Festival! Parade! Run and More!

Want to hold a special event on public property?

*Special events include fairs, festivals, concerts, celebrations, shows, sales, pageants, carnivals, parades, religious events, etc.

Submission and acceptance of this application is not to be construed as an approval of your request for a permit.

The policy for road race requests – An annual deadline of July 1 will be set for all road race request applications with an event date between January 1 through December 31 of the following year.  A lottery will be held for all road race applications submitted by the deadline date except those 6 grandfathered races/walks by the new policy. 

 How to Obtain a Permit:

All of the following information must be completed and for a permit request to be considered.

• Fill and Submit the Fairfax City Special Events/Outdoor Facility Application. For additional information on hosting an event, please read our Guidelines.

• Create and Submit an 'Action Plan' in case of emergency (details below)

• Provide proof of insurance coverage for your special event

• Pay application fee and/or Outdoor Facility fee (in some cases other services and fees will be required, i.e., COF Police, Public Works, etc.)

Emergency Action Plan

Private events are not required to submit an action plan.

• To best protect the community and event organizers during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Event Organizer will need to create and turn in an Action Plan which predetermines actions taken during and after an emergency or otherwise hazardous condition.
• Your Action Plan should include:
  • What is your plan in case of severe weather occurs during your event?
  • What is your plan if a participant requires medical attention?
  • Emergency on site contact: Name of person and contact information
• In the event of an emergency, notification of the emergency will go through 911. The caller should have the following information available to the 911 operator – location address, nature of emergency, and contact person with callback number.
• In the event of severe weather, the City of Fairfax has the authority, above and beyond the event representative, to delay and/or cancel an event.

Important Information

• A completed application (in its entirety) and a non-refundable fee must be submitted no later than 90 business days prior to the event. Applications will NOT be processed or considered without payment of the fee.
• Credit card payments and/or checks (written to the City of Fairfax) are accepted.
• Submission and receival of an application does not constitute as an approval of your request for permit.
• Outdoor facility rentals must be left in the same cleanly condition as you found it. You must pick up and dispose of all trash. Trash too large to fit inside the receptacles provided, is the responsibility of the renter for removal and proper disposal.

Fee Breakdown

• Additional fees for services, such as Police, Public Works and Fire; may be required.

For more information, please contact:

Mitzi Taylor at 703-385-7949 or email Mitzi.Taylor@fairfaxva.gov