HomeMy WebLinkAbout3.6 - 1871 St. Patrick's Day Celebration Festivities R
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STAFF REPORT
CITY COUNCIL
DATE: March 6, 2018
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM:
Christopher L. Foss, City Manager
SUBJECT:
2018 St. Patrick's Day Celebration Festivities Report
Prepared by: Tegan McLane, Cultural Arts and Heritage Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The City Council will receive a preview of 2018 St. Patrick's Day Celebration festivities.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Receive the report.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The 2018 St. Patrick's Day Celebration is budgeted to bring in $103,200 in revenue.
Expenditures associated with putting on the festival and supporting the parade are
budgeted at $97,332. The Shamrock 5K Fun Run and Walk is budgeted separately and
is expected to bring in $53,500 in revenue, with $31,911 in expenditures. The cost of
police services is not included in these numbers and is typically about $25,000 annually
for both. The total budget impact (revenues less expenditures) for the events is a
positive $2,457.
DESCRIPTION:
The City of Dublin’s 2018 St. Patrick's Day Celebration celebrates its Emerald
Anniversary (35th Year) on March 17 and 18, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the Dublin Civic
Center. The free two-day festival attracts crowds from all over the Bay Area and is
expected to draw as many as 80,000 people.
The event will have a strong focus on Irish music, dance, food , and drink. There will be
three outdoor stages, including one devoted to Irish dancers performing traditional folk
dance, another devoted to Celtic rock music, and a third featuring traditi onal music. The
mainstage headliner bands are the U-2 tribute band Zoo Station and Plastic Paddy,
which combines California rock/country with traditional Irish pub music.
The City’s Heritage Park and Museums’ staff and volunteers will operate a traditional
Irish tea room in the City Hall Lobby and Regional Meeting Room , serving scones and
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shortbread along with fresh brewed tea in china cups. Celtic Food Court vendors will
sell traditional fish and chips, Irish stew, and the traditional Irish-American favorite,
corned beef. The Dublin Rotary Club will again manage beverage operations, with two
bars serving Guinness, Harp and Smithwicks beers on tap.
Vendors in the Irish Marketplace will sell Irish wool sweaters, tweeds and tartans, Celtic
jewelry, metalwork, pottery, candies and baked goods. More than 85 other arts and
crafts vendors will also be on hand. Carnival rides will be set up in portion of the Dublin
Sports Grounds parking.
In conjunction with the festival, the Dublin Sister City Association will kick off the festive
weekend with its Green and White Gala dinner dance at the Dublin Senior Center.
Tickets are $75 per person and are available online.
Saturday morning, Fire Station #16 hosts the annual Firefighters Pancake Breakfast,
serving green pancakes hot off the griddle, along with sausage, eggs, juice and coffee.
Breakfast is $5 per person, purchased at the door.
The Dublin Lions Club will host the 35th annual St. Patrick's Day Parade, starting at
Saturday 9:30 AM. The parade begins at Dublin Boulevard and Amador Plaza Road,
traveling east on Dublin Boulevard, north on Village Parkway, and west on Amador
Valley Boulevard to end near the Dublin Senior Center. The parade is expected to
feature more than 80 entries, including local marching bands, f loats, antique vehicles
and community groups.
Sunday morning, the City will sponsor the Shamrock 5K Fun Run and Walk, with the
race ending at the festival site. Pancakes will be cooked onsite and served in the post -
race area, and many festival vendors will open early to welcome runners in from the
finish line.
In an effort to mitigate traffic and parking issues throughout the weekend, the City is
partnering with BART and LAVTA to offer free bus rides from both BART stations, via
the Wheels Rapid 30R bus, and half-price rides within Dublin via Lyft, Uber and DeSoto
Cab. Cycling to the festival is also encouraged, and the City will provide free secure
bike parking at two bike valet stations.
Assuming the weather is clear, participation in both th e festival and run is expected to
be strong and comparable to last year. Sponsorships for this year’s events are on track
to exceed 2017 numbers, with 27 businesses and more than $62,000 in cash and in -
kind contributions already committed for the festival, and 11 b usinesses and more than
$10,000 in cash and in-kind contributions committed for the race.
NOTICING REQUIREMENTS/PUBLIC OUTREACH:
None.
ATTACHMENTS:
None.
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