A park pavilion is the easiest venue in most Colorado cities: a roof, picnic tables and often a grill, for a modest reservation. The catch is that every city writes its own rules about who must reserve, how far ahead, and what you can bring. A bounce house that's routine in one city is banned in the next.
This guide walks through how reservations usually work, the group permits that apply even without a pavilion, the rental gear parks most often restrict, and what to rent to make a shelter work. Check the specific city's rules before you book anything.
When and How to Book
Popular shelters go early, and most cities open the season's reservations at the start of the year:
- Broomfield
- Requests through B-REx.com open at 8 a.m. on January 2; processed in order and final only when Recreation Services confirms
- Englewood
- Online booking opens in early January for a mid-April to mid-October season; a reservation is required for use over two hours
- Brighton
- Phone or in person from the first business day of the year; book at least 10 days ahead
- Commerce City
- Applications at least two weeks ahead; same-day reservations at Pioneer and Veterans Memorial parks under Share the Park
Read the cancellation terms before you pay. Several cities, including Englewood and Brighton, don't refund for bad weather, so a canopy or a backup plan is part of the booking.
Group Permits Without a Pavilion
Skipping the pavilion doesn't always skip the paperwork. Many cities require a group or park use permit once a gathering passes a headcount:
- Englewood: a Park Use Permit for groups of more than 15
- Commerce City: a Park Usage Permit for organized events or picnics of 25 or more
- Brighton: a free group permit for more than 25 guests, at least 10 days ahead
- Northglenn: an Organized Community Event Permit when a group publicly invites people to a park event
Rental Gear Parks Often Restrict
These are the items to check before you book a rental for a park:
- Bounce houses
- Prohibited in Englewood, Northglenn and Commerce City parks; allowed with a permit, weights and a generator in Broomfield; a special permit at Brighton's Benedict Park
- Canopies and tents
- Englewood caps canopies at 200 square feet with stakes no longer than eight inches; Broomfield needs prior approval and weights; Commerce City requires every canopy on the application
- Amplified sound
- No amplifiers in Englewood parks; permits by wattage in Northglenn; a permit for live bands in Broomfield
- Alcohol
- Prohibited with no permits in Englewood parks; a consumption permit in Broomfield and Commerce City
- Glass
- Banned in parks in Englewood, Northglenn and Commerce City
Staking is a common sticking point because irrigation lines run under park turf. Broomfield prohibits stakes for tents and inflatables, Parker and Centennial Center Park don't allow staking, and Thornton allows only short stakes for small pop-ups. Ask the rental company to bring weights.
What to Rent to Fill the Gaps
A shelter covers a few picnic tables. Most parties add:
- Folding tables for food, gifts and a dessert station
- Chairs for guests who won't fit at picnic tables
- Pop-up canopies for overflow shade, within the city's size limits
- Weights for every canopy
- A generator if the shelter's power is limited or the gear needs more than the outlets provide
- Extra trash bags; several cities note that park bins fill fast
Vehicles usually can't drive onto park turf, as in Englewood and Broomfield, so ask the provider how far they can carry equipment and whether a delivery fee covers the walk from the lot.
Before You Book
- Confirm the shelter's capacity, power and hours
- Check the city's group permit threshold for your headcount
- List every rental item, and check each against the park rules
- Ask about alcohol and sound before inviting guests
- Plan weights instead of stakes unless the city allows staking
- Read the weather and cancellation policy
- Share the shelter rules with your rental company
