Asheville City Council recently showed wisdom in informally agreeing to stop funding the annual Bele Chere weekend after this summer’s festival.

Bele Chere, which has been grown to rank among the largest outdoor event of its kind in the South during its 34-year-existance, helped to revitalize downtown in its early years,

However, more recently the core city’s merchants have complained that it hurts their sales more than helps — and drives off regular customers.

It is our hope that Bele Chere will be hosted by private entities, that it will be shifted to a slower time of the year and to a different area, such as the River Arts District or the rapidly developing South Slope area, just south of downtown.

Not only does Bele Chere bring a potpourri of live music, food and beverage vendors, games and other entertainment and fun, but a portion of the proceeds has been earmarked for nonprofits that badly need the funds to help the area’s less fortunate residents.

Specifically, in each of the past three years, the city has paid 25 participating nonprofits slightly more than $40,000. 

It should be noted that the nonprofits are not just “given” the funds, but put some skin in the game by providing volunteers, who sell wristbands for beer sales, work shuttles, serve beer and other beverages and sell merchandise. The nonprofits were paid by the city, based on a sliding scale for the beverage sales and a flat fee for other work.

Assuming the city sticks to its plans to end its funding for Bele Chere, we hope some other entity takes over this festival and moves it to a better location and time.