Office and Payment Hours

• Hours:  Monday - Friday:  8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.  Closed City Holidays, Saturday & Sunday.      512-974-6797
• Payment Types Accepted:   Anytime: Online, Cash, or Money Order.  More than 14 days from the event date:  Check
• Payment Deadlines:  If you book a site or facility today (for example), payment in full is due within 14 days.
  • Payments for additional permits are due at the time they are requested, and BEFORE a permit will be released.

Quick Links - Take Me To.....

Booking Periods and the Lottery

General Booking Period       6 months to 14 days in advance     Call to book readily available common picnic and facility rental sites.   Observed Holidays (No Reservation Periods)

Lottery Booking      The earliest you can reserve a park/facility is 10 months in advance through the lottery.  For example, submit a lottery request in May for March dates, or December for October dates (see the booking and lottery calendar).  After the lottery, the next period to reserve a park is 6 months in advance of the event month in the general booking period.      Early Reservation Lottery Request        Observed Holidays (No Reservation Periods)

Applications

• Special Request Form Application
  • USE FOR:  PARK ONLY events.  For example, an public event, fundraiser with food and non-alcoholic beverages.  May NOT include alcohol sales, structures, or tent permits.
  • USE FOR:  Curfew extensions, an event at a typically non-bookable park, or public events with food vending/merchandising    May NOT include alcohol sales, structures, or tent permits.
  • NOTICE:      Special requests require review and processing time in addition to the 14 day cut off booking period for typical picnic or facility rentals.  A lead request time of 4-6 months is strongly suggested.

• Comprehensive Citywide Special Event Application-
  • See the “Event Planning” section. 
  • Consult wtih a PARD event planner PRIOR to applying.  Many parks are booked by reocrruring events. 
  • Use for events which require services/permits for a park AND any one of the following:  public safety personnel/security personnel, medical support services, lake/open water use, use of sidewalks/streets as part of a run/walk route or similar, fire inspections, tents/ canopies, building structures such as stages or platforms, health permits, public events where alcohol will be served or sold.
  • Learn more about park special event planning

PICNIC AREAS/SHELTER RESERVATIONS

       Make sure to ONLY look for dates labeled OPEN!                        

All picnic site rentals start at $60 per site per day for any period between 10 am and 10 pm at most sites.  Bookings start 6 months in advance, or read more here.  Payments are due received in the park events office within 14 days of booking to confirm the reservation.  Use the "At a Glance" picnic site list below and find a site that matches your needs.  Our picnic sites and shetlers documents shows all picnic sites, features to help you make an educated decision on which site fits your needs.  Check the online calendar for availability. 

1. Find a site         Picnic and Shelter Sites at a Glance
2. See the Sites    Maps and Images 
3. Check availability online!
4. Call to book!  512-974-6797

• Map Tip - Red icons show parks at large, green icons show actual site locations reservable within each park. 
• Map Tip - Switch between "map or satellite" views.   
• Map Tip -  Use the map navigate function to map a route to the picnic site!
• Tips for a Successful Picnic

FACILITY RESERVATIONS

 Four facilities are available for a variety of uses.  Call in bookings start 6 months in advance, or read more here.  Payments are due received in the park events office within 14 days of booking to confirm the reservation.  Check the online calendar for availability.  Select the park from the "location list", and then select "event facility" in the "features" box to narrow results to ONLY the event facilties.  The guidebooks below include pricing, rules and allowances for each site.    Learn more about specific permit topics in the policies section.

Fiesta Gardens: 2100 Jesse E. Segovia Street - Excellent for small festivals and private events.

• Facility Guidebook          Facility Site Plan         Facility Grounds Plan      Driving Directions Map

Mayfield Cottage: 3801 Old Bull Creek Road (Next to Austin Museum of Art) - Historic garden location for small private events.  No music allowed at this site.

• Facility Guidebook           Facility Site Plan         Ground Site Plan             Driving Directions Map

• Mayfield Photography Policy ($50/session
  • Check Availability - select the "Mayfield" park location field

Sparky Park Station Building:  3701 Grooms Street - Perfect for meetings/uses central to this neighborhood.  Extremely limited parking.  30 people or less.  NO amplifed sound allowed.

• Facility Guidebook

Zilker Clubhouse: 200 Zilker Clubhouse Road (Off Rollingwood Drive) Perfect for small events of approximately 125 people.

