Events

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires special events to be accessible to all individuals. The City’s Special Events Accessibility Planning Guide can assist you in planning the accessibility of your event. The guide can be found under the resources at the right. The event organizer is required to submit a detailed site map of the event site that shows the location of all ADA parking and loading zones, accessible restrooms, vendor booths, and accessible seating. Compliance with ADA shall be the sole responsibility of the applicant.

Please ensure that you have approval before you begin to market, advertise, or promote your event. Ensure that your website includes event details, maps and parking options. Please be aware that you are required to provide a Request for Accommodation Statement on all Marketing Materials (i.e., “If an ADA accommodation is needed, please contact…..”
Contact our Human Relations office for more details at 605-367-8745.

All cancellations must be made in writing and received no later than thirty (30) days prior to the proposed event date.

No refunds will be issued for cancellations or for inclement weather. No rain dates will be issued.

The City reserves the right to cancel or relocate an event prior to or on the day of the event due to poor weather and/or turf conditions that may cause excessive damage to City property.

If your event requires any electrical hookups for vendors/exhibitors or requires the use of generators for power, you may be subject to an electrical inspection. Additional fees apply.

For inspection information, contact the Electrical Inspection Division at 605-367-8250 at least thirty (30) days prior to the event.

Permit requests are due at least 30 days prior to the event.

To apply for a Pyrotechnics Permit please register at Customer Self Service. If you have additional questions, please call Fire Rescue at 605-367-8086.

Food & Beverage Vendors—Health Department
605-367-8760

Permit requests are due at least 5 business days prior to the event.

• Permission is required for any individual or group using a commercial inflatable device or portable play structure in any Sioux Falls park.
• Permit may be issued by office or management staff.• No fee required for using a commercial inflatable device or portable play structure in a park.
• Commercial inflatable devices or portable play structures may be placed in the park on the day of the event and must be removed immediately following the event.
• Requesting party must arrange a time to meet Park Maintenance staff on site to identify specific location for inflatable. Underground hazards such as irrigation or utility lines must be avoided.
• The event organizer/inflatable company is required to contact SD One Call (811) to request utilities locate.
• The responsible party agrees to carry and maintain commercial general liability insurance with limits of at least $1 million per occurrence and $2 million general aggregate. The required limit may include excess liability (umbrella) coverage. The policy shall name the City and its representatives as an additional insured. A certificate of insurance naming the City as an additional insured must be submitted to the Park Office, 231 North Dakota Avenue, Sioux Falls, SD 57104. An event sponsor may provide insurance for all participants/vendors or may collect individual insurance policies from each participant/vendor.

All events require insurance coverage in the amounts listed below. Insurance coverage must be maintained for the duration of the event. The City of Sioux Falls must be named as an additional insured. City of Sioux Falls, 224 West Ninth Street, Sioux Falls, SD 57104. If the event is held within the downtown district, Downtown Sioux Falls Inc. must also be listed as an additional insured.

$1 million per occurrence.
$2 million general aggregate.
$1 million alcohol liability insurance required, if applicable.

Insurance Certificate is due at least 30 days prior to the event.

The event organizer is required to submit a draft site map with the initial application.
Please provide an updated detailed site map with the following information. It should be emailed thirty (30) days prior to the special event review meeting. A final update will be required a minimum of seven (7) days prior to the event.

• Event layout along with walk/run routes.
• First aid station/ambulance locations.
• Waste/recycling receptacle/dumpster locations (must be on a hard surface).
• Portable toilets locations (must open up to a hard surface).
• Vendor/display booth locations.
• Parking and shuttle zones.
• ADA parking and loading zones.
• ADA accessible seating.
• Tent/canopy locations (size, uses, and quantity).
• Inflatable locations (size and quantity).
• Event site dimensions (alcohol and tobacco-defined spaces).
• Fence and exit locations.

• If your event is considering food trucks, please ensure they are (annually) licensed to vend in the City of Sioux Falls.
• If they are not on the updated list when requesting your event permits, they will NOT be allowed at your event.
• You can find a list of current licensed food trucks here.

For more information to become a licensed mobile food vendor in the City of Sioux Falls visit our Peddler/Mobile Food Licenses page.

Please provide a copy of your inclement weather action plan used to monitor weather and watch/warning information with your application.

• The weather forecast will be considered leading up to and during the event.
• Event organizers are responsible for safety of event participants. Organizers will determine if event should be cancelled, postponed or direct participants to seek shelter. Organizers should have method to communicate with volunteers and participants during events.
• During the event, organizers will monitor conditions. The event planner will utilize local radar and the National Weather Service (NWS) to monitor conditions. Contact the NWS at 605-330-4247.
• Local, hourly conditions and radar.
• In the event of lightning, severe wind, or other related weather warnings, a cancellation announcement will be made from the stage. Organizers will ensure an orderly departure from the venue by all participants. For immediate safety, adjacent properties will be utilized for shelter if needed.
• All event coordinators will carry a call list to use for disseminating important information should severe weather pose a threat. It is recommended that all event staff and volunteers carry cell phones or radios.

