Commission approves Saint Andrews Mardi Gras permit, waives fees from city event fund

Panama City commissioners on Oct. 28 approved a special event permit and associated fee waivers for the Saint Andrews Mardi Gras festival scheduled Feb. 6–7, 2026.

Event details and costs: Staff presented the two-day festival and parade application (road closures on Bayview Avenue and portions of Eleventh Street). The estimated special-event support costs — police and fire staffing, barricades, trash and electrical equipment rentals — totaled roughly $20,611 for public safety and $2,100 for other event fees and rentals. The city’s FY2026 budget includes $42,500 in general-fund support for Mardi Gras-related events; the commission approved using that allocation for this event and discussed whether future non-city-sponsored events should be treated as matching opportunities from that pot.

Why it matters: The Crew of Saint Andrews said the festival is the city—s largest annual event and brings substantial hotel and restaurant business to Panama City; the organizers said they operate with volunteers and seek municipal support for public-safety costs. Commissioners expressed interest in formalizing an event-match policy so the budgeted funds are applied consistently to high-impact community events.

Action: The commission approved the special event permit and the requested fee waivers (including police and fire service support) and asked staff to develop a more formal special-event policy for future requests; vote was 5-0.

Public input: Carnival organizers and community volunteers described economic benefits from out-of-town visitors and emphasized the festival—s volunteer-run model. Commissioners asked staff to provide tax-revenue or economic-impact estimates when considering future waivers.