Commission discusses expanding VetFest April 12 at Mark Granato Park, seeks sponsors and vendors

The Veterans Disability and Human Services Commission on Jan. 8 reviewed planning for VetFest 2025, scheduled for April 12 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Mark Granato Park. Staff said the city plans a band, food trucks, exhibitor tables, and outreach to veteran service organizations and potential sponsors.

Victoria, a staff member with the city’s Human Services & Community Vitality department, told commissioners that sponsorships covered free meals for veterans in prior years and that APS had already committed as a sponsor for 2025. "If that's a goal, again, we can continue to seek sponsorship," she said, describing sponsorship levels used at past events.

Discussion covered: accepting monetary sponsorships (preferred by staff), vendor registration and fees for non–veteran service organizations, a kids' area with inflatables or a block-party trailer, a jobs area in collaboration with Arizona@Work, sensory tents and volunteers from providers such as RISE Services, on-site veteran-benefits counselors or VA outreach, and the possibility of military vehicles or retired-vehicle displays (subject to weight and turf restrictions).

Staff recommended keeping veteran service organizations and groups that provide veteran programs as no-cost exhibitors while non-veteran vendors would pay a sponsorship fee; staff estimated past non-veteran exhibitor sponsorships in the range of a few hundred dollars (examples discussed: $500). Commission members asked staff to circulate last year’s exhibitor list and to provide vendor and sponsorship forms; staff said those materials and an updated sponsorship packet could be shared by the next meeting and that vendor registration would likely be finalized in March.

Commissioners proposed additional elements including a job fair area (Arizona@Work participation), mascots or sports-team appearances, a color guard and short kickoff program, giveaways or shirts for veterans, raffle-style donated prizes for veterans, and demonstrations such as service dogs or equine therapy if vendors could operate independently and meet safety rules. Staff said big tents and heavy rigs pose turf and power constraints and that rainy-day contingency planning would rely on moving some activities to the parking lot or canceling if conditions become unsafe.

Staff asked commissioners to forward vendor and sponsorship leads by email; staff said they will produce a proposed layout, vendor list from last year, and a sponsorship packet for review at the next commission meeting.