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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 7.1 Day on Glen Replace~ G~~~ o~ U~~2 :: - i9~~;.~~sZ' STAFF REPORT C I T Y C L E R K ``` ~ ~~ DUBLIN ClTY COUNCIL File # ^~~~-[~]~ ' ;'.: ~'f1t,~Fr.o~~;:: _- _ DATE: May 17, 2011 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers FROM: Joni Pattillo, City Manager SUBJECT: Replacement of Day on the Glen Festival Prepared By: Diane Lowart, Parks & Community Services Director EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Staff will present a follow-up report on potential themes for a replacement festival for Day on the Glen starting in fall 2012. Two potential themes for consideration by the City Council include a Pasta and Wine Festival and an International Festival. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The net cost to the City for the 2009 Day on the Glen Festival was $65,600. The cost associated with a new festival would vary according to the program elements included. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the City Councif receive the report and determine a preferred event theme for a new festival to be reintroduced in 2012. Upon City Council direction, Staff will further develop the theme as well as the event components for future consideration. ~uw Submitted by: Parks and Community Services Director Reviewed by: Assistant City Manager Page 1 of 3 ~TEM NO. `' ~ BACKGROUND: At the April 4, 2011 meeting of tr survey related to special events Festival: Oktoberfest and Dublin elements of both the Oktoberfest either option. ~e City Council, Staff reported on the results of a community and presented finro options to replace the Day on the Glen Blues Festival. While the City Council favored some of the and the Dublin Blues Festival, there was not consensus for Mayor Sbranti presented finro additional options for City Council consideration: a festival featuring a pasta and wine theme or an international festival. Mayor Sbranti recounted for the City Council that prior to the Day on the Glen Festival there was a Dublin Pasta Festival that was well received by the community. He felt that resurrecting a festival with a pasta theme at Emerald Glen Park could be successful. He envisioned collaboration with local restaurants and wine growers, along with other traditional festival components. Complementing the Italian theme of pasta, a Bocce Ball Competition could also be held. Regarding the international festival, Mayor Sbranti felt that this could be a way to recognize and bring together the many cultures within the City. At the direction of the City Council, the item was brought back to the Parks and Community Services Commission at its meeting of April 18, 2011. The Commission debated both the pasta and wine theme along with the international theme and in the end agreed that a festival with a pasta and wine theme should be pursued. The Commission did want Staff to bring back additional details about the festival at a future date in order to allow for additional input. PASTA AND WINE FESTIVAL By way of background, a Pasta Festival was formerly held in Dublin for three consecutive years from 1998 through 2000. Prior to moving to Dublin in 1998, the Pasta Festival was held in Pleasanton for a number of years. The first year, the festival theme was Pasta and Jazz and it was done independently of the City by Good Times Promotions. The City worked closely with the promoter to secure the necessary permits and work with the participating merchants. The festival was held on Amador Plaza Road in September 1998 with approximately 40,000 in attendance. In 1999 the City assumed ownership of the festival and contracted with Good Times Promotions to produce the festival. Jazz was dropped from the festival theme and it was called the Dublin Pasta Festival. The event was again held in September on Amador Plaza Road with approximately 40,000 in attendance. For the 2000 festival, Good Times Promotions declined to produce the festival and a new promoter was brought in. Because the merchants on Amador Plaza Road were not supportive of the festival, the festival was moved to Amador Valley Boulevard and the date was changed to early October. The 2000 festival did not meet the expectations of Staff or those of the promoter. Attendance was lower than in previous years and participation by vendors was down. With the opening of Emerald Glen Park in 2001, the Pasta Festival was not held and instead the Day on the Glen Festival was introduced. Page2of3 Based on Staff's previous experience in coordinating a festival with pasta, participation by restaurants and vendors promoting pasta is essential. In 2000, the last year of the Pasta Festival, many restaurants declined to participate indicating that they were short-staffed or did not receive enough benefit from participating in previous years. Consequently, if pasta and wine is the preferred theme for a festival, Staff would recommend surveying local restaurants and wineries to ascertain their desire to be involved. INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL While the City has not sponsored an international festival in the past, the 2008 Day on the Glen Festival had an international theme. Given the growing diversity of the