West Bend approves GlobalFest but police warn of extended Main Street closure

The City of West Bend licensing board and later the common council approved a special-event permit for GlobalFest that will close Main Street across the downtown for more than 24 hours on the festival weekend.

Police Chief Noren told the licensing board the department does not object to the permit after usual vetting but sought board and council review because "of the length of time they're asking to shut down Main Street." Noren said GlobalFest is seeking to shut Main Street for the full weekend, including Saturday and the following day, and described the shutdown as "a significant amount of time that Main Street would be shut down."

That extended closure means the festival footprint would occupy the same permit area used for Music on Main and the Farmer's Market but for a longer period, Chief Noren said. The application in the council packet lists the event on Saturday from 2 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. with a noon setup and identifies continued closures into the following day through 5 p.m., which the chief characterized as "over 24