Special Event Rules and Regulations

What is a Temporary Special Event?

A Temporary Special Event is either an event on City-owned property or a public event on private property as defined below.

Event on City-Owned Property

Any organization that wishes to hold an event on City-owned property must complete a Temporary Special Event Application to be considered for a Temporary Special Event Permit. 

Public Event on Private Property

Any public event held on private property with an anticipated attendance of 250 or more and which includes any of the following must complete a Pre-Application to determine if the event will require a Temporary Special Event Permit:

  • Activities involving entertainment, amplified sound, food, beverages, merchandise sales, festivals, carnivals, circuses, sporting events, trade shows, craft shows, car shows, public dances, concerts, or performances.
  • The increase or disruption of the normal flow of traffic on any street or highway caused by the event.
  • The use of City facilities, including City-owned parking lots and City-owned restrooms.
  • The use of City services that would not be necessary in the absence of such an event.
  • Mobile food vehicles, including ice cream trucks, as part of the event. Visit the food truck page for mobile food vehicle regulations and licensing.
  • Pre-Application for Public Events on Private Property

How do I Apply for a Temporary Special Event Permit?

All event dates are approved on a first come, first served basis. Previously held events will be given first preference. The Application is not complete and will not be approved until all supporting materials are provided. The City will determine the number and scope of City services that will be provided by the City for the event.

Please read the Temporary Special Event Guidelines carefully below before submitting your Temporary Special Event Application, as you are expected to adhere to the policies stated below. Call the Community Relations Manager at (330) 655-1522 or email us if you have questions about holding events in Hudson.

City Fees

Each event organizer is responsible for fees for City services and staff provided for an event.

The fees listed are 2016 rates. The City will charge all new events and current events that are requesting additional services for costs associated with providing those City services and staffing. 

After the event, the City of Hudson will send the event organizer an invoice outlining the cost of the services provided by the City. Payment is due upon receipt. In some cases, a deposit or payment prior to the event may be required.

  • Road Closures - $300 per closure and per reopening, if a second trip is required
  • Police Services - $57 per hour, per officer (4 hour minimum)
  • Electric  - $25 per hookup/pedestal
  • Water - $25 per hookup

Should the event cause damage to City greens or City property, the event organizer will be billed for the cost of repairs. 

City Services

Electric

All new events and requests for additional electric services for current events will be billed at a cost of $25 for each electric hookup or pedestal. Electric locations should be indicated on the Site Map. 

The City does not provide or rent generators, light towers, cord covers, or extension cords for events.

Water Service

Water hookups are available at several locations. These hookups are not for drinking water. New events, and events requesting additional water hookups will be charged $25 per hookup. The locations of the water hookups should be indicated on the Site Map.

Road Closures

The City discourages closing roads for events and has final say regarding requests for closures. All road closures and lane restrictions must be set up and removed by City of Hudson staff. Requested road closures must be indicated on the Site Map.

  • All new events and requests for additional road closures for current events will be billed at a cost of $600 for each road closure and reopening, if two separate trips must be made. 
  • Any closed road must must maintain a minimum of 18 feet of roadway clear and be accessible to emergency vehicles. 

When available, the City will provide cones and navigators that will be delivered and picked up during office hours. Please indicate the quantity and drop off and pickup time/location on the Temporary Special Event Application.

Police Security / Crowd Control

All events requiring police officers will incur a cost of $50 per hour, per police officer. Officers must be scheduled for a minimum of four hours. The Hudson Police Department will have the final determination of the appropriate number of police officers required for an event based upon factors such as time of day, anticipated crowd size, and the presence of alcohol. The event organizer is responsible for providing adequate security for an event and for hiring overnight security if needed. The City does not provide overnight security.

Fire Safety

All events must adhere to fire safety regulations and requirements. It is the event organizer's responsibility to contact the Hudson Fire Department to schedule inspections. Inspections should be scheduled well in advance of the event date. Contact the Hudson Fire Department at 330-342-1860 for all fire safety regulations, requirements, and inspections. 

EMS

The City will determine if Hudson Emergency Medical Services coverage is required and the amount of service required for safe operation of the event. The event organizer may be required to make arrangements for first aid and emergency medical services to be provided on-site.

Regulations

All events must adhere to the following regulations as well as our Special Event Policy approved by City Council. Violations of the Special Event Policy could prevent your event from being approved and could be subject to a $100 fine.

Event Insurance / Waiver and Hold Harmless Agreement

All events must maintain general liability insurance with coverage for personal injury and property damage incurred by people attending the event, damage to property or equipment used during the event, and property damage to City property caused by organizers, sponsors, vendors, volunteers, or visitors to the event.