residents of Dublin and the Tri-Valley, an international festival could be successful in bringing the community together. Additionally with the variety of ethnic restaurants .in Dublin; if restaurants were interested in participating, international food could be a feature of the festival. Also there are a number of culturally based clubs and churches in the area that could be involved. Although not discussed by the City Council nor fully vetted by Staff, another idea that might be worth exploring is to determine how many restaurants in the area feature noodles as part of their cuisine. It might be possible to combine the international theme with the pasta theme and have an International' Noodle Festival. Distinct areas could be set-up in various areas of the park where the food and culture of a country would be featured. For example, the area adjacent to the Bocce Courts could feature the culture of Italy; the area adjacent to the cricket field could feature the Indian cultures, and so on. ~ NOTICING REQUIREMENTS/PUBLIC OUTREACH: A copy of the Staff Report was provided to the Parks and Community Services Commission. ATTACHMENTS: 1. April 4, 2011 City Council Staff Report (without Attachments) Page 3 of 3 G~~~ OF DpB~y ~~~~~\ 19~ (~1=; _~N7,82 `~~~~~. ~ ~'~c,FOR~ 1~~' STAFF REPORT DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL CITY CLERK File # ^~~~-~~ DATE: April 5, 2011 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers FROM: Joni Pattillo, City Manager ~ SUBJEC • eplacement of Day on the Glen Festival Prepared By_ John Hartnett, Heritage & Cultural Arts Manager EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Staff will be presenting a report on the results of a community survey conducted in November of 2010 which suggests that the community supports conducting a second festival in Dublin. Based on the survey,~ Staff is recommending offering a second festival starting in fall 2012.that would incorporate some of the popular elements of Day on the Glen, yet have a new theme and . features. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The. net cost to the City for the 2009 Day on the Glen Festival was $65,600. The cost associated with a new festival would vary according to the program elements included. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the City Council receive the report and determine if a new festival~should be reintroduced in 2012. If so, provide a recommendation for the preferred event theme and the program elements to add to a new festival. ~ ~~OW ~ Submitted by: . : Parks and Community Services Director Reviewed by: ~ Assistant City Manager ~-~~,-,_~_7 .l 5 ~ - ~ ~ ~~ ATTACHMENT 1 Page 1 of 6 ~TE ~~ ~ BACKGROUND: At the March 16, 2010 meeting of the City Council, Staff was directed to discontinue the Day on the Glen. Festival for 2010. It was felt that taking some time off from the event would allow Staff to survey the community and re-evaluate the event to determine if the funding allocated for the festival could be better spent on other programs or services. Staff has conducted a survey of the community,. in which over 530 residents provided input. on what they value about special events and festivals. The survey results, which are explained in detail later in this report, demonstrate there is significant. community support to continue offering a second festival in addition to Dublin's St. Patrick's Day Celebration. Staff recommends offering a second festival starting in fall 2012 that would incorporate some of the popular elements of Day on the Glen, yet have a new theme and features. Day On The Glen Festival. History The Day on the Glen Festival (DOTG) was first held in 2001 as a one-day event at Emerald Glen Park. The preliminary goals for the event were as follows: • Plan and manage a family oriented festival that encourages visitors to remain, at the festival for an extended period of time; • Create unique activities that will distinguish the event from other festivals; ~• Utilize the festival to acquaint new residents to Dublin and enhance community spirit; • Create significant exposure and awareness of the event in the community; • Provide professional entertainment for both children and adults; ~ • Offer unique visitor experiences that are interactive; • Encourage participation by a variety of local restaurants; • Provide opportunities for non-profit organizations to provide festival workers as a fundraiser; ~ • Create partnerships with the business community and encourage sponsor involvement in • the event. . , In 2002 the event was expanded to finro days and remained a finro-day event through the 2009 event. The event was traditionally held in September of each year. The event was coordinated by Staff from the Parks and Community Seroices Department. Logistical support was provided by Public Works, Police and Fire. All other City Departments were involved in the City Hall Tent, which provided information on City services and updates on both City and private development projects. DOTG typically featured the following components: City Hall Tent; other Government Agency booths (Dublin Unified School District, Dublin Public Library, Dublin San Ramon Services District, etc.); Children's Activities (Carnival Rides, Jump Houses, Games, Tot Play Area); Entertainment (Main Stage and Community Stage); Non-Profit and Commercial Booths; Sports Competitions (Skateboard, Volleyball, Basketball and Tennis); and Food Booths.