Festival and Event Applications

Plan your event in the City of Burlington with support from our Festivals and Events team. From small community events to large festivals, we help you navigate the process and deliver successful events on municipal property.

An approved contract is needed to host a festival or event on City property.

Application timelines

Applications are accepted annually, in September, in order to meet our space allocation timelines.
Events may be considered in a shorter time-frame where appropriate.
The timelines outline the minimum requirements needed to successfully plan and deliver your event.

Event classifications

Event classifications help the Festivals and Events team figure out what your event needs to be successful. When you're assigned an events staff liaison, they will place your event into one of these categories.

Neighbourhood Events - Under 250 attendees

Neighbourhood events are events with an attendance under 250. They originate from within the community, produced by local residents, and attract local residents within the jurisdiction of the event. They have minimal economic impact to the community and are one-time events with the opportunity to occur again in the future.

Examples of neighbourhood events include Love My Neighbourhood and Burlington Green Clean Up events.

Hoping to plan a smaller community gathering under 250 people? Check out Love My Neighbourhood.

Are you looking to book a private party (i.e. birthday party) or picnic site? Find more information about booking your space at our facility and park rental page.

Application timeline

Minimum of 45 days from application to completion if your event is submitted outside of the annual intake of applications

Community Events - 250 to 4k attendees

Community Events are events with an attendance from 250-4,000. They originate from within the community and produced mostly by local residents or those who have ties to the Burlington community.

These events can occur annually, recurring, multiple days, and they can also be one-time events. They can attract visitors from outside of the municipality, either from surrounding municipalities or a specific targeted audience. They have low economic impact to the community and low disruption, if any, to municipal services and the public. Veterans and Indigenous ceremonies would fall under this category.

Examples of community events include Canada Day Race, Candlelit Stroll, and Movies under the Stars.

Application timeline

Minimum of 60-90 days from application to completion if your event is submitted outside of the annual intake of applications

Major Events - 4k to 20k attendees

Major Events are events with an attendance of 4,000-20,000. They can be originated from within the community, but also can be produced by individuals from outside of the community.

These events usually occur annually and attract visitors from outside of Burlington and within Burlington. They have moderate economic impact to the community and have some disruption to municipal services and the public. They can be recurring events, span over multiple days, or can be one-time events.

Examples of major events include Appleby Line Street Festival, Around the Bay Road Race, and Moon in June.

Application timeline

Minimum of 8-12 months from application to completion if your event is submitted outside of the annual intake of applications

Signature Events - 20k or more attendees

Signature Events are events with an attendance of 20,000 or more. They can be originated from within the community, but can also be produced by individuals from outside of the community and usually occur annually.

These events are significant in nature, are a tradition to the community and reflect Burlington’s identity and culture creating a legacy in Burlington. They attract visitors from outside of Burlington and within Burlington and provide a high economic impact to the community. These events have moderate to high disruption of municipal services.

Examples of signature events include Burlington Sound of Music Festival, Canada’s Largest Ribfest, Canada Day, The Santa Claus Parade, and Festival of Lights.

Application timeline

Minimum of 12 months from application to completion if your event is submitted outside of the annual intake of applications

Mega Events

Mega Events are events with exceptionally high attendance, beyond signature event capacity. They are national and international in nature, and have strong involvement from local, provincial and federal governments.

Mega events have the potential for infrastructure investments and development, and the possibility of multiple venues and locations across Burlington. They have significant financial implications, and the government usually offers funding for these events.

Mega events have a significant tourist impact with international visitors and participation, attracting visitors from all areas. They provide a high economic impact to the community and have the potential for significant disruptions to municipal services and the public.

Examples of mega events include the Olympic Games (winter or summer), FIFA World Cup, etc.

Application timeline

Minimum of 18 months+ from application to completion if your event is submitted outside of the annual intake of applications

For Spencer Smith Park event applications

Evaluation Criteria specific to Spencer Smith Park

If you are looking to host your event at Spencer Smith Park, please review the below evaluation criteria and prepare to answer questions regarding these criteria on your event application. This will help you avoid being timed out of the system before completing the application.