General insurance coverage must include:

  • $1 million dollars in coverage per occurrence
  • The City of Hudson must be specifically named as an additional insured
  • The Waiver and Hold Harmless Agreement on the Temporary Special Event Application must be signed by an authorized representative of the organization

Event Certificates of Insurance are requested at the time of application submission, and should be received no later than 30 days prior to the event. Final approval of the event will no be granted until appropriate proof of insurance is received.

Vendor Requirements

Event organizers must submit a Vendor List with the organization's Temporary Special Event Application 60 days prior to the event date indicating all vendors who will participate in your event and what they will do, sell, demonstrate, cook (including cooking method), make, hand out, etc. 

All vendors are required to fill out a vendor form. There are two different types of vendors:

  • Regular vendor:for-profit vendors with items/food for sale. This type of vendor must submit a Certificate of Insurance for the coverage and requirements listed above along with the City of Hudson Vendor Application.
  • Non-Incorporated participants:Non-Incorporated participant is defined as a participant that is not associated with an organization with an EIN or paid staff members. These participants are unable to conduct any for profit activities as part of their event participation. This type of participant must make sure they are covered under the overall event's umbrella insurance policy.

Event Organizers are responsible for ensuring a Vendor Application, a Certificate of Insurance, and a Waiver and Hold Harmless Agreement has been provided to the City by every vendor that will participate in their event, and must submit them to the City for approval no later than 30 days prior to the event date. The vendor insurance required for regular vendors is in addition to the overall Event Insurance. 

Late submission of Vendor Applications or missing documents may jeopardize a vendor's participation in the event.

Noise Regulations

Music and/or noise must be kept at a reasonable volume. All music, noise, or other sounds during your event must not begin before 7:00 a.m. or continue after 10:00 p.m. on any day of the week. The City reserves the right to shut down the source of the disturbance and/or the event.

Set Up / Tear Down

Set up and tear down must occur between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. Events may not set up prior to 6:00 p.m. on the day before the event opens, and must tear down immediately after the event. No roads, parking spaces, or other public access can be blocked during set up or tear down without City approval. Vehicles, trucks, carts, or other motorized equipment are not permitted on City greens, sidewalks, or tree lawn areas.

Parking

Event organizers must include a parking plan on the Temporary Special Event Application that will accommodate the number of guests expected. If a shuttle will be used, the application must indicate the route and pickup/drop-off points. These areas should also be indicated on the Site Map. The shuttle company must provide proof of insurance. Parking plans should not impact parking for retail and restaurant establishments. For larger events, volunteers may be required to direct traffic to the designated parking areas and/or shuttle service must be provided. 

Tents / Temporary Structures

The number, size, and location of tents must be approved by the City and must be submitted as part of your Site Map. No tent stakes are allowed on City property. All tents and temporary structures such as stages must be anchored with water barrels, sandbags, or alternative methods that do not involve tent stakes.  

If you are erecting tents on privately owned property, the event organizer is responsible for calling OUPS to make sure all utilities are marked (1-800-362-2764). 

Tents or temporary structures that together are greater than 400 square feet with closed sides require permits and inspections from the Summit County Department of Building Standards (330-630-7280) and the Hudson Fire Department (330-342-1860). It is the event organizer’s responsibility to contact the County and Hudson Fire Department to receive the proper inspections and permits prior to the beginning of the event.

Portable Toilets / Hand-Washing Facilities

Portable toilet and sink facilities are required for larger events. The event organizer must contract for those services from an outside vendor. The City recommends 1 portable restroom facility for every 500 people, if permanent restroom facilities are not available. The City must approve the number, location, delivery dates/times, and pickup dates/times no later than 30 days prior to the event. No traffic may be obstructed or roads blocked during delivery or removal of these facilities. Facilities must be removed immediately following the event. 

Trash / Clean Up / Recycling

The event organizer is responsible for sanitation, clean-up, and trash collection during and after the event. The name and contact information of individuals and/or groups responsible for cleaning up during and after the event must be indicated on the Temporary Special Event Application.

Permanent City trash containers in the vicinity of the event must be emptied by the event organizer as needed throughout and after the event. For larger events, you may be required to rent additional trash receptacles. All litter, trash, garbage, and scraps must be placed in plastic bags and disposed of by the event organizer. 

The event organizer is responsible for renting temporary dumpsters, if necessary. Placement locations must be approved by the City. The City will provide recycling containers if requested on the Temporary Special Event Application. The event organizer is responsible for emptying those containers.

If the event organizer fails to properly clean up the venue or causes damage to City property or facilities, the City will bill the event organizer for the City’s costs to clean and/or repair the damaged areas. If damage occurs, the City may deny an application for a future Special Event, or require a cash deposit or surety bond for any future event held in Hudson.

