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Tuesday, 06 February 2007 15:46 |
By DAVID FORBES
Ashevilleës biggest festival should encourage more involvement by local artists, musicians and businesses, some citizens said at a Bele Chere forum in the Asheville Civic Center on Jan. 30.
"We need to start involving more local artisans and craftsmen," Jim Julien, a graphic designer, said. "Iëd also like to see more opportunities for local bands and local promoters."
Likewise,
Barry Olen, owner of Beads & Beyond, said that Bele Chere should
bring in more local acts ÇƒÓ and distribute the stages more evenly
throughout the downtown.
"That way youëll
get more businesses getting the benefits," Olen said. "Also, I think
people would be more likely to come out if it was 55 percent local
acts."
Other
suggestions from some of the participants included extending alcohol
sales through the last day of the festival in certain locations, giving
the festival more of a central theme and moving it to a different time
of year to better help downtown businesses.
About 75 people
attended the forum, the first of several hosted by Asheville City
Council for the purpose of getting input on issues facing the city. The
attendees broke off into discussion groups, each moderated by city
staff, to voice suggestions for improving the festival ÇƒÓ and convey
what they like about Bele Chere.
Despite their
concerns, many of the attendees said that they liked Bele Chere overall
¨?¨?ÇƒÓ and welcome the money it brings to the local economy.
"Iëve been
around the world and seen a lot of festivals. This compares well ÇƒÓ itës
just a really good time," Sharon Trammel said.
At the beginning
of the forum, Mayor Terry Bellamy had noted that no possibility was out
of question, including moving Bele Chere later in the year or outright
eliminating the festival altogether.
"When we started
Bele Chere a year ago, it was to get people downtown," Bellamy said.
"Well people are coming downtown now even without Bele Chere. So we
need to ask ÇƒÓ is this the time for Bele Chere? Should there be another
type of festival? Iëm not sure, thatës why weëre asking you."
But at the end of the forum, she noted that based on the responses, "it looks like Bele Chereës a keeper."
At last summerës Bele Chere, around 300,000 people attended, bringing in about $12.4 million.
She added that
council would take the input received at the forum into consideration
in their plans at a coming forum on Feb. 10.
Other ideas broached at the forum included turning Bele Chere over more to a sponsoring private company.
"I would sell
it," Tres Hundredmark, chef and general manager of the Lobster Trap,
said. "I would offer it for sale for someone to pick up as a
sponsorship. This would take care of some of the financial issues. We
could say ǃÚMicrosoft and the City of Asheville present Bele Chere.ë"
He also noted, however that "Bele Chere is a blast, itës great fun for everybody ÇƒÓ itës great for our employee morale."
Meanwhile, Doug
Beatty, owner of Barleyës Taproom, said that Asheville needed to
remember "our roots" and not make Bele Chere too exclusive.
"I remember when
there was a chain link fence around the center of downtown and when the
city couldnët afford to pay its contractors," Doug Beatty said. "You
see this a lot. When people become successful, they forget how they got
there. I think thatës what youëre seeing in this conversation. We
started evaluating the success based on how big it got and kind of lost
sight of the soul of the thing.
We need to remember the roots of the
festival. We definitely need to get rid of the ticketed events."
Later, Trammel suggested that the city allow alcohol on Sunday, the last day of the festival, in certain spots.
"Iëm not saying
we need to allow it everywhere," Trammel said. "But having some beer
gardens set up where people could purchase it, but keep it limited, the
city could make some significant money."
Involving more
local beers in the sponsorship of the festival currently held by
Budweiser, was a popular suggestion. When announced at the end of the
meeting by several of the groups, it was greeted with applause by the
attendees.
"That would give
people something tasty to drink and give local businesses a share of
this," Hundredmark said. "We have a thriving industry here and we can
find a way to really show that off."
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