Ypsilanti's Heritage Festival adapts and evolves in the face of financial challenges
Ypsilanti Heritage Festival Director Andrew Clock has faced many challenges planning this year's event.
Tom Perkins | For AnnArbor.com
Like the city as a whole, Ypsilanti’s festival dedicated to its history and heritage is facing financial challenges.
But, like the city, its leaders are working to make changes that have a minimal impact on the final product.
New Ypsilanti Heritage Festival Director Andrew Clock was hired in January and tasked with producing the same vital festival with $25,00 lopped off last year’s approximately $130,000 budget. That challenge also was presented while working with an almost entirely new steering committee and staff.
While Clock describes the Heritage Festival’s financial situation as “precarious” and doesn't offer any guarantees beyond 2012, he also said the reductions have mostly been behind the scenes and on luxury items that will keep the face of the festival essentially the same this year.
“It definitely has been a challenge,” Clock said. “But a lot of the things that we’re cutting are on the infrastructure side of things so that guests may not notice, but it might make things a little more difficult on (volunteers and staff).”
For example, the PA system for the entertainment is slightly smaller than last year. The stage area has been moved into the beer tent to save money and perhaps generate more revenue by keeping beer closer to the crowd.
The Heritage Festival also will not be officially present on the Cross Street bridge or officially sponsor anything happening in Depot Town. Clock said that change was made for several reasons.
First, budget cuts impacted the decision and he said the Depot Town Merchant’s Association expressed interest in handling events on the street this year. The association will hold an antique auction, among other events.
The Ypsilanti Heritage Festival's 2012 flyer.
If someone is removed from the festival, for example, the fencing will make it harder for them to simply walk back in, meaning less officers will have to be present.
“Ultimately, it’s going to make it a safer event,” Clock said. “Not that there was a problem before, but it gives it a perception of safety and helps out.”
The city also raised rental fees two years ago and implemented a $1,000 a day capital park improvement fee. Additionally, parking rental has increased by $250 per day, Clock said.
“It has become harder and harder to put on this, or any other, festival here, and (it's) very hard to keep things free,” Clock said. “City cost are already projected to be a full quarter of this year's budget, and that's a big obstacle to overcome for any event, especially a free festival."
The addition of fencing also makes the possibility of charging a dollar or more as an entry fee a possibility, and Clock said the idea was discussed.
“That’s something that we’ve considered and something the city kind of wanted us to do at first,” he said. “It’s not a terrible idea, but we’ve always been a free festival and a lot of people look forward to the event. They can come out, it’s affordable, they don’t need $25 to $50 - they can come out enjoy and the entertainment for free and we would like to keep it like that as long as possible.”
One of the brighter spots has been in corporate sponsorship efforts, Clock said. This year Cueter Chrysler is the presenting sponsor, which the festival has not had in recent memory.
Clock is trying to make some changes to the variety of entertainment that will attract more of Ypsilanti’s younger generation. On that front, he has a solid lineup of musicians for the LaFontaine Main Stage. Having it under the beer tent means music can run until midnight. Some of the lineup includes The Third Coast Kings, Laith Al Saadi, The Ben Miller Band, George Bedard and the Kingpins, Motor City Beat, Ryan Racine and Gas for Less and more.
A second stage at the gazebo on the Huron River will feature music and dancing from local bands and solo artists like Devil Elvis and Blues Infusion, as well as the Ypsilanti High School Jazz Band and several music and dance ensembles from Washtenaw Community College.
Casino gambling also will return, and local businesses Arbor Brewing Co. and Wolverine State Brewing Co. will provide craft beer.
But that doesn’t mean all the old favorites are gone. There's still the rubber duck race, parade and vendors, plus more kids and family events than in the past. All the fun, however, will happen in a smaller footprint.
This year’s theme was originally planned to celebrate the bicentennial of the war of 1812, but Clock said many of the groups involved with that weren’t available. Instead, the festival will celebrate Ypsilanti’s history.
Overall, Clock said the he is pleased with the changes the festival is undergoing, most of which he describes as minor.
“I think the way we spent money is going to get us a lot more bang for our buck,” he said. “It will help sustain the festival moving forward.”
“All I can do is look forward, look to create new sources of revenue for the festival, and beef up our sponsorship, and I think we've done a good job of that so far,” he added.
Comments
Charley Sullivan
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 9:21 p.m.
Dear Tom: Please check the difference between "less" and "fewer." But the writing's getting better!
jns131
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 7:48 p.m.