Contact the National Weather Service office here in Sioux Falls to get a complete update on weather prior to your event. Please include in your plan how you will notify attendees in case of cancellation.

No refunds will be issued for cancellations or for inclement weather. No rain dates will be issued.

For information regarding the severe weather plan, contact Sioux Falls Emergency Management at 605-367-8753 at least thirty (30) days prior to the event.

Sioux Falls City Council passed an ordinance in May 2017 regarding tobacco use on city property. Smoking is prohibited at Special Events unless the event planner designates a defined area, which would require approval from the Director of Parks and Recreation.

To establish a Smoking/Tobacco-free event, please refer to the Breathe Well Event Toolkit for Hosting Smoke/Tobacco-Free Events on City Property on our Special Events page.

• Approved special events in parks are smoke-free unless the event requests a designated smoking area, which is subject to approval from the Director of Parks and Recreation.
  • Requesting a designated smoking area, the event planner will be required to:
    • Minimize public exposure to second hand smoke.
    • Define smoking area; including a detailed map.
    • Provide ample signage and perimeter markers.
    • Responsible for providing high volume receptacles.
    • Responsible for clean-up of the designated smoking area.

“No Smoking Area” Feather Flags can be reserved by contacting 605-367-8286 at least thirty (30) days prior to the event.

Thank you for helping us create healthier places to work, learn, socialize, and play. 

Permits must be prominently displayed during the event for Park personnel and Park officers.

• Giveaway Permits
• Inflatable Permits
• Point of Sale Permits
• Tent / Canopy Permits
• Vehicle / Golf Cart Permits

Permit requests are due at least 30 days prior to the event.
For information on permits for special events visit our Special Events page.

If your event requires a street closure, you are required to apply for a street closure permit. Traffic control devices (barricades) and fees are the responsibility of the event organizer.

The event organizer is required to submit a site map of street closures and barricade placements along with a detailed description of the event parking/shuttle plan, the style of barricades used, and the supplier of the barricades.

Street Closure requests are due at least 10 business days prior to the event.
To submit a Street Closure Permit please register at Customer Self Service. You must review the Rules and Regulations for Street Closure. If you have additional questions please call City Engineering at 605-367-8601.

**If you are planning a street closure intended for residents only, not the general public, you should complete a Neighborhood Block Party Application. Please call 605-367-8600 for block party street closure information.

If you are planning to erect tents or canopies, a site map identifying location, use, and quantity of tents and/or canopies, along with the sizes of each, must be provided prior to the review meeting. The event organizer is responsible for any damage caused to City property/facilities. An event site inspection is required with the event organizer and a Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation District Park Supervisor prior to installation.

The event organizer/tent company is required to contact SD One Call (811) to request utilities locate. All temporary structures for the special event shall be removed and the site returned to its original condition at the conclusion of the event.

Any tent, canopy, or aggregate quantity of multiple tents or canopies greater than 1,000 square feet requires a Temporary Membrane Structure and Tent Permit and associated inspection from a City Fire Inspector. Two or more temporary membrane structures located within 12 feet of each other having a combined area in excess of 1,000 square feet shall require a permit. Additional fees apply.

**10-foot x 10-foot tents do not require a permit or inspection, unless ten are staged side by side, creating more than 1,000 square feet aggregate.

Permit requests are due at least 30 days prior to the event.

In the case of a walk/run event along the River Greenway Trail, only directional signage and/or mile markers will be allowed along the trail. All sponsor or informational signage must remain near the shelter or main staging area of the event.

Trail markings are prohibited except for sidewalk chalk (paint and spray chalk are strictly prohibited). The event organizer is responsible for all cleanup and damages. General cleanup must be completed before completion of the event.

The City will provide limited waste and recycling receptacles. Public use of City amenities is not to be impeded; i.e., covering City waste receptacles is prohibited.

Additional waste/recycling receptacles or dumpsters are the sole responsibility of the event organizer and must be placed on a hard surface such as asphalt or concrete. Please provide a detailed description on how you will handle waste/recycling cleanup and a detailed map of receptacle/dumpster locations with your event application.

The event organizer is responsible for properly disposing of all waste and garbage throughout the event, and immediately upon conclusion of the event the area must be returned to a clean condition. General cleanup must be done before the completion of the event. Cleanup and disposal will be at the cost of the planner. Final cleanup walk-through consists of dumping all containers into a dumpster; this includes the downtown area. As the event organizer, if you set a standard of leaving the venue better than you found it, you can have a highly beneficial impact on the Sioux Falls community and establish a good reputation for your event in the future. The event organizer is responsible for all cleanup and damages.

In an effort to make our city more sustainable, as the event organizer you are responsible for providing a sufficient number of garbage and recycling receptacles at your event.

As the event organizer, please consider:

• Provide recycling receptacles in equal number to trash bins.
• Ensure quantity of receptacles and dumpsters are sufficient for size of event to be determined and agreed upon by Special Event Review Committee.
• Ensure trash and recycling is collected in separate trucks.

Thank you for helping us keep our parks beautiful. Depending on the size of your event, additional fees may apply.