I think it safe to say that Patty Reardon, Deputy Director of Park and Rec., wants to save the RiverFest subsidy from the chopping block.
On the 5:30 KRTV news tonight, she said that between 11,000-12,000 people attended RiverFest.
There is no way. I was there from 10:30am until 5:30pm and probably saw no more than 2,000-3,000 people, if that. (Somebody else heard on the radio this morning that the count was around 5,000).
Believe me, I would love to say that about 20% of the city's population attended, but if they did, I have no idea where they were.
On the 5:30 KRTV news tonight, she said that between 11,000-12,000 people attended RiverFest.
There is no way. I was there from 10:30am until 5:30pm and probably saw no more than 2,000-3,000 people, if that. (Somebody else heard on the radio this morning that the count was around 5,000).
Believe me, I would love to say that about 20% of the city's population attended, but if they did, I have no idea where they were.
I don't begrudge her trying to keep $25,000 for this event, but don't exaggerate to make a point. It can hurt one's credibility.
5 comments:
At last glance, I would be safe in saying that this is a 3 shift town. Many who might have been there in the morning, most likey left for work in the early afternoon, and those who worked the morning shift might have attended in the afternoon. If there were 5k there in the morning, it would just stand to reason that the other half showed up in the afternoon after work. So, the count could easily be 10k or even greater (if you count the nite shifters wandering in and out), and that's just between the day shift and the swing shift.
Lindsey,
With all due respect, I have to disagree with you.
For one thing, there is no way to know for sure how many attended. Tickets were not required for entry. Everything was free.
I was there nearly all day. The event, by the way, didn't start until noon and I can tell you that 11,000-12,000 people did not pass through the area in 6 hours, which is when most of the events/activities closed.
That would have been a lot of humanity packed into a small area in a very short time and it just didn't happen. Sorry.
Several thousand might seem reasnable for the attendance estimate. What needs to be addressed is the city's squandering of resources on the Highwood 'folly' plain and simple. It takes courage to stop throwing 'good money after bad' and we'll have to see if the other commissioners will follow Mary Jolley's practical financial assessment.
I guess you are most certainly entitled to your opinion, afterall, it is your blog.
But from a big city girl (that being me) to a small town girl (that being you), I don't think the estimate was too far off base. I've only attended festivals on the coast from Victoria B.C. to the South Bay, and have been among thousands up to and above 45k. What I saw today was tiny by those standards, but 10k, I feel, wasn't out of the question for the days event.
Patty herself said last year 5,000 attended. She also said it was an estimate as there is nO way to count without selling tickets. Thi s year there were about 10 to 15 fewer booths too. It just to me doees not look like something that is worth 25,000 thou. PER YEAR OVER 5 YEARS THAT WOULD HAVE BUILT A NEW EVIDENCE ROOM FOR POLICE.
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