Bottom line to the HF? Liability, liquor license fees are huge, Ypsi City taxes are a nightmare and security. BTW, the guy is paid, but at a stipend. That is all. I considered it but declined due to a lot of life conflicts. I wish HF luck but I am also realizing something else. Doesn't WR Airport have their air show near the HF date as well? Come to the township. We will find a place for you.
Tom Dodd
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 7:22 p.m.
Too bad the story ignored "Chautauqua at the Riverside," a new addition to the annual Festival format that will attempt to put the HERITAGE back into the FESTIVAL. There will be plenty of teens volunteering to help with that free event at the Riverside Arts Center. Let me know if you are interested in helping out.
EyeHeartA2
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 6:38 p.m.
Well, it's a cinch you won't see Sue Martin in the beer tent anyway. At least not until she has had something substantial to eat. http://annarbor.com/news/eastern-michigan-university-president-reprimanded-by-board-after-alcohol-related-squabble-with-alumn/
Top Cat
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 5 p.m.
The poster is dark, glum and depressing. It in no way conotes a festival. It looks like something out of Edgar Allen Poe.
localvocal
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 3:29 p.m.
This has always been an important community event and I appreciate Mr. Clock's sensibilities about everyone still accessing the event for free. I would like to see the community support the event even more. A voluntary donation like at the AA Summer Festival may help (though if you are concerned about security, don't put a bucket full of cash at the entrance!) Obviously, the city cannot afford it. The idea of corporate sponsorships seems like a good one. Are there local philanthropists or foundations that could help? EMU has community outreach funding, right? Could it be used for this purpose? It seems to me that the Ann Arbor Community Foundation could help with funding--they even have an Ypsi focused fund.
itsworthwhatyoupaidforit
Wed, Jul 11, 2012 : 12:15 p.m.
The article states that Cueter Chrysler is the festival's first presenting sponsor. This is good advertising for them, a benefit to the community, and an example for other corporations/organizations who might be able to help with future Heritage Festivals. Thanks Cueter!!
YpsiDipsy
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 2:40 p.m.
George Bedard playing at the beer tent? Yeah, I'll be there.
slave2work
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 2:06 p.m.
hahahaha, Gangbanger!!,, Wow people really need to get a grip, If you go to places with that attitude looking for trouble, you will find it. even at a museum you'll find "roving groups of teens". talking loud and teasing each other.
Andrew Jason Clock
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 1:39 p.m.
If there is one thing I would really like Ypsilanti residents to take away from this article, it is that the City of Ypsilanti is making it increasingly hard to have any sort of festival in the park. Between the increasing fees and difficulty in communicating with city staff, they have made the lives of event coordinators very difficult, and are turning Ypsilanti from a festival destination to a place festivals are fleeing. These festivals draw in thousand of visitors, and their wallets, to Ypsilanti every year. They are a major driver of summer business for many local establishments, and help to create a positive image for the city. Ypsilanti City Council would be wise to reverse the tend of taxing festivals out of the city, and start supporting them with lower fees and with support from the DDA, much like our neighbors in Ann Arbor. After all, the DDA's mission is to encourage local business and development, and that is exactly what festivals do. There is a very real danger that we will loose every major festival after this summer, and the bottom lines of many businesses will look very different at the end of the summer if that happens. Much as the city of Indio, California has recently learned, a scheme to squeeze tax money out of local festivals doesn't work very well if the local festivals pack up and move to more welcoming neighboring communities. I urge residents to tell their council members to stop this trend before its too late.
YpsiVeteran
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 5:49 p.m.
Harry, I didn't say that, and I don't think that. I think that a person being paid to organize has no business complaining in public about what he's being paid to do, for just this reason. This is a one-sided opinion from one guy. He doesn't speak for the city, and neither do I. The festival is a cool thing, and neither it, nor the city, need this guy casting a cloud over it.
YpsiVeteran
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 5:46 p.m.
Mr. Clock, the article states you were "hired" to be the festival organizer, which I assume means you are being paid. For you to use a blog to air your grievances and take public shots at the other involved entities, and for you to use your position as festival organizer to air your personal political views, is really quite amateurish and underhanded. Way to "find positive ways to market ourselves" and "help the city grow and prosper."
harry
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 5:40 p.m.
YPSIVET It is really short sighted of you to think the the heritage festival is just burden for the tax payers. Many cities such as Plymouth Novi Canton Northville have there own festival. And then there are many cities that dont Inkster Hamtramck Detroit. You can see the differences in the cities. This is one way of making your city desireable and help to keep property values.
YpsiCityMomma
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 5:39 p.m.
Ross: They could always move the festival to the township if having it within the city limits becomes too much of an issue. The businesses downtown would surely suffer.
YpsiVeteran
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 5:32 p.m.
