Festival attendees in downtown Raleigh at Hopscotch Music Festival

Aerial view of crowd at City Plaza's main stage in Downtown Raleigh for Hopscotch Music Festival.

Special Event Requests

New Event Management Software

The Special Events Office is now accepting applications through Eproval, a comprehensive event management software that allows event organizers and staff to openly communicate and get permit status updates in real-time. Review the Eproval FAQs and visit the Applicant User Support page for more information.

Festivals, performances, road races, parades, charity walks, and similar events that use public rights-of-way require a Special Event Permit. See below for a list of event types and their corresponding deadlines and fees. More information on event types can be found in the Special Event Planning Guide.

Event TypeDeadlineApplication FeePermit Fee
Parade120 Days$100$100
Walk/Race 5K and Under120 Days$100$100
Walk/Race Over 5K120 Days$100$250
General Event Tier III30 DaysN/AN/A
General Event Tier II45 Days$50$100
General Event Tier I90 Days$100$250

How to Apply

  1. Read the Special Event Planning Guide.
  2. Contact the Special Events Office to determine date and location availability, and for assistance in identifying which type of event you are requesting.
  3. Complete the Special Event Application. Submissions require a detailed site plan and/or route map of the event footprint. For more information on site plan requirements and to see site plan examples, visit the Site Plan Resources page. 
  4. Once a Special Event Application has been submitted, staff will send you an invoice with a link to pay the corresponding non-refundable application fee.  

Until both the application and application fee are received, your application will not be considered complete and your materials will not be reviewed. Submitting an application does NOT guarantee that your event will be approved.

Related Events

  All events