Special Event FAQs

Fill out the Outdoor Special Event Application Form and submit to specialevents@saskatoon.ca or return to:

Applications are due January 1st of every year. Applications received after January 1st will be considered as they are received, pending location availability.

Your application will be reviewed and you will be contacted with further details.

• Diefenbaker Park (off St. Henry Avenue)
• Friendship Park (south of the Broadway Bridge off 19th Street)
• Kinsmen Park Festival Site (located within Kinsmen Park, off Kinsmen Avenue)
  • Kinsmen Park Festival Site Guidelines
• Kiwanis Memorial Park North (Beside the Delta Bessborough)
• Meewasin Park North (north of the Circle Drive Drive along Spadina Crescent)
• Rotary Park (south of the Broadway Bridge along Saskatchewan Crescent)
• Victoria Park (south of the Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge along Spadina Crescent)

• The minimum requirement for general liability insurance is $2 million.  The City reserves the right to request additional liability insurance. A copy of your liability insurance must be submitted to the Allocations Office 30 days prior to your event date. Liability insurance must name the City of Saskatoon as an additional insured.
• If the event is serving or selling alcohol, the minimum requirement for general liability insurance is $5 million, with host liquor endorsement.  The City reserves the right to request additional general liability insurance (see the Alcohol Sales and Service section for more information).
• Parades, marches and demonstrations do not require liability insurance.

This depends on where you intend to hold your event. For general rental charges, please refer to the Services & Fees page.

A number of City grants are available to help organizers fund their events. To find out if you qualify for one or more of these grants, view the Grants Program for more information.  Tourism Saskatoon may also be able to provide more information to assist with planning your event.

To find out what arrangements are required, please refer to the Outdoor Special Event Information Guide for details on the following:

• Alcohol Sales and Services
• Food and Beverage
• Security and Policing
• Tents and Temporary Structures

Event organizers are responsible for the monitoring and control of noise resulting from their event.  These guidelines are intended to assist organizers to ensure the noise from the event does not intrude unreasonably on the public living in the area:

• event organizers shall designate a responsible individual who is available by phone on a 24  hour basis and who has the authority to respond appropriately to complaints regarding the event.  The contact name, phone number, event name, dates, times, and location will be provided to any member of the public wishing to contact the event organizers directly.
• At minimum two weeks prior to the event, event organizers will contact the applicable community association and any business or resident within a two-block radius with details of the event including date(s), times(s) and location of the event.
• if amplification equipment is used, noise levels should not exceed 105 decibels, measured from 100 feet (30m) from in front of the stage or location of the speaker system.  A balanced range of sound to minimize base tones is required.  Speaker systems are to be positioned in a manner that tilts them downward into the crowd attending the event versus projecting over the crowd and into park property.  The onus is on the event organizer to self-monitor the sound level.  
• the event program should be scheduled to allow for times when there is no amplified sound (minimum 15 minute breaks).  Event organizers are to submit information to the City of Saskatoon Special Events office (specialevents@saskatoon.ca) indicating how times with no amplified sound will be implemented in the event and how long these non-amplified periods will be. This will assist in alleviating complaints about incessant repetitive noise.

Outdoor events occurring on civic property will have a Noise Bylaw Extension Request submitted by the Administration using information from the Outdoor Event Application Form. Events with a previous three-year history, with no concerns, or events that occur in the morning will be approved by the Administration. Events that do not meet this criteria will have their request forwarded to City Council for approval.

Outdoor public events on private property that occur outside the Noise Bylaw hours are required to submit their request by completing the Noise Bylaw Extension Web Form.  Make your request at least 60 days prior to your event.

Noise Bylaw hours are:

As with any event, safety of participants should be paramount to an organizer. The City has a number of guidelines outlined in the Recreational Facilities & Park Usage Bylaw 7767 that help to ensure safety. An Emergency Operations Plan will be required for all Level 3 events and may be requested for Level 2 and Level 1 events.

Weddings can be booked in a park as long as it is understood that park space cannot be exclusive to this occasion. Parks are open public space and there is no way to control other uses (activities) that may occur in the park. Although any park can be booked for weddings, more popular locations include:

• Vimy Memorial Bandshell (Kiwanis Memorial Park beside the Delta Bessborough)
• Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park and Zoo (1903 Forestry Drive)
• Ashworth Holmes Park (Avenue E North & 30th Street West)
• Buena Vista Park (Victoria Avenue & 7th Street East)
• Fred Mitchell Park (Saskatchewan Crescent & 8th Street West)
• President Murrary Park (Wiggins Avenue & Colony Street)
• River Landing Amphitheatre (between Traffic and Sid Buckwold Bridges off of Spadina Crescent)

The traffic bridge can be used however the event must meet the criteria outlined within the Special Event Traffic Bridge Use Guidelines. 

The Provision of Civic Services provides non-cash civic assistance, such as the provision of garbage collection, street cleaning, equipment (signs, barricades, pylons, etc.) and other services as deemed necessary for programming and/or safety by the Special Event Interdepartmental Committee.

Organizations may, subject to the Special Event Interdepartmental Committee approval, receive civic services provided these services do not conflict with normal service delivery and programming of the City. Each application will be treated on its own merit and must meet the eligibility requirements within Policy C03-026 Provision of Civic Services for Outdoor Events.

Civic services must be requested on the Outdoor Event Application Form and received by the City from organizations by January 1st annually. Requests for civic services received after this deadline will be reviewed and approved pending funding availability and must be received a minimum of 60 days prior to the event date.