"That we continue to find positive ways to market ourselves as a destination and a place to make a home." I fail to see how publically accusing the "city" of "making it increasingly hard to have any sort of festival" and having a "scheme to squeeze tax money out of local festivals" furthers, or is even consistent with, your above quote goal. And, the fact that the city is not in a position to provide the other side of this story -- as communication problems are always a two-way street, and it would be unprofessional and counterproductive to enumerate publically whatever your role in the alleged problems has been -- only makes your stated desire to "create a positive image for the city" more suspect. Instead of urging residents to "tell their council members," a professional would have waited until after the event, then approached the city staff/council/DDA with concerns and possible solutions. By the way, you state there are "other ways" to pay for these things. What are your suggestions?
Andrew Jason Clock
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 4:47 p.m.
I would say only that I am well aware of the problems the city is facing, but they can't be an excuse for everything that happens here. We can't tax and fee our way out of this alone, we need a plan for growth. We need there to be sure the things that make us attractive to residents and businesses that will remain and grow. That we continue to find positive ways to market ourselves as a destination and a place to make a home. And we need a way to provide efficient communication and a welcoming attitude to groups and businesses that want to do business in our community. Yes, we absolutely should pay for police, fire and DPS services. But there are other ways the city, and the DDA could work to grow and support events like Heritage Festival, Elvis Fest, and Crossroads with out putting and undue burden on the budget. There comes a point when cutting back and taxing more becomes counter productive. I want to fight for our city to grow and prosper, not just keep trying to bail water.
YpsiVeteran
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 4:07 p.m.
I would only add that the business owners Mr. Clock speaks of who rake in the benefits of this, and all the other festivals mentioned, should pony up more of the costs and provide more of the administrative support necessary, since Mr. Clock is finding what's left of the city staff, who are each doing two or three jobs, so difficult to locate.
YpsiVeteran
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 4:05 p.m.
Are you people really this oblivious to the problems the city is facing? I would expect quite a bit more, especially from Mr. Clock. The city has a tiny fraction of the staff it used to have, Mr. Clock. I don't even work there and I know this...are you really that uniformed? Maybe you're having a hard time communicating because they're all on furlough days...did that every occur to you? Why shouldn't the city recover some of the costs it incurs because of the festival? Do you think all those cops and firefighters working all three of their days off that weekend, for probably the 3rd or 4th weekend in a row, are volunteers? Do you think all those public works people are volunteers? Should the taxpaying residents of the city just absorb the costs the Heritage Festival generates for city coffers? How utterly unprofessional of you to post something this ignorant on a public blog.
lumberg48108
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 2:22 p.m.
I have heard the Beer festival was close to leaving - for various reasons - and we are lucky to have them this year -- but as andy says - Ypsi is not a welcome place for festivals anymore --- I understand the finances of it all - but driving these event away seems short sighted in an attempt to keep people in a community
Ross
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 2:12 p.m.
Yeah? Where you gonna move the "Ypsilanti" heritage festival to? Calling your bluff. :) As a new resident of Depot town living just across the river from riverside park, it turns out I was unaware of how intense the festival schedule really is. While most of them are fun and certainly bring economic impact to the city, losing a few might not be so bad. The city is broke, so pulling a little more fee revenue out of the well-entrenched festivals seems like a good idea. Hopefully it can be temporary. But who the heck really needs THREE DAYS OF CHEVY CAMAROS anyway....?
slave2work
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 2 p.m.
Your welcome to the township anytime!!. There is only 1 thing I have issues with and that is having the music inside the beer tent. Leds to a separation of families. Maybe there can be a kids popcorn and pop , slush tent next to the beer tent . added on..lol all can enjoy the music without young kids in the beer tent. Just a thought.
lumberg48108
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 1:39 p.m.
I agree with Andy on his points and will take it a step further regarding the commenters -- why bash the festival for wayward teens acting up --- and not criticize parents for letting this happen? as far as being a dangerous event - this is nothing more than hyperbole -- the event is safer than your random Ypsi neighborhood -- if you can document real acts of violence please do so - the events of 2010 were isolated and no injuries occurred Also - the first graph reads $25,00 when it seems it should read $25,000
jns131
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 7:43 p.m.
At our last neighborhood watch meeting, I was told by our CAT member that Ypsilanti is becoming safer then Ann Arbor is. He showed us the stats. If there is going to be a huge police presence? Then trust you me, they will take care of it.
Andrew Jason Clock
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 1:27 p.m.
