Title
Approval of Arts Walk date recommendation
Recommended Action
Move to Keep Arts Walk at its current date of the 4th Friday and Saturday in April.
Report
Issue:
Whether to move the date of the Spring Arts Walk event due overlap with the Dragon Boat Festival at the Port Plaza.
Staff Contact:
Stephanie Johnson, Arts Program Manager, Parks, Arts & Recreation, 360.709.2678
Presenter(s):
Stephanie Johnson, Arts Commission staff liaison
Background and Analysis:
The 2016/2017 Arts Commission Work Plan includes reference to researching and exploring moving the Spring 2017 Arts Walk date, and those thereafter:
2.a Arts Walk 52 & 53
Description: Provide input on policies, procedures, and marketing. Assist with map distribution. Research and explore moving the Spring 2017 date.
Deliverable: Community event.
The issue behind the task is a concern that the growing Dragon Boat Festival on the Port of Olympia is in conflict with the second day of spring Arts Walk, which includes the Procession of the Species Celebration. The Dragon Boat Festival begins at 9am on the Port Plaza, and ends with the awards ceremony at 4:30pm. Arts Walk begins at noon, closer to the center of town, with the Procession beginning at 4:30pm on the south side of 4th Avenue. The Olympia Police Department (Paul Lower) when queried, notes no traffic issues or concerns as it currently stands among the two events.
A review of other dates in April and May reveal the dates are already pretty packed in, and becomes more scheduled as the seasons move toward summer. Spring and fall Arts Walks are shoulder season events, they are the first big gathering in the spring, and the last in the fall: almost bookends to the packed summer schedule.
Moving the date to the 3rd Friday and Saturday of April would create 4 Passover conflicts, in 2019, 2022, 2046 and 2049.
Moving the date to the 2nd Friday and Saturday of April would conflict with the OSD schools Spring Break.
Moving the date to the 1st Friday and Saturday of May would have created a conflict in 2016 with the Wooden Boat Festival, and has the potential for future conflicts.
After 25 years, Arts Walk is synonymous with the 4th Friday and Saturday in April. Part of the success of the event has been to its consistency in scheduling. For the past 15 years or so, the date has remained the same. Event organizers and wedding planners work around that date, friends and family make plans. A permanent move would bring the event out of one scheduling conflict, but potentially bring on others.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
There has not been broad concern expressed by the community.
Options:
1. Keep Arts Walk at its current date of the 4th Friday and Saturday in April, as the public is used to, would avoid future conflict with other community events.
2. Move the date to the 3rd Friday and Saturday of April
3. Move the date to the 2nd Friday and Saturday of April
4. Move the date to the 1st Friday and Saturday of May
Financial Impact:
None.
Attachments:
None