After years of complaints from the public and weather woes, it appears the Summer in the Park committee is considering changing location next year from Oak St. to Memorial Gardens and Thomson Park.
That comes from a report to council due to be presented tomorrow night.
Planning next year’s festival has already begun and the three year strategic plan focuses on re-building the festival and positively impacting the community.
"This is being accomplished by including greater daytime programming (a third day) and increasing community partnerships," says the report.
"Summer in the Park Festival 2017 (second year of the strategic plan) further engaged the arts community and other local community groups with the goal of showcasing Celebrate Canada 150. Through a partnership with the North Bay & District Multicultural Centre, a Dance & Drum Festival was added to the daytime programming together with art workshops, dance theatre groups and more."
Poor weather has plagued the festival in past years and the committee is now looking to weather proof its event by situating the headline concerts in Memorial Gardens Sports Arena.
"This would mean there would be a decrease in the capacity of the number of tickets sold from 10,000 to approximately 4,800 per evening. Ticket prices will be based on the entertainment secured. The move of the headline concerts to the arena would also mean the daytime programming including the midway would need to be moved behind and beside the arena in the parking lot and Thomson Park," continues the report.
Some of the benefits of moving the event to a new location will be weather protection for the concerts.
"Thomson Park provides a park like setting, we would be showcasing the arena, would not be displacing the North Bay’s Farmers’ Market or paid parking lot holders, potential for sellout concerts and a decrease in outdoor related concert costs (i.e. port-johns, fencing, light towers, etc.). Some of the committees concerns about this location include parking, limited or no beer garden revenue and the event site would be further away from some of our festival partners such as the DIA’s Free-For-All-Weekend."
The committee says it is reviewing options that will reduce and or eliminate some of the potential issues associated with a new location.
"The committee has also discussed with the DIA and they believe their event is strong enough to be a standalone in another area of town at the same time. A preliminary budget has been established assuming the new venue and model and the committee is confident it can be a success. The Summer in the Park Committee and its partners believe that the festival is an important community event that not only provides an economic benefit to the community but also is a significant community development initiative. The committee feels it’s a good time to re-make the festival in a new location to preserve the future of North Bay’s largest annual event."
