Lincolnwood trustees debate whether to allow paid special events on village parks after oversized softball tournament

Village of Lincolnwood Committee of the Whole members spent the bulk of their Jan. 20 meeting debating whether the village should permit large, revenue-generating special events on public park land after staff described a recurring Labor Day softball tournament that grew into a festival-style event with vendors, a petting zoo and parking problems.

Parks and Recreation Director Karen Hawk told the trustees that the recurring event had historically been booked as a softball tournament but in 2025 staff observed far larger attendance than the contract listed and numerous on-site elements—food trucks, tents, golf carts, bounce houses and other attractions—that raised safety, code and neighborhood concerns. Hawk said the group's website claims the event raises more than $500,000 for the organizer; she also said village staff's on-site costs for the most recent staging ran just under $15,000 and that the base rental fee had been $7,500, with roughly $5,500 in additional staff costs and about $2,200 in cleanup and supplies still under discussion with the renter.

"Staff's recommendation is to reaffirm the current practice of not allowing these types of events," Hawk said, adding that if the board wants to permit them in the future the village code and permitting process would need major changes, including higher fees, proof of insurance, requirements that utilities and dumpsters be coordinated by the village at the renter's expense, and clear eligibility rules.

Why it matters: trustees said the event imposed significant burdens on adjacent residents—blocking driveways, unauthorized parking and heavy cleanup needs—and that allowing one large outside-organized event could open the door to many similar requests. Several trustees emphasized the village's limited park real estate and urged full cost recovery, contingency deposits and accountability for damage.

Trustees discussed several policy options. Staff said one practical guardrail would be to limit permission to qualified nonprofit organizations that can document 501(c)(3) status. Hawk told the board it is possible to craft a targeted permit category for events of this scope but cautioned that it would require code amendments, a new application process, higher fees and explicit eligibility criteria.

Some trustees proposed a revenue target for allowing an exception: "We would want a profit that is substantial to the tune of $25,000 on top of all costs," one trustee said. In that vein, Hawk told the board she would recommend a permit scale for festival-level events in the same ballpark as Lincolnwood Fest and suggested $25,000 to $50,000 as an order-of-magnitude range for a major permit depending on services required.

Next steps: staff said they will work with legal counsel to clarify tax and transaction questions (Attorney Elrod was referenced as the village attorney), pursue outstanding billing with the most recent renter, reach back out to the event operator, and return proposed permit language to the Park and Recreation Board in March and to the Village Board in April if the trustees want to pursue code changes. Hawk also noted construction at park facilities this year will limit some amenities and that the 2026 staging would likely be smaller than 2025's event.

Quote: "If the village would like to consider allowing this to move forward, village code will need to be addressed, and we will need a new process that's strictly for special events," Hawk said.

Ending: The trustees gave staff tentative direction to develop options—ranging from maintaining the existing prohibition to creating a tightly regulated special-event permit—and asked staff to return with legal input, a proposed application, a detailed fee analysis and recommended limits before any code change is adopted.