•  Facility Guidebook            Site CAD Plan             Fireplace Measurements     Driving Directions Map

FILMING AND COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHY

The events office will make every effort to review and approve filming uses when an application is received.  However, it is more difficult with shorter lead times or at park locations with high public usage such as pools or metropolitan parks.  In order to be most successful, thoroughly detailed applications should be received 7 or more days in advance of the requested start date.  Permits are handled in the order recieved.  Shoots with at popular or metropolitan parks, with multiple locations, detailed needs, or large numbers of cast/crew should plan to submit requests 14 days or more in advance of the start date.

• Filming Application and Location Form
• Filming Insurance

Policies, Procedures, Forms, & Park Rules

• Policies, Rules, Pricing, and Holidays
• Reservation Procedures, Policies, Rules and Permits Handbook
• Park Rules - Glass, Styrofoam and Smoking are prohibited in all parks.
• 2018-2019 Pricing Sheet
• Observed Holidays (No Reservation Periods)

• Insurance - Standard Specifications,
• Insurance  (standard requirements for all public events, & possible coverages as required by the park system)

• Subject Topic Documents for Events With Reservations
• Alcohol Service Standards - Beer Garden Requirements and Mock Layouts
• Alcohol Permitting Process Overview
• Building Permits       (stages, bleachers, structures at events)
• Crawfish Boil Regulations
• Electrical Permits -  Required for wire to wire, tie-in, or pig tail connections.
• Food and Beverage Permit - Health Food Permits and Handling Guidelines
• Food and Beverage/Vendor  - Fire Department Propane and Tent Advisory Guidelines
• Food and Beverage - Mobile Food Vending Fire Department Regulations for  at permitted events
• Smoke and Electronic Cigarette-free Events Toolkit
• Tent Regulations - Austin Fire Department
• Turf Access and Tree Protection
• Directions for Submitting a Completed Site Plan for Tree Impact Review

Permits

Event Related Permits  (ONLY for confirmed (paid) park reservations)

• Alcohol Sales - $30.  Permit process steps for sales/public service requests on park property.  Alcohol sales and consumption requirements apply.
  • Complete one ONLY if directed by City staff:  Alcohol at a Rental     Alcohol at a Cosponsored Event
  • Theatres/museums - permit process steps.
• Amplified Sound - Please review individual picnic site or facility information, as some properties contain additional limitations or allowances.
  • Commercial or Advertising Purposes ($30) -- Private Party  ($20) -- Public Interest, Political or Non-Profit ($10) 
• Moonwalk, Inflatable, Dunking Booth, Rock Wall Permits - $10          NO Miniature Trains, Water slides or Petting Zoos.
• OTHER AGENCY PERMITS:  With park approval, and depending on the scope of your event, other citywide permits may be required.  Examples include:  Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) Permit, Building Permit (stages, structures, bleachers), Health Permit (food/beverage preparation), AFD Permits for tents (size, requirements vary).  Review the advisory information above.  Please make sure your reservation includes PARD permission prior to making any final arrangements of plans.  The policies and procedures section of this page has information on those agencies, practices, and requirements.

Miscellaneous Park Permits

• Mayfield Photography Session ($50 per 2 hour permit)
• Metal Detecting    Permits are required and typically ONLY issued to searches for a specific item lost due to extenuating circumstances.
• Drones – “Unmanned Aircraft”.  Several regulations impact the use of drones in the park system.  Common resources are listed below for convenience.
  • Federal Aviation Administration - helpful sections, regulations, and requirements.       State Government Code – Government Code, Chapter 423
  • City Code Chapter 13, specifically sections 1, 2, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15
  • Park Rules – Section 19, C –  “ (C) A person may not operate a model aircraft in a park except in a specifically designated area.”

Commercial Use/Temporary Concession Permits

Commercial use and concession approvals (permits) are required and issued to applicants for training classes, exercise groups or similar commercial activity use requests (vending, merchandise sales, etc) in the park system.  Concession permits are issued at stand-alone park locations where short-term or single concession needs arise that benefit an activity or the public at the requested park location.  Concession permits, are NOT issued for vendors to vend outside or near permitted special events where organizers typically coordinate vendors inside their permitted grounds and spaces.  Per City Code Chapter 8:  COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY means to advertise or provide a good, service, class, or instructional activity for compensation.  COMPENSATION means any money, thing of value, payment, reward, tip, consideration, donation, gratuity, or profit paid to, accepted by, or received by a person.  APPROVAL means a permit, reservation agreement, or other written document that evidences an authorization by the department.   Fines:  $100-$500 fine, $250 minimum fine during a special event , Class C Misdemeanor

• Commercial Use Permits                 Training classes, exercise groups, or similar.
• Temporary Concession Permits      Single day or 6 month permits.  Food, beverage, merchandise, or biike tours.
• Walsh Boat Landing Permit

SPECIAL EVENTS - Festivals, Sporting Events, Concerts