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Council reviews Tet parade, approves Feb. 21, 2026 date and asks Westminster Community Foundation to consider $20,000 support
Summary
Staff reported on the successful 2025 Tet parade, noting attendance growth but a significant drop in sponsorship revenue; council selected Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, as next year’s parade date and asked staff to request up to $20,000 from the (currently inactive) Westminster Community Foundation to offset 2025 costs.
City staff presented a detailed overview of the 2025 Tet parade on March 26, reporting 79 parade entries, roughly 19,800 attendees (an increase of about 16% from the prior year), and expanded media coverage. Staff also reported total combined expenditures of about $239,000 and total revenue of roughly $83,300, leaving a net city cost of $156,296 for the event. Sponsorship revenue decreased markedly from about $96,000 in the prior year to $51,500 this year; staff attributed much of the difference to the Westminster Community Foundation’s smaller contribution this year.
Public-safety measures: The presentation noted increased public‑safety costs tied to additional traffic controls, barricades and police staffing following recent national security concerns; staff said costs and staffing were higher than in prior years and cited private contractors for traffic control as a significant expenditure.
Council choices: Council unanimously selected Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, as the parade date to give organizers and participants predictable lead time. The council also voted 5–0 to ask staff to seek a $20,000 donation from the Westminster Community Foundation to help offset the 2025 shortfall; staff will follow up to determine whether the foundation has the legal ability and quorum to approve such a payment and will return to council if additional action is required.
Why it matters: The Tet parade is a high‑visibility cultural event with both community and economic impacts; councilmembers stressed the parade’s value as a unifying cultural celebration while asking staff to pursue additional sponsorship and financial resiliency for future years.
