^{This update is provided by Will Morrison, an NYC Parks employee who serves as Administrator for Washington Square Park}

Did you know that each year the annual NYC Parks permitting calendar opens on the first Monday in November? Whether we’re talking about a kid’s birthday being planned by a local family, weekly Salsa classes hosted by the Washington Square Park Conservancy, or a major event like the Thanksgiving Parade, they all go through the permitting process. 

So why November? The answer is simple: proper planning prevents poor performance. In order to have an effective yearly calendar, it needs to be ironed out before the busy season starts. Once spring has sprung, activity in parks increases dramatically and finding time to manage a calendar becomes difficult. Having the portal open up city-wide this early makes for a smoother planning process in the new year. We have time to iron out any potential scheduling conflicts and properly vet new event applications. NYC Parks receives event proposals that range dramatically in size, and large events especially take time and careful consideration to determine if the event is possible on parkland. There are numerous requirements and guidelines that larger-scale events have to follow to ensure that they are safe and do not disrupt the park.

NYC Parks has one events office per borough and a city-wide special events office that handles large scale events. When permits are submitted for Washington Square Park, the vast majority of events are sent to the Manhattan special events office, where the master calendar for the borough is kept. The application process involves creating an account with your contact information and submitting the details about your event such as date, time and location, and what kind of event you are hoping to host. Once submitted, the permit application is sorted by the Manhattan special events office, which watches primarily for date and timing availability. It then heads to my desk for review and approval. This process is the same for nearly all parks across the city.

When it comes to Washington Square Park, there are a number of beloved annual events that have been hosted here for many years. It is NYC Parks policy to give recurring annual events the opportunity to reserve their traditional date each year before new applications are considered for those same dates. Events like the Washington Square Music Festival, the Hare Krishna Festival, Films on the Green, and the Children’s Halloween Parade are just a few examples, and we were so happy to have them return to the Park this year! As you can imagine, the WSP calendar gets busy fast as the volume of event requests this park receives are quite high. In addition to these fan-favorites, there are the weekly programs hosted by the Washington Square Park Conservancy, and events hosted by community members. Added to this calendar volume are volunteer events submitted through this same system and film shoot requests submitted through the agency’s film shoot request form.

Part of my role as Administrator is to vet new proposed events—not for content, but to ensure the slate of events and how they are distributed throughout the calendar properly balances the need to activate and program the park while respecting dates/times when people want a peaceful event-free space. The Park was home to many fantastic new events this season, including a number of community organizations that receive financial support  through WSPC’s Community Arts Grant program. 

As we progress through November, Washington Square Park has already received numerous applications from many of its returning hosts as well as many new ones to boot. We have lots of new programs in store for 2023, including an exciting slate from the Conservancy, and planning will only continue throughout the winter months. Be sure to keep an eye on the NYC Parks calendar for the events that are in store for 2023.