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Highland Park committee OKs 2026 event slate but defers sponsorship requests and vendor-fee waivers
Summary
The Committee of the Whole reviewed the proposed 2026 slate of downtown events and a $451,000 event budget, discussed adding more diverse programming and improving event operations, and deferred a decision on in-kind or financial sponsorship requests from festival organizers pending further review.
The Committee of the Whole on Thursday reviewed the city's proposed 2026 event slate, endorsed continuing the downtown concert and festival program and a proposed $451,000 operating budget for city-produced events, but postponed decisions on sponsorship requests and vendor-fee waivers from private event organizers until staff returns with more detail.
Assistant Manager Erin Jason and Communications Manager Amanda Bennett presented staff's proposal to retain the city's 2025 "bookend" model for Central Avenue events in 2026: the Taste of Highland Park in June, a series of Port Clinton concerts, the vintage car show and the Susan's Stews & Brews event in fall, plus holiday lighting and neighborhood programming. "We feel confident with the budget at $451,000 for next year," Jason told the committee, summarizing staff estimates of infrastructure, ADA compliance and security costs.
The committee heard 2024 attendance and economic-intelligence figures staff supplied from the Placer.ai…
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