The Festivals and Events Strategy Team (FEST) is a group of both internal and external stakeholders responsible for reviewing event applications. They apply the criteria set out in the Festivals and Events Policy to evaluate each application.

Any events requesting Spencer Smith Park in 2026 will be assessed through the FEST process.

Criteria	Description
Innovative	Brings something new or different to the community.
Economic Impact and Tourism	Provides economic benefit and/or contribution to the community and/or attracts visitors.
Sustainable	Demonstrates environmentally responsible practices and the potential to continue in the future.
Welcoming	Is free and open for all to attend and/or considers various demographics in the community such as newcomers, multicultural groups, families, etc.
Location	The size and scope aligns with the intended use of space.
Professionalism	Proven track record of organizing events and meeting requirement deadlines.
Risk and Safety Planning	Demonstrates the ability to minimize liability and risk to the community.
Community Impact	Addresses community interest, demands, trends, and disruptions.
Local Engagement	Supports the local community including event organizers, artists, vendors, sponsors, businesses, etc.

Festival and Event Application process guide

The following application process applies to event organizers looking to host events on City of Burlington property. Depending on the category the event falls within, this process may vary.

Tools and resources

Read the Festival and Events policy . It applies to all event organizers hosting events on City of Burlington property.
Become familiar with the list of event resources and requirements that will help assist with meeting your event needs.

1. Application submission

Event organizer submits an event application.

If you are looking to host your event at Spencer Smith Park, please review the above evaluation criteria and prepare to answer questions regarding these criteria on your event application. This will help you avoid being timed out of the system before completing the application.

Submit your Festival and Event application .

2. Application received

Events staff receive the application. It is assigned to an event staff liaison, who connects with feedback on the application to the event organizer.

3. Application review

Event application is reviewed by the event staff liaison in collaboration with members of the Special Events Team (SET) and the Festivals and Events Strategy Team (FEST). The event staff liaison provides next steps to the event organizer.

During the application review process, it will be determined if your event is in need of a community review process.

4. Community information

Certain events may be subject to communication with the public. This process is in place to inform the surrounding community of anticipated event-related impacts and allows them to inform staff of any particular concerns. Staff will work with the event organizer to address these concerns and help mitigate impacts to ensure the event runs smoothly.

5. Conditional approval

If your event receives approval after the Special Event Team (SET) review, your Event Staff Liaison will connect with you to confirm the next steps.

6. Application deposit

An application deposit will be required once your event is conditionally approved.

$140 deposit for commercial events
$100 deposit for non-profit or charity events

We will deduct the deposit amount from your event cost if your event proceeds. We will refund your deposit if we don't approve your event application. Deposits are non-refundable if you cancel your event application.

7. Special event timeline

Event staff liaison provides a special event timeline outlining requirements and resources to the event organizer.

Depending on the scope of the event, requirements may include, but are not limited to:

Building and zoning
On-road requirements
Insurance
Licensing
Security and safety
Parking arrangements
Risk management

8. Ongoing submission requirements

Event organizer submits requirements to the City of Burlington directly to the department or external stakeholder responsible for the request. Event staff liaison assists with facilitating relationships, processes, and timely submission.

9. Event approval

Once all requirements are met, the event staff liaison determines completeness and releases the event contract to the event organizer.

Event cancellations or changes

We may not be able to accommodate event date changes once we have conditionally approved your event. If you want to add, change or cancel specific parts of your event, you must do so in writing to your Staff Liaison at least 60 days before your event. This gives us enough time to process any additional approvals.

10. Event execution

Event organizer is responsible for the execution of the event as outlined on their application and in accordance with the requirements.

11. Event debrief

Event staff liaison provides an event evaluation to the event organizer based on comments provided by the community, Special Events Team members, and their own observations.

If you have any questions about hosting an event on City of Burlington property or about the Event Application Process, email our Festivals and Events team.