~ Additionally an ~evening concert was held for four of the nine years of the event. With the exception of the 25th anniversary concert and fireworks, the evening concerts were generally not well attended relative to the cost associated with the concerts. The following table captures key data for the last five years of the event (2005-2009): Page 2 of 6 ~~. ~ t1 11. 11 11: 11• ~ Fun For the 25 ~ A World of Animal Theme None Whole Anniversary Fun Adventure Famil Celebration Food/Snack 11 12 10 12 11 Booths Non-Profit 19 24 27 26 30 Booths ~ ~ Commercial 59 40 40 38 39 Vendors , Sponsor $11,250 $21,000 ~ $18,000 $17,800 $14,000 Income Estimated 10,000 12,000 13,000 14,000 13,000 Attendance The costs associated with the 2009 DOTG Festival are shown in Attachment 1. These costs do not reflect the Staff time associated with planning and conducting the event. It is estimated that 20% of a Recreation Coordinator's time was spent on this event. This time was reallocated during FY 2010-2011 to coordinate the grand opening of Fallon Sports Park and assist with preparations for the operation of the new Dublin Heritage Park and Museums. Furthermore, these costs do not reflect the Staff time associated with coordinating the City Hall Tent, which is done primarily by Staff from the City Manager's Office with assistance by each operating department. ~ Community Input Once the decision was reached to cancel the 2010 DOTG Festival, the Parks and Community Services Commission and City Council suggested that Staff seek input on the community's vision for special events in Dublin to ensure the funds expended for DOTG best meet the needs of residents, who place a high value on events and festivals according to the 2008 Parks and Community Services Strategic Plan. It was felt that this would help the City better understand if there is a need to make changes to the Day on the Glen theme and activities, or if it would be better to realign these resources for other programs or services that would better meet the needs of residents. In mid November, Staff sent out the "City of Dublin Special Events Survey" (Attacfiment 2) to gather information and opinions from Dublin residents on City special events in general and specifically, on the past DOTG events. A total of 539 survey responses were received, which is considered a good-sized sampling. The ethnic backgrounds of those responding .seemed to be similar to the makeup of the community; although it was more heavily weighted by respondents who are female in the age range of 35-44 years. Overall, Staff considers the sampling to be representative of the community. ~ ln reviewing the responses, some of the key findings that caught Staff's attention are as follows: • The most important factors influencing respondents' decisions to attend a festival were time with family, affordability and entertainment. . ~ • 71 % of respondents had attended the Day on the Glen Festival in the past (60% had attended the St. Patrick's Day Celebration). Page 3 of 6 ~~ ~ • 51 % of those who had attended Day on the Glen rated it as good; 79% would have attended in 2010 had DOTG not been canceled. ~ • Of those who had not attended Day on the Glen, the number one reason was they did not know about the festival. The other significant reason was that the actiVities planned did not appeal to their household. • Respondents indicated that they are most likely to attend events that have a theme around a holiday, music or food. They are least likely to attend a children's themed event. Art and culturally themed events were also rated a lower priority. • The following festival or special event activities were rated as the most essential in determining whether a respondent would attend an event in ranked order: 1) Convenient Parking ~ . 2) Children's Activities 3) Arts 8~ Crafts Booths . 4) Live Music 5) Restaurant Booths Some general comments from respondents suggested the following: • Provide more adult activities at the Festival • Have better food vendors (more upscale and local restaurants) and also make food affordable ~ • Have a more culturally diverse presence with food booths ~ • Provide more music of a higher quality and/or present local bands that have a following • Have a community cook off (such as a Chili Festival or BBQ Festival) • Have an event that reflects the City's heritage • Consider an arts and wine element • Have a higher level of arts and crafts vendors • Do a better job of marketing the event •: Parking is perceived as an issue New Festival Concepts Based on the results of the survey it appears there continues to be significant community support for festivals and events in Dublin. This re-affirms the findings of the 2008 Parks and Community Services Community Survey and Strategic Plan in which residents placed the highest value on community events than any other service offered by the Department. Therefore, Staff recommends reintroducing a festival during fall of 2012. Staff would recommend that the festival would have a new name and theme. The event could have some of the popular components from Day on the Glen such