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Special Event Permits
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Springfield is a city that welcomes special events. From major conventions and sporting events to community-based festivals, parades and athletic activities, the City of Springfield is proud to host hundreds of events each year.
It is our goal to enhance the vitality, quality of life, and economic prosperity of Springfield through the support of special events in our city.
The City wants to help you plan a safe and enjoyable event. If applicable, please fill out a special event permit application so we can assist you with obtaining the correct permits for your event. You may contact the special events coordinator at 417-864-1105 or [email protected] if you have questions about your application. Before filling out the application, however, it may be helpful to read the following sections of our handy event permitting guide:
Certain events require one or more permits. Once we review your permit application, our special event permit coordinator in the Department of Public Information will contact you within 10 business days with information from City departments on any specific requirements that you need to meet for your specific event.
- How do I submit a Special Event Application?
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Complete applications may be submitted online or at the Department of Public Information, Busch Municipal Building, 840 N. Boonville, Springfield, Mo. 65802.
- What constitutes a complete application?
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A complete application will include: All pages of the application with original signatures; all applicable documentation, including Certificate of Liability Insurance and Hold Harmless Agreement (if event is on public property) and a site map.
- Who reviews Special Event Applications and when will I find out if my event is approved?
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Applications are reviewed by the City Event Committee, a group representing various City departments, to make sure the event details fall within the City of Springfield code and compliance along with safety regulations. Organizers who follow the guidelines should receive a response with details about what requirements must be met for your specific event within 10 business days. Organizers who follow the guidelines and submit all required paperwork should receive a response no later than 45 days after submission of their application.
- What are the deadlines for applying for a Special Event Permit?
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Beginning Jan. 1, 2017, applications are due at least 60 days prior to event date. Those applications are reviewed by City staff within 10 business days. All completed paperwork is due 30 days prior to event date. Those failing to meet this deadline will receive a permit denial. Please note that our special event permit coordinator is available to you throughout the entire process. If you are having difficulties meeting the requirements, please let us know so we can help you address any challenges.
- What should be included on my site plan?
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Your site plan should include: boundaries of the event (footprint), locations of electrical equipment, emergency access, stages, grandstands, booths, fencing, alcohol service areas, food vendor locations, recycle/trash receptacles, ADA pathways, parking and street barricades. Event planners are required to provide and place their own barricades.
- Are there different permits I need to obtain for my event?
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Dependent upon the details of the event, there may be a need for additional permits. Upon review of your completed application, the City Event Committee will determine if additional permits are needed and provide applicants with that information within 10 business days of receiving a complete application.
- I would like to have an event on Missouri State University property, but it also uses city streets; is there a separate process?
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Yes. If you would like to hold an event that crosses jurisdictional boundaries, you will have to complete applications for each jurisdiction you encounter. This is also true for the Springfield-Greene County Park Board for use of parks and/or trails and Missouri Department of Transportation.
- Is there a fee associated with the Special Event Permit Application?
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City Council has deferred the adoption of a fee schedule for special event application permits until 2018. There are fees, however, associated with hosting an event, depending on the nature of the event. Examples include additional permits and licenses required, such as tent permits, City business licenses, catering/picnic liquor licenses. Events requiring extra duty police officers also incur charges and additional worker’s compensation coverage. Events taking place in Parks and the Springfield Expo Center grassy lot, require rental fees and contract agreements.
- Where can I find the City’s Special Events Requirements?
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The City's Special Event Ordinance can be found online. Event organizers may also contact the Department of Public Information for additional information.
Please note: some of these requirements could take up to four to six weeks to comply with, depending on the unique characteristics of your specific event.
If any one of the following conditions exist, you must complete a special event permit application:
- The event includes outdoor live and/or amplified music.
- This applies to all zoning districts, except residential.
- The event is on private property and includes:
- Outdoor carnival or circus
- Amplified sound in the downtown area
- Fireworks and attendance of 50-plus people
- Multiple liquor licenses, 50-plus people and charging entry fees
- The event is on public property and includes:
- Outdoor carnival or circus
- Erection of a tent with sides (larger than 400 square feet)
- Erection of a tent without sides (larger than 700 square feet)
- Street festival
- Amplified sound
- Parade, race or street closure
- Selling merchandise, food or drinks
- Installing a stage, band shell, trailer, van, grandstand, bleachers, or portable building
- Placement of portable toilets
- Fireworks and 50-plus people
- Multiple liquor licenses, 50-plus people and charge entry fees
- Blocking City-owned property
- Placement of pedestrian boundary markers blocking the sidewalk
- Inclusion of electrical or plumbing hookups to CU connections on the Square or Jubilee Park