Special Events with Alcohol

Special Events selling alcohol must obtain a permit through the Town of Eagle at least 30 days prior to the event. 

Special Event Application

Special Event Guidelines and Rules

Application Fee: $100.00 per event, per day. Checks are made payable to the Town of Eagle. 

Pay on-line here: 

Do you need a Permit?

Events Exempt from Special Events Permit Requirements

There are situations where alcoholic beverages may be served without holding a Special Events Permit.  Statutory reference for this exemption is found in C.R.S. 44-5-108.  In order to qualify, all of the following criteria must be met:

1.    The host entity must qualify to hold a Special Events Permit.  Criteria are listed in the Special Events Permit section of this document.  The host should be prepared to provide documentation to prove eligibility upon request by any law enforcement official.

2.    Attendance to the event must be limited to members of the host entity and its guests only.  Any host should know, in advance of the event, individual persons who are invited to attend.  Most host entities will have regular membership lists.  Some hosts, such as a political candidate, may not have such a list.  Regardless of the source, invitations to the event must be pre-determined and available in writing if requested by law enforcement officials.  The number of guests must be reasonable and may not be unlimited.  Please see the Private Party section below for more discussion on qualifications for invited guests.

3.    The event must be on private property not accessible by the public.  There must not be a liquor license on this property.  Areas normally open to the public, such as parks or city facilities, may qualify as private through an appropriate legal document (such as a Special Use Permit) giving the sponsor exclusive use of the area for the duration of the event.  Adequate control must be demonstrated to ensure access only to those eligible to attend.  Please consider that civil liability may exist even when alcohol is served in a legal manner.

4.    Alcohol must be served free of charge.  If there is an admission charge to the event, it must be the same for all entrants, whether alcohol is consumed or not.

Private Parties

Private parties are just that…. private.  The Liquor Code only specifies how alcoholic beverages may be sold or served to the public.  Therefore, there is no statutory reference for a private party.  

So just what is a private party?  Think of a dinner party in your home.  You decide who to invite for a specified event and you provide food and alcohol at no charge.  A large event may be a private party, but it still will have the same components as a party in your home.  

Consider the following when deciding if your event will be a private party:

•    Is the event open to the public?  The answer must be no.  An event is clearly public if it is advertised in any public venue, such as newspaper, Facebook, radio, television, or flyers/posters in public places.  It also qualifies as public if a person not on the original guest list can acquire an invitation through purchase of a membership, ticket, or any other item that gains them admission to the event.

•    Your guest list must contain names of specific individuals and be limited in number.  While this number may be large, you as a host are still required to know the names on the list, and to ensure that only those invited attend the event.

•    If a person who is not on the invited guest list contacts you and asks to be invited and you agree, then the event has just become open to the public.

•    Your invitations may be directed to a particular individual only, an individual plus a guest, or an individual plus specified guests.  An example would be a company holiday party, where employees and their families are invited.  You as a host have an expectation of how many guests an employee may bring.  

•    You may not charge for alcohol in any way.  This includes accepting donations, charging for admission, or charging for containers such as Solo cups.