• Event Coordinator Guide
  • In planning your event, please use this guide to organize the various items required to obtain a special use permit.  Please submit these items to the Parks & Recreation Department.

• General Liability Insurance: Food Vendors & Other Vendors
  • These guides identify the standard liability insurance coverage required by the County.  Please note the specific language, amounts, and certificate holder information shown.  All events must provide proof of insurance. 

• Insurance Coverage for Consumption of Alcohol
  • Events that include the request to involve alcohol (liquor, beer, wine, etc.) will need to produce liquor liability insurance meeting the standards in the linked document.

• Special Use Permit Request
  • This follows the standard process for facility rentals within the Carver County Park system.  All special events, excluding fishing tournaments and regional trail only use events, require the rental of a park shelter.  Only 1 permit per facility will be allowed per day. 

• Fee Schedule
  • Please refer to this document to see all fees that may apply to an event.  Tier 1 permits, typically smaller scale events, have a $108 fee.  Tier 2 permits, larger scale events, have a $208 fee.

• Notify Other Agencies as Needed
  • Permits may be contingent on actions by other jurisdictions such as the Department of Natural Resources, Sheriff's Office, or cities.  
    • For events at Lake Minnewashta Regional Park contact Chanhassen City Hall at (952) 227-1100 
    • For events at Lake Waconia Regional Park contact Waconia City Hall at (952) 442-3106
  • Events that seek the use of Carver County road right of way property need to contact the County Highway Dept. at highwaypermits@carvercountymn.gov.
  • Events that seek the use of other public property within the County will need to contact the Land Management Dept. at (952) 361-1820.

Carver County Parks & Recreation by County Ordinance functions with a Park Commission, a citizen advisory group.  The Commission has the responsibility to take action and make recommendations on items to the County Board.  

• Typically, the Park Commission meets 1x a month on the second Wednesday.  After the Park Commission reviews a special event use permit request, a recommendation may be made to advance the item to the County Board.  Typically, there are two opportunities per month for this to occur - the first and third Tuesdays of each month. 

• By Park Ordinance, Tier 2 Special Use Permits require County Board authorization.  The minimum 90 day advance notice for permit request accounts for a one month time for each formal step.  Prior to either, one month is accounted for to allow Department staff to work with the event coordinator and ensure the request is appropriate to advance in the process. 

• Please note, some larger events might take more than one month to navigate between Department & Event staff.  PLEASE PLAN WELL IN ADVANCE.