Though I am usually not very fond of commenting on articles I am quoted in, I will make an exception here. While there have been some problems with groups of teens in the past, I think the comments here are overblown on the subject. I have been a patron of the festival for several years, and other than a well documented problem a couple of years ago, I haven't witnessed anything that has caused me to be scared, and neither have the majority of festival goers. We have, however, still taken steps to make the festival both more secure and to give these groups of young people something to do, which had previously been ignored. First, as the article clearly states, the festival will be fenced and gated this year. That means if we have a problem, if we need to remove people from the festival, they will stay removed. Just having them pass through an entry point will go a long way to discourage problems. (and, yes, we will be seeking donations at the gates this year.) More important, we have formed a partnership with Community Records Lc3, Ozone House and The Neutral Zone, three great local youth organizations, to provide family entertainment. Saturday's PHD Program will feature music acts from all three groups, entertainment for youth by youth. This is an outgrowth of Ozone House's successful "Noise Permit" shows which have been a great youth event the last couple of years. I would like to think giving teens something to do at the festival, instead of purposely leaving out any activities aimed at them, will go a long way to cut down on "roving bands of teens" though I might venture, hanging out in groups is what teens do, and its really not so scary. Of course, there is little substitute for good old fashioned parental supervision and responsibility, but since we have no control over that, we can only do our best to secure the event and make it fun and entertaining for all ages. I hope you will come look for yourself, not just judge
jns131
Wed, Jul 11, 2012 : 2:15 a.m.
As a parent? I am being responsible by not taking my child to a place that is a bar and alcohol flows more freely than anywhere else. We want ours to drink responsibly. By not watching people guzzle beer down like it is water. Sorry, but a beer tent is not a place for us. We will watch our entertainment somewhere else. Very sorry to see a stage inside a bar.
Olive
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 10:22 p.m.
@jns131 - It is not illegal at all. Children can be with adults in a bar or, as in this case, a fenced-in area where alcohol is served. Are you trying to stir something up bincorrectly pointing out that it's child endangerment? @Andrew - Thanks for pointing out that there is little substitute for good old-fashioned parental supervision and responsibility. Truer words have rarely been spoken!
jns131
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 7:41 p.m.
You mentioned putting the stage inside the beer tent. Isn't that a little on the illegal side? I was always told children are not allowed inside bars or sitting at a bar where alcohol is sold. I think they call it child endangerment. Also, you missed something that is very important to this community and has been to HF for years. The Ypsilanti Library has always been there and always has safe stuff for children to do. Might want to make sure you mention them next time.
slave2work
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 1:54 p.m.
Amen. I LOVE the heritage festival!!!!
Robo
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 12:52 p.m.
Mr. Clock has put an enormous amount of energy into this event. Thanks for taking on this huge task.
information please
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 11:58 a.m.
Perhaps the organizers should consider asking for donations at the event rather than charging an entry fee, like what is done at Top of the Park in A2. Perhaps that would help insure enough funds for a festival next year.
TFT
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 11:56 a.m.
What are they doing about the out of control groups of unsupervised teens that end up causing issues EVERY year? Its not a family environment when you have large pockets of teens all running around acting dumb. And for that reason... we have not been back to the festival in a few years.
jns131
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 7:37 p.m.
Never had a problem. But then again we have been out of town or make a way to get out of town when this happens. Another reason we left Ann Arbor. Art Fair and HF. Nice for a while, boring after.
harry
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 5:27 p.m.
I have been going to the HF for 30 years and I have never ever had a problem. I feel very comfortable bring my kids there like we do every year. But then I dont hang out at the beer tent until midnight either.
slave2work
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 1:51 p.m.
We go every year many times. Been there till midnight. we have never had any problems. Im not sure where you all went but we havent ever had any trouble. We have been going to this for many years.
mGill
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 12:51 p.m.
Precisely. It's like a gangbanger breeding ground down there during HF. Would never take my children in a million years.
Robo
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 12:51 p.m.
I just look young. Im actually a rambunctious adult. Thanks for the flattery.
itsworthwhatyoupaidforit
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 11:03 a.m.
Even though you would never know it by reading this article, the Heritage Festival will be held August 17 through 19, 2012. I read the article three times and finally found that very important information buried in the photo of the festival flyer! I even tried clicking on the "related content" article at the top and, astoundingly, it gave me the dates for the 2011 festival. Geeeeeeez.
SEC Fan
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 6:28 p.m.
I'll never understand why this site absolutely refuses to write the dates of the events they cover in their articles. This happens again and again and each article receives multiple posts about how hard it is to find the dates. @AA.com, could you PLEASE start writing the dates of the events in the articles?
dading dont delete me bro
Tue, Jul 10, 2012 : 10:41 a.m.
smile mr clock.