Finance committee approves Olin Park agreement for Fantasy and Lights event

Council President Figueroa Coel and the Finance Committee unanimously approved an agreement on March 17, 2025, permitting Electrical Workers Local 159’s Fantasy and Lights event to use portions of Olin Park and to install holiday lighting and certain permanent infrastructure.

The agreement authorizes the event organizer to install holiday lighting and permanent infrastructure in Olin Park and affirms the organizer’s ability to conduct the event on park property. The committee recorded a unanimous vote in favor of the motion to adopt the item.

The committee’s discussion focused on whether the agreement would affect the event’s recent practice of holding at least one car-free night that prioritizes pedestrians and bicyclists. Alder Evers asked staff whether the event’s pedestrian- and bicycle-centered, car-free night—held in some past years—was still protected under the proposed agreement.

Parks Department staff (identified in the record as Parks staff) said the agreement is intended to make it easier for the organizer to hold a car-free night. “In this version of the contract, we try to make that even easier for the event organizer to do,” the staff member said. The staff member added that the city has not used the agreement to compel a car-free event and that organizers are responsible for the expenses and logistics. “We are more than willing to work with the organizers and bike advocates and anyone else who would like to in order to facilitate that discussion,” the staff member said.

Alder Evers asked whether the committee should add a requirement to the contract forcing the car-free night. The staff member replied that the department would not advise compelling organizers at this time and that the preferred approach is to facilitate and encourage car-free arrangements while making it administratively easier to implement them.

The record shows the motion to adopt item 10 was moved by Council President Figueroa Coel, seconded (second not named in the record), and approved unanimously. The agenda noted one registrant available to answer questions on item 7 but no public speakers on item 10. The transcript indicates organizers have held car-free nights for about three years and that the city would continue to coordinate with organizers and advocates if needed.

The agreement covers use of parts of Olin Park, which the discussion noted straddles District 13, for the Fantasy and Lights event and includes provisions allowing installation of holiday lighting and certain permanent infrastructure. Specifics on liability, term length, cost allocation, or maintenance responsibilities for any permanent infrastructure were not specified in the committee record.