Permits - Festivals & Events

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• Community events and outdoor festivals on City of Olympia property
• Events on State grounds (Heritage, Marathon and Sylvester Parks and the State Capitol Campus)
• Non-Festival Events at Olympia City Parks (Percival Landing, Yauger Park, Etc)
• Marches and Demonstrations
• Run and walk-a-thons
• Neighborhood Block Parties

Community Events and Outdoor Festivals on City of Olympia Property

Applications are only accepted for the current calendar year. Please submit your application as early in the year as possible and no later than 90 days before the first day of event set up to allow time for review, communication, and logistical planning.

• 2010 Permit Application Form 
• 2010 Permit Application Form 
• 2010 List of City Service Contacts 
• Downtown Olympia Street Map 
• Heritage Park area map 
• Percival Landing area map 
  

Questions about Festival Event Application Process? Contact Cathie Butler at Olympia City Hall by phone 360.753.8361 or email, cbutler@ci.olympia.wa.us.

General Information. Outdoor Festival Events are open to the public without admission charge, and usually include entertainment or other festival activities. Examples of traditional outdoor festival events in Olympia are Arts Walk, Bon Odori, Capital City Pride Festival, Downtown for the Holidays, Harbor Days, Hemp Fest, Lakefair, Sand in the City, and the Wooden Boat Fair.

Date Restrictions. The City will not permit use of City property (including streets and sidewalks) in downtown Olympia for additional festivals or street closure event activities on the same days as Spring Arts Walk/Procession of Species and Fall Arts Walk.

Liability Insurance Requirements. The City of Olympia requires sponsors of outdoor community events held on City property to obtain event liability insurance in a minimum amount of $1 million dollars per occurance and $2 million aggregate, with the City named as an additional insured party. The dollar amount requested by the City may be higher, depending on the nature of event activities and recommendation by the City's risk manager.

Alcohol Sales. The City of Olympia does not allow the sale or serving of alcohol on City property for festival events.

Notifications. When a street closure is requested for a festival, the event sponsor is required to provide advance notice to adjacent businesses in writing of their request, the proposed event dates and times, nature of activities planned for the street, and the contact name and phone number for the event sponsor. The sponsor of newly organized events on City streets must submit letters with their application from all adjacent businesses/property owners stating whether or not they support the street closure.

Street Use Fee. Sponsors of multi-day outdoor festivals must pay a street usage fee of $50 per block per day of event operation.

Community Event License. The sponsor of a community event in Olympia, whether or not it is held on City property, must obtain a community event license per Title 5.17 of the Olympia Municipal Code. There is a $50 fee. The City's regular business license form may be used to apply for a community event license. In OMC Title 5.17, community event is defined as: "Any festival, celebration, fair or other similar event held in the city with local participation and sponsorship, which event is open to the public and does not exceed seven days in duration during any calendar year."

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State Capital Campus, Heritage Park, Marathon Park, Sylvester Park

The Capitol Campus, Heritage Park/Capitol Lake, Marathon Park, Sylvester Park, and Deschutes Parkway in downtown Olympia are owned by the State of Washington and maintained by the State Department of General Administration. Also owned and managed by the State is the portion of Washington Street in downtown Olympia that is between Legion Way and 7th Avenue (between Sylvester Park and the Superintendent of Public Instruction Building).

Please make contact directly with the State Department of General Administration to request use of those facilities or locations for events. Rules for use of Capitol Campus public areas.

If you request use of City streets adjacent to State-owned parks as part of the event venue, City permission - if granted - will be conditioned on the State Department of General Administration issuing a permit for use of the State property for the event's primary activities, including stages and entertainment, and the ability of emergency vehicles to navigate the streets if needed.

Heritage Park area map 

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Non-Festival Events and Activities at Olympia City Parks, including Percival Landing and The Olympia Center

If you wish to reserve space in a City of Olympia park, at Percival Landing, or at The Olympia Center for an event or activity other than an outdoor community or festival event, please contact the Olympia Parks, Arts & Recreation Department, 360.753.8380. Do not fill out the festival events application posted on this page.

Percival Landing area map 

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Marches and Demonstrations

City Council Resolution. The Olympia City Council adopted Resolution M-1476 in 2000 encouraging open, advance communication about demonstration, protest, and free speech activities/plans.

Street Use. Submit this form to the Olympia Police Department for street requests for marches, demonstrations and free speech activities on City of Olympia streets:

City Park Use. Contact Olympia Parks, Arts & Recreation Department about use of City park property for demonstrations and free speech activities, 360.753.8300. See the information below about requests to use State property such as Sylvester and Heritage Parks. Do not fill out the festival events application posted on this page.

State Capitol Campus, Heritage Park, Sylvester Park. Contact the State Department of General Administration to arrange for demonstration, protest, and free speech events on State grounds.

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Run/Walk-A-Thons, Marathons

Please consider venues that do not require street closure, such as area trails or sidewalks. If there is no alternative, use this form to request street use:

Depending on the requested use, the City may require liability insurance as determined by the City's Risk Manager.

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Neighborhood Block Parties

To request street closure for a neighborhood block party, contact Jennifer Kenny, City of Olympia Neighborhood Planner, 360.753.8031, or email this form to her.

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Street Use Application Form

Street Use Application Form 

Street Use Application Form

Street Use Application Form

Block Party Street Request Form

Block Party Street Request Form