Food / Beverages

All food and beverage services must adhere to regulations by the Summit County Public Health Department (330-926-5600), including obtaining a permit if required. In general, food that is not being sold does not require a permit. However, it is the event organizer's responsibility to contact Summit County Public Health to ensure the proper permits are obtained.

A list of all food and beverage vendors, along with what they will sell, cook, or serve, must be submitted to the City 30 days prior to the event. The event organizer must submit Vendor Applications, Vendor Insurance Certificates, and Waiver and Hold Harmless Agreements for each food/beverage vendor. The City reserves the right to deny permission for any vendor to sell or serve food on public property.

Food Preparation / Cooking

Food vendors must adhere to all policies and laws governing preparation, cooking, selling or serving food. The Summit County Health Department will serve as the principal agency in monitoring and enforcing the requirements of food vendors. If a vendor fails to meet or maintain the requirements for food handling and preparation and/or proper waste disposal, that vendor will not be permitted to participate in the event. For temporary license information, contact the Summit County General Health District at 330-926-5600.

Vendors who are cooking or preparing food on site must contact the Hudson Fire Department for rules and safety regulations. Failure to comply with these safety regulations will be cause for the vendor to leave the event. Vendors should contact HFD (330-342-1860) well in advance for the fire inspection checklist and requirements. 

Food Trucks / Mobile Food Vehicles

All mobile food vehicles/food trucks, including ice cream trucks, are required to apply for and receive an annual permit to operate in the City. If the event organizer wishes to use food trucks at the event, the owner/operator of the food truck must be listed on the event Vendor List as an approved vendor.

Mobile Food Vehicles may not pull up and operate near an existing event without being an approved vendor by the event. As with any vendor cooking or preparing food, inspections by the Hudson Fire Department (330-342-1860) are required. For food truck/mobile food vehicle licensing information and the application, visit the food truck page. Please contact the Community Relations Manager at (330) 655-1522 or via email with any questions.

Alcohol 

Alcohol sales and consumption on public property is only permitted within the boundaries of the Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) according to City of Hudson ordinance and Ohio Revised Code. Alcoholic beverages may not be sold or consumed on public property or public streets outside of the DORA boundaries.

For private property liquor sales, a Special Event Liquor Permit must be obtained from the Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Liquor Control. When received, a copy must be sent to the City of Hudson. It is the event organizer's responsibility to ensure that alcoholic beverages will not be carried into public areas. 

Entertainment / Activities

Certain forms of entertainment or activities are not permitted on City property or must be approved by the City:

  • Music/Stages/Amplification - The number of stages, the number of bands/performers, and a schedule of bands/performers must be submitted with the application.
  • Inflatables - Event organizers must carry additional insurance for inflatables and they must be inspected by the Hudson Fire Department upon set up. The City reserves the right to deny any inflatable requests.
  • Amusement rides, carnivals, or circuses - These activities are not permitted on City property. 
  • Live animals, petting zoos, or other animal exhibits or animal rides - These activities are not permitted on City property. 
  • Gambling, games of change, lotteries and/or Bingo - These activities are not permitted on City property.
  • Fireworks, rockets, lasers, and pyrotechnics - These activities require additional insurance, a permit from the Hudson Fire Department, and fire inspections. See the "Fireworks / Pyrotechnics" section for more information.

Fireworks / Pyrotechnics

Public fireworks displays and the use of pyrotechnics or special effects require a separate Fireworks Permit from the Hudson Fire Department. Applications for a Fireworks/Pyrotechnic Displays Permit must be submitted to the City of Hudson Fire Department at least 30 days prior to a performance. A valid Certificate of General Liability Insurance is required that will be in effect for the duration of the event and will cover claims up to $3 million per occurrence. The City of Hudson must be listed as an additional insured on the certificate. Please contact the Hudson Fire Department about rules and regulations regarding fireworks.

Site Map

For approval of a Special Event Application, a Site Map must be submitted no later than 30 days prior to the event. The Site Map must define the event area being permitted and include all the following features and information, if applicable:

  • All affected streets, alleys and rights-of-way, including those that will be closed by an event
  • Location of all barricades (barricades will be provided, placed, and removed by the City)
  • Location of all tents and temporary structures that will be erected at the event
  • Location of all vendors – fixed and mobile
  • Sources of electrical supply, including permanent electrical power sources and portable generators
  • Location of water hookups
  • Location of all dumpsters and trash receptacles
  • Location of stages that will be used or placed at the event
  • Entrances and exits
  • Designated parking areas
  • Permanent and portable restroom facilities

Return To:

Email: Community Relations Manager

Mail or Drop Off: Community Relations Manager, Hudson City Hall, 1140 Terex Road, Hudson, Ohio 44236.

Contact the Community Relations Manager at (330) 655-1522 with any questions or concerns.

Quick Links:

Signs and Banners for Temporary Special Events

Weddings on City Property

Block Parties