Agenda No. 12.
CITY COUNCIL MEMORANDUM
| City Council Meeting: | July 18, 2023 |
| Department: | Parks, Recreation & Community Servic |
| Subject: | Workshop: Discussion on the format of the New Year's Eve in the Park event (S.Gonzalez/L.Shrum/C.Paddock) |
BACKGROUND
In 2021, Council requested that staff create a New Year's Eve event. The elements of this special event include a live band, food trucks, family activities, and a New Year's countdown with a miniature ball drop. The event is held on NYE from 8 pm - 12 midnight and has a budget of $10,000. The first year event had about 200 people in attendance and the second year event had about 150 in attendance. Attendance-wise, the NYE event is similar to our Music & Movies in the Park series where each event's budget is $1,000. Over the past two years of the NYE event, staff has noticed the bulk of the attendance is in the 8 pm - 10 pm time frame which is easier for families with small children to participate in. Although the weather has not been an issue the past two events, there is the possibility that attendance could be drastically variable depending on weather conditions.
Due to these observations, Staff is recommending switching to a family-friendly time format for the event of 3 pm - 6:30 pm, similar to what the City of Fredericksburg has done. The afternoon is full of free activities such as inflatables, face-painting, and magic shows, and there are food trucks on-site to purchase food. The event concludes with a ball drop countdown to the "New Year" occurring at 6:25 pm. Families and staff are then able to return home safely long before the official New Year begins at 12:01 am. Additionally, the earlier time frame means weather would be less of a factor given that the bulk of the event is during daylight hours with the warmth of the sun available. After nightfall, temperatures can drop dramatically in the winter. Staff anticipates more residents will participate in the earlier time frame, resulting in a greater return on investment of the event.
Due to these observations, Staff is recommending switching to a family-friendly time format for the event of 3 pm - 6:30 pm, similar to what the City of Fredericksburg has done. The afternoon is full of free activities such as inflatables, face-painting, and magic shows, and there are food trucks on-site to purchase food. The event concludes with a ball drop countdown to the "New Year" occurring at 6:25 pm. Families and staff are then able to return home safely long before the official New Year begins at 12:01 am. Additionally, the earlier time frame means weather would be less of a factor given that the bulk of the event is during daylight hours with the warmth of the sun available. After nightfall, temperatures can drop dramatically in the winter. Staff anticipates more residents will participate in the earlier time frame, resulting in a greater return on investment of the event.
GOAL
The goal is to change the format of the New Year's Eve event to have a greater focus on children's activities, and change the timeframe from 8 pm - 12 am to 3 pm - 6:30 pm, in an effort to increase attendance and have a greater return on investment for this special event.
COMMUNITY BENEFIT
Staff estimates more residents will attend the event at the earlier timeframe, benefiting more people across the city.
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDED ACTION
Change the format of the New Year's Eve event to focus more on children's activities, and change the time frame from 8 pm - 12 midnight to 3 pm - 6:30 pm
RECOMMENDATION
Change the format of the New Year's Eve event to focus more on children's activities, and change the time frame from 8 pm - 12 midnight to 3 pm - 6:30 pm