Does a municipality have authority to temporarily close a portion of a street for celebrations, festivals, or similar events?

Yes. Wisconsin Stat. § 349.185 provides that municipalities may by order, ordinance, or resolution “regulate community events or celebrations, processions or assemblages on the highways, including reasonable regulations on the use of radios or other electric sound amplification devices, subject to s. 84.07(4).” Wisconsin Stat. § 84.07(4), requires municipalities to first make arrangements with the state Department of Transportation (DOT) for marking a detour before obstructing any street or road over which a state trunk highway is marked.

(rev. 8/22)