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Bellmead will not hold 2025 Burgers and Brews Festival after low turnout, cost review
Summary
City staff announced the indefinite cancellation of the Bellmead Burgers and Brews Festival for 2025 after an internal review found modest attendance and costs that staff said did not justify continuing the event in its current form.
City staff announced the Bellmead Burgers and Brews Festival will not be held in 2025 after a departmental review found attendance and costs did not justify continuing the event.
Corey, Parks and Recreation staff, told the board the festival — held annually for four years — drew much smaller crowds than expected in 2024 and required staff time and city funds that were out of proportion to the turnout. "The city has made the difficult decision to discontinue," Corey said.
The nut graf: The city framed the cancellation as a fiscal and operational decision after comparing 2024 and 2023 results and consulting vendors and departments; staff said they will reassess how to use resources for future community engagement.
Staff said the 2024 event at the Civic Center ran from about 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and that turnout was ‘‘approximately 50–200 individuals’’ (as reported in the meeting packet). In 2024 the city recorded roughly 12 staff hours contributed by multiple departments for setup, facilitation and tear-down and reported it incurred "over $8,000" in costs. Staff noted 2023 costs had exceeded $30,000 when the event lasted until about 9 p.m., and the city reduced scale, hours and layout for 2024 in response.
Vendor feedback was mixed, staff said: beer vendors were easiest to recruit but told organizers they expected greater sales. Board members suggested options such as changing the festival location or trying a different event format to draw more traffic; one board member called the cancellation "a temporary setback." Corey said the decision is for 2025 and described it as "indefinite" (staff will re-evaluate whether to revive the event in a different form or location).
The city did not present a specific financial threshold or attendance target that would guarantee reinstatement, and staff said any future festival idea would be brought back for evaluation. No formal board vote on the festival's cancellation was recorded in the meeting minutes; the decision was presented as an administrative choice by city staff.
Staff said they appreciate volunteers and vendors who supported the festival over the years and are open to exploring alternative events to better engage residents going forward.
