Board lifts moratorium on large special events in city parks

Vancouver park board commissioners have lifted a moratorium that has prevented planning or approval of new large-scale special events in the city's parks and spaces.

The park board issued the moratorium on any new “commercial initiatives” in May 2019, pending an update to its special events guidelines. At that point, the guidelines were 16 years old.

Examples of large-scale commercial events in Vancouver parks include Bard on the Beach, the Kitsilano Folk Fest and the Festival of India. The park board issues around 1,300 special event permits a year — not counting the COVID-19 years — that are governed by the guidelines.

Only one per cent of those are considered large commercial events, but they make up 44 per cent of special events revenue.

Staff hasn't completed a new guidelines document, and on Monday were told to provide an update at next month's park board meeting. Staff were also told to “communicate with the public and the festivals and events community that the board will now entertain applications for new commercial events and initiatives in Vancouver parks.”

The board also voted to make its alcohol-in-parks program permanent and asked staff to explore the potential to expand the program.

Staff were also asked to create a pilot project that would allow drinking at beaches.