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To be eligible, events must be hosted in the
Bellingham City limits and open to the general
public with no admissions fee, age or other
condition of participation, or registration
requirement.
There is a fee charged for use of
supplies
Supplies may be reserved up to one
year in advance.
City-sponsored events have priority
over non-City events.
Users are responsible for replacing
missing or damaged items.
Contact Bellingham Parks & Recreation for
more information on available supplies and use
fees: parks@cob.org / 360.778.7000
Additional equipment and supplies, including
any supplies needed for restricted events, must
be provided by the event sponsor.
Fees & Charges
Review fees and personnel charges are adopted
by the City Council to recover the costs of
reviewing, approving and staffing a Special
Event. For a complete list of fees and charges,
see the Fee Schedule at the end of this
document.
Permit Review Fee
Applicants are required to pay a non-refundable
permit review fee prior to review of their
permit application. A fee sheet will be provided
to the applicant upon receipt of a complete
application.
City Personnel Charges
If required, additional charges will be incurred
for the costs of City personnel required to
support the event (e.g. due to security,
emergency service or traffic control
requirements). An estimate of these fees will be
provided during the review of your application,
then a bill for payment of services will be sent
to the applicant after the event.
Post-Event Services
The applicant will be billed for staff time for
clean-up after the event if City resources are
required to remove signs, pavement markings,
litter, or other impacts from the event.
Facility Rental Fees
See City Venues/Facilities topic area for
information.
Exemptions and Reductions
Political or religious activity intended primarily
for the communication or expression of ideas
shall be presumed to be a constitutionally-
protected event, and fees and charges will not
be assessed.
Fire Bin/Burn Barrel/Bonfire
Open fires are not allowed in City of Bellingham
facilities. Exceptions include charcoal briquettes
in existing or portable barbeques. Proposed
recreational fires will be reviewed by the
Bellingham Fire Department according to these
criteria:
https://www.cob.org/documents/fire/safety/re
creational-burning-requirements.pdf
Fireworks/Pyrotechnics
Public firework displays require a separate Fire
Operational Permit. An application, including
display plans, must be submitted to the Fire
Department at least 10 days prior to the event
for review and approval. Submittal
requirements are outlined under WAC 212-17-
270. Private display of fireworks is prohibited.
