Councilmembers spent the longest portion of their Aug. 6 meeting on the future of Taste Addison, the town's long-running food-and-music festival, and a staff proposal for a $100,000 one-time budget to activate Addison Circle Park during the 2026 World Cup matches in the region.
Abby Morales, director of special events and the theater, described several achievements and operating metrics for the three town events (Taste, Kaboom Town, BoomTown). She said Taste 2025 generated about $460,000 in revenue with expenditures just over $1,090,000, producing a net investment (town subsidy) of about $630,400 in the proposed budget. "Taste celebrated 30 years, Kaboom 40," Morales told council, describing changes in programming and the work to reengage restaurants.
Staff proposed a phased set of options to reduce the council's net subsidy for Taste, including: (1) introducing VIP premium experiences or tiered admission to capture higher per-person revenue; (2) instituting a revenue share from participating restaurants and concessionaires (staff presented scenarios at 10% and 20%); (3) centralizing alcohol sales under a single beverage sponsor or distributor to create a reliable revenue stream; and (4) expanding curated, ticketed experiences (chef tastings, limited-seat events) that would carry additional fees.
Supporters of maintaining event investment argued the festivals are key to Addison's brand and hotel occupancy. Several councilmembers asked staff to pursue more aggressive revenue options but worried about restaurant attrition if the town required revenue-sharing. Councilmember Randy said, "The restaurants aren't seeing it as a benefit to them anymore," while others urged a multi-year approach that includes a restaurant coalition and measured changes.
On the World Cup opportunity, staff requested $100,000 (one-time) from hotel funds to host viewing activations and related infrastructure at Addison Circle Park during matches. Morales said the amount is a baseline to "get started" and the proposal is intended to leverage existing Kaboom Town infrastructure; Mary (marketing) reported outreach to the regional host committee and hotel partners.
Next steps: staff will include the $100,000 World Cup activation request in the hotel fund budget and return with scenarios and modeled revenue-sharing or VIP programs for Taste Addison. Council indicated support to fund Taste in FY2026 while directing staff to return with options for reducing the town subsidy over a multi-year horizon.