Staff of a marketing company with plans for a large-scale summer festival in Airdrie featuring well-known musicians said the event may not go ahead.
“We do want this,” said Lisa Kelly, with Kel-Pro Marketing Group and planner for the Airdrie Summer Festival.
“But it’s in the hands of the City and it may not happen.”
The three-day event is advertised at www.airdriesummerfest.com as $70 for a one-day family pass, $192 for a family weekend pass and $47 for a three-day adult pass.
The event has been listed at three different locations. The website first stated it would be held at Nose Creek Park. Later, another local media outlet reported the event had been relocated to the Airdrie Airpark.
This week, the summer festival website lists the event north of Main Street near Airdrie Trailer Sales.
Lesley Neaves, project coordinator for the Airpark said organizers of the Airdrie Summer Festival informally approached Airpark officials in April and more formally followed up in May.
“Airpark related their basic requirements to hold any event at the Airpark. Summer Fest responded the next day they have decided to hold the event elsewhere but did not give a reason why,” she said in an email.
Kelly said plans fell through for Nose Creek Park because it wouldn’t be large enough to host the event. She said the Airdrie Airpark fell through because costs were expected to come in at $75,000.
“We’ve been offered 100 acres of a private owners land,” said Kelly of the possible third location, planned for north of Main Street.
She said however, the permits still need to be cleared by the City.
“We’ve really been given the runaround since the first day it’s been presented to the City,” Kelly said of having to move locations. She added that the proposed event is expected to come before a planning committee later in June but she has heard comments that the City “might not be big enough for this.”
Mayor Peter Brown said he is “bewildered” by such comments.
“I’ve met with them and directed them so I’m not sure why they feel that way,” he said.
“Everyone at the City is supportive of festivals in the city.”
Brown said when he first met with organizers they suggested a festival in Nose Creek Park with 15,000 people. He said a maximum of 5,000 people would fit at that location. He said he was the one who suggested they speak to the airport to accommodate such a large event.
“In my estimation, it’s not that we aren’t supporting them. We are just enlightening them to have things in place to have this hosted.”
He said as an example, the Airdrie and Regional Air Show takes two years to plan and said things such as parking, police presence and emergency plans need to be in place for large-scale events.
The summer event will include live entertainment every day, a beer garden, vendors, buskers, entertainment and amusements, the Airdrie Summer Festival website said.
On May 28, the home page of the festival website was advertising Jimmy Rankin as a confirmed headliner. Representative for Rankin said they have been speaking with Airdrie Summer Festival officials but his appearance is not confirmed at the event.
The next day, Rankin’s confirmation on the festival website was updated to “pending.” Kelly said they had confirmed Rankin but said the information wasn’t added to his website so festival organizers decided they may have advertised for it prematurely.
“I think we should wait a couple of more days,” she added
Kelly said if the permits aren’t approved in time for the festival, all money will be retuned to anyone who has already purchased a ticket.
“The risk is on us so everyone would get a full refund.”
Camie Leard, director of marketing and communications for the Better Business Bureau Southern Alberta and East Kootneys, offered some tips for Airdrie residents who have purchased tickets in the event the festival is cancelled.
“Check to make sure the organization will be refunding ticket prices and get your name on the list,“ she said.
“Make sure you get a timeframe in which they will be refunding the money. If you haven’t received it in that timeframe, call you credit card company and see if they will dismiss the charge.”
