(a) Permit required.
(1) It shall be unlawful for any number of persons, delegations or associations of persons, or for any company, circus or group to conduct a parade along or upon the streets of the city without first obtaining a permit. No permit shall be required for the use of the sidewalks of the city for any procession or parade.
(2) It shall be unlawful for any number of persons, delegations or associations of persons, or for any company, circus or group to conduct a parade upon any median, median strip or traffic island designed for the purpose of separating or directing vehicular traffic.
(3) a. Only one parade shall be allowed on the same calendar day in the following areas:
1. The DOED;
2. The Cultural District;
3. The NSOED; or
4. The SOED.
b. Outside these locations, permits may be issued for parades to be conducted on the same calendar day at the same time by the outdoor events manager in consultation with the chief of police and the fire chief, or their designees in regard to the respective department’s available resources. Times shall be conflicting if the parade starting times are less than four hours apart.
(4) No permit shall be issued if:
a. The parade would conflict with previously planned events or programs in the area scheduled for the same time and place;
b. The parade would present an unreasonable danger to the health or safety of the applicant, participants or citizens of the city;
c. The parade would duly interfere with proper fire and police protection or ambulance service to the area contiguous to the parade route and alternative means of service acceptable to the city is not available;
d. The parade will place such a burden on the police, fire or emergency services that they would be unable to provide normal services to the remainder of the city; or
e. The parade would interfere with events scheduled at the Fort Worth Convention Center or the Will Rogers Memorial Center.
(b) Mandatory requirements for issuance of a parade permit.
(1) Submission of a completed application no later than:
a. Two hundred ten days prior to a parade in the downtown outdoor events district with participation or attendance anticipated over 2,500;
b. One hundred twenty days prior to a parade outside of the downtown outdoor events district or inside the downtown outdoor events district with anticipated attendance of over 500 but less than 2,500; or
c. Sixty days prior to a parade with participation or attendance anticipated to be less than 500.
(2) Payment of all fees at the time of the submission of the completed application;
(3) Attendance by the applicant at the pre-event meeting;
(4) Submission of all the required plans;
(5) Notice to surrounding property owners for the events calendar and the pre-event meetings as required by this article;
(6) Execution of a user agreement; and
(7) Submission of all insurance and other requirements under this article.
(c) Application process.
(1) A person seeking a permit for a parade shall file an application in writing on a form to be provided by the outdoor events manager. An application for a parade permit with participation or attendance anticipated to be greater than 500 persons shall be filed with the outdoor events manager no less than 120 calendar days before the date of the proposed parade except for exempt parades and events in the downtown outdoor events district with participation or attendance more than 2,500 as provided above. An application for a parade permit for a parade with anticipated attendance or participation of less than 500 persons shall be filed with the outdoor events manager no less than 60 days before the date of the proposed parade.
(2) The contents of the application shall include:
a. The name, address and telephone number of the person seeking to conduct a parade;
b. If the parade is to be held for or by an organization, the name, address, telephone number of the headquarters of such organization and the names and numbers of authorized and responsible heads of the organization;
c. The name, address and all telephone numbers of the applicant responsible for the conduct of the parade;
d. Location, date and time of the parade;
e. A written description of the proposed route to be traveled, the starting point and the termination point of the parade, including a map illustrating the exact route of the parade;
f. If the parade will be held in the DOED, then the applicant shall choose a designated route provided by the outdoor events manager in consultation with the city traffic engineer;
g. The estimated number of any riders, animals, animal drawn vehicles, floats, motor vehicles, motorized displays and marching units or organizations, such as bands, color guards and drill teams that will constitute the parade;
h. A statement as to whether the parade will occupy all or only a portion of the width of the streets proposed to be used;
i. The streets that will be partially or completely closed during the parade;
j. The location by streets of any assembly areas for the proposed parade;
k. The time at which units of the parade will arrive at the assembly area;
l. Event site plan indicating location of generators, tents, vendors, portable toilets, amplifiers, viewing stands and bleachers, if any;
m. Emergency services and fire safety and traffic control plans;
n. The estimated attendance at the event;
o. Details of how the applicant will clean up the area after the parade, if on public property;
p. Any additional information related to health and safety which the outdoor events manager finds reasonably necessary to make a determination as to whether a permit should be issued; and
q. No later than 30 days prior to the parade, provide a notification letter to all affected businesses and/or residents. For condominiums, hotels or high-rise residential buildings, notice may be provided to the property manager or the homeowner’s association. A copy of the notification letter and distribution list shall be provided to the outdoor events manager prior to sending the notification letter.
(d) Issuance of parade permit.
(1) The place, duration and manner of use of the public streets and other public ways and places for parades shall be subordinate to the public safety, comfort and convenience, the maintenance of order and the avoidance of congestion.
(2) The outdoor events manager shall issue a permit upon finding:
a. The conduct of the parade will not interfere with the safe and orderly movement of traffic near the parade route;
b. The parade is scheduled to move from its point of origin to its point of termination without unreasonable delays;
c. The conduct of such parade will not interfere with the movement of firefighting equipment or fire protection activities;
d. The conduct of such parade will not require the diversion of a number of police officers to properly police the line of movement and areas near the parade so as to prevent normal police protection to other areas of the city;
e. The conduct of the parade will not require the diversion of a number of ambulances so as to prevent normal ambulance service to other portions of the city; or
f. The movement of the parade will not conflict in time and location with another parade or event for which a permit has been granted.
(Ord. 19255-08-2010, § 1, passed 8-3-2010, eff. 10-1-2010; Ord. 19373-09-2010, § 4, passed 9-28-2010; Ord. 20292-07-2012, § 7, passed 7-17-2012)