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Home My WebLink About3.2 St. Patrick’s Day Celebration PreviewSTAFF REPORT CITY COUNCIL Page 1 of 4 Agenda Item 3.2 DATE:February 15, 2022 TO:Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers FROM:Linda Smith, City Manager SUBJECT:St. Patrick’s Day Celebration PreviewPreparedby:Lauren Marriott,Recreation Coordinator EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:The City Council will receive a presentation that previews the annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebration which will be held the weekend of March 11-13, 2022, including protocols related to the COVID-19 pandemic. STAFF RECOMMENDATION:Receive the presentation. FINANCIAL IMPACT:The budget for the St. Patrick’s Day Celebration is included as part of the City’s annual operating budget. DESCRIPTION:The City of Dublin’s 38th annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebration will be held the weekend of March 11-13, 2022. The Celebration weekend includes the Shamrock Gala, the Lions Club Parade, the Pancake Breakfast, Festival and Fun Run. St. Patrick’s Day FestivalThe signature event is the St. Patrick’s Day Festival, which runs March 12 and 13 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Dublin Civic Center. While the event is returning and will provide an experience that the community is accustomed to, the ongoing impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic will result in certain changes to the event as outlined below. The Festival will have a strong focus on Irish music, dance, food, and drink, and will feature three outdoor stages. The Dance Stage will be devoted to Irish dancers performing Irish Step Dance. The 9 Page 2 of 4 Pub Stage will offer a mix of Irish music including Celtic rock, Irish pub, and traditional Irish folk music as well as a roaming bagpiper and leprechaun. The Main Stage headliner bands include the popular Celtic rock band, Tempest, The U2 experience band Zoo Station, the high energy Irish Band Fast & Vengefully, CaliCeltic, and Piano Madness, a dueling piano act.The Festival will also feature an authentic Irish Tea Cottage. This year, the event will be moved outside into the Civic Center courtyard allowing for an open-air experience. Guests will be servedtea cookies, scones, and shortbread along with freshly brewed Irish tea. Celtic Food Court vendors will sell traditional Irish fish and chips, bangers and mash, and boxty (Irish potato pancakes) along with the Irish American favorite, corned beef and cabbage. Guests can also find Irish-inspired food items such as Guinness marinated tri-tip, corned beef sliders, and banger corn dogs. The Dublin Rotary Club will again manage beverage operations, with two bars serving Guinness, Harp, and Smithwick's beers on tap, in addition to wine.Vendors in the Irish Marketplace will sell Irish tartan kilts, scarves, wraps and capes, Celtic jewelry, artwork, metalwork, pottery, Irish shortbread, scones, and cakes. More than 100 other arts and crafts vendors will also be on hand. Carnival rides will be set up in a portion of the Dublin Sports Grounds parking lot. New this year will be a Petting Zoo featuring an array of miniature animals such as mini-horses, goats, sheep, silkie chickens, rabbits, ducks, and pony rides.In collaboration with the Dublin Arts Collective, an art project that combines the Celebration of the City’s 40th Anniversary and St. Patrick’s Day will be included. Additionally, the City recently contracted with two artists to commission works of art using wood recovered from a fallen oak tree. These pieces of art will be unveiled and on display for the duration of the Celebration.To mitigate traffic and parking issues throughout the weekend, Staff has arranged offsite parking for sponsors, volunteers, vendors, and the public at Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc., 5300 Central Parkway, with a free shuttle bus operating 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. both days. Staff is reaching out to localcorporations, particularly those west of Civic Center, to request use of their parking lots. The City provides participating business owners with insurance and arranges to have their lots swept clean after the event. Additionally, all neighboring businesses will be provided event information sheets related to impacts on traffic and parking. Furthermore, the City is once again partnering with BART and LAVTA to offer free bus rides from both BART stations via the Wheels Rapid 30R bus and discount 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.Overall, while the 2022 St. Patrick’s Day Festival will return and provide for an experience that the community is accustomed to, noticeable changes will be in place to ensure the safety of all those in attendance. Following a meeting with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), in which the City presented details on the Festival, the following safety measures were identified: Provide mass marketing, outreach, and messaging related to vaccines, negative testing, masking, and inherent health risks. 10 Page 3 of 4 Adjust the Festival footprint to allow for additional spacing in highly congested areas including the carnival. Collaborate with service providers including CA Notify to offer testing services 48-72 hours ahead of the event and additional onsite services. Offer the Tea Cottage completely outdoors. Provide masks and sanitization products on site, as well as increased sanitizing of high touch areas. Coordinate with vendors to encourage mask wearing of those frequently interacting with the public.The City will continue to monitor guidance from the CDPH related to the COVID-19 pandemic and outdoor events and make adjustments as necessary. Impacts to the Civic Center and Library parking lots will begin Wednesday, March 9, 2022, while setup is taking place.Shamrock Gala – New EventIn addition to the Festival, the weekend kicks off on Friday evening with a new event called the Shamrock Gala, hosted by the Dublin Historical Society. The event will be ticketed and hosted at The Wave. Tickets are $50 and will be available at the Society’s website. Pancake BreakfastOn Saturday morning Fire Station #16 and International Association of Fire Fighters Local 55 will host the annual Firefighters Pancake Breakfast starting at 7:00 a.m. The breakfast will featuregreen pancakes, sausage, eggs, juice, and coffee. Lions Club ParadeAlso on Saturday, The Dublin Lions Club will host the 38th annual St. Patrick's Day Parade starting at 9:30 a.m. 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, floats, equestrian groups, bagpipers, and community groups.Fun RunSunday morning, the City will sponsor the Shamrock 5K Fun Run and Walk, with the race ending at the Festival Main Stage. Runners will enjoy live music, refreshments and other giveaways in the post-race area, and many Festival vendors will open early to welcome runners at the finish line. The Shamrock 5K is expected to attract more than 1,500 participants.Sponsorship and vendor recruitment are underway for this year's events. Sponsors for the Festival and Fun Run include UDR at Dublin Station, Dick’s Sporting Goods, All Natural Stone, and many more. 11 Page 4 of 4 STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVE:None. NOTICING REQUIREMENTS/PUBLIC OUTREACH:The City Council Agenda was posted. ATTACHMENTS:None. 12 Preview of the 2022 St. Patrick’s Day Celebration City Council Meeting –February 15, 2022 13 COVID Safety & Precautions 14 Shamrock Gala Friday, March 11 –6:00 p.m. 15 Firefighter’s Pancake Breakfast Saturday, March 12 -7:00 a.m. 16 37th Annual Lion’s Club Parade Saturday, March 12 –9:30 a.m. 17 23rd Annual Shamrock 5K Fun Run & Walk Sunday, March 13 –8:30 a.m. 18 38th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Festival Saturday, March 12 & Sunday, March 13 10:00 a.m. –5:00 p.m. 19 Pub & Main Stage 20 Tea Cottage & Irish Dance Stage 21 Carnival & Petting Zoo 22 Vendors & Food Court 23 Sponsors 24 See You There! 25