as the carnival rides, children's entertainment and the City Hall Tent. In addition Staff would add new components related to the theme, as well as more adult activities. Based on the survey results the most popular event themes would be around a holiday, food or music. Therefore, Staff recommends two alternatives to Day on the Glen as follows: 1. Oktoberfest 2. Blues and BBQ Fest Oktoberfest Dub{in's Oktoberfest would focus on the German cultural aspects of this popular event and less on beer drinking. The event would have bands playing German music, and people could wander around .listening to music, eating classic German and Bavarian foods, and looking at traditional crafts. An area could also be setup for tasting different German imported beers as Page 4 of 6 J ~ ~ well as local microbreweries. Event vendors, Staff and those attending would be encouraged to dress in traditional Bavarian costume when they attend Oktoberfest. This event wou{d draw on Dublin's heritage which, in addition to the Irish, was also significantly German and Dutch. If this theme was selected Staff would consider holding the event the last weekend in September or the first weekend in October, which are the traditional dates for the event in Germany each year. There are some other Oktoberfest events in Bay Area cities including Oakland, Campbell, San Francisco and San Jose that may pose competition for an event in Dublin. Consequently it would be necessary to closely monitor the dates and events at the Octoberfests held in other cities. Dublin Blues Festival Since musical events rated.high with survey respondents, an alternative could be to create the event theme around a particular genre of music. If this is the preferred theme, Staff recommends a community celebration centered around one of America's most enduring musical forms - the blues. StafF recommends focusing on the blues genre because it has so many different sub-genres that can appeal to a wider range of musical tastes than other genres. This includes jazz, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, rydeco and even bluegrass. Dublin has an active group of bluegrass enthusiasts that jam weekly at the Dublin Heritage Park and Museums. This event could be a"Family Blues Picnic" since people typically attend music festivals for a full day. The family could base themselves on a piece of grass at the main stage, which wou(d feature headline acts. Other activities and attractions would be spread across the park for people to go explore throughout the day and in between acts. A BBQ cook off would be held during the festival. Staff would strive to.featur.e local restaurants and barbecue "pros" that could support the picnic theme. Some blues festivals feature a"Blues and Brews" theme. Similar to the Oktoberfest, an area could be setup for beer tasting and competition. Smaller stages could be setup for local entertainers, youth bands., music education workshops, children's programming and jam sessions with festival artists and special guests. ~ There are over 10 cities in the greater Bay Area that host blues festivals throughout the year. The closest is in Pleasanton, which is held in conjunction with the Alameda County Fair for the Fourth of July holiday. Summary ~ ~ Staff recommends not offering a new event until 2012 or later, when hopefully the City budget can absorb the additional costs associated with a major event and to provide adequate lead time to plan an event of this magnitude. Staff anticipates that re-introducing DOTG or a second large-scale festival will cost more than in the past, since revenue from sponsors and vendors would dip in the first year, as the event establishes a track record. There would also be a need to budget more for advertising and promotion as evidenced by the results of the community survey. Re-introducing the event would require a larger budget for advertising, and entertainment and attractions to create more of a hook for the event. Staff estimates the new event would cost over $85,000 (inclusive of all direct event costs and support services provided by Police, Fire and Public Works). Pausing for one more year will also provide ample time to re-tool the festival around a new theme that provides entertainment value and attractions that will be well received by the community. In addition the new Farmers Market at Emerald Glen Park and the new special Page 5 of 6 ~ ~ ~ events at the Dublin Heritage Park and Museums wili provide many of the elements the community valued about Day on the Gfen. At the March 21, 2011 Parks and Commu~ity Services Commission meeting, the Commission generally agreed that the .Day on the Glen Festival had run its course. A majority of the Commissioners were in favor of conducting an Oktoberfest in late September or early October of 2012. The Commissioners were also in favor. of adding some of the program elements highlighted under the Blues Festival, such as a"cook off' with local restaurant involvement and. expanded music offerings and local bands, in order to broaden the appeal of the event. NOTICING REQUIREMENTSIPUBLIC OUTREACH: A copy of the Staff Report was provided to the Parks and Community Services Commission. ATTACHMENTS: 1. Day on the Glen 2009 Budget , 2. Special Events Survey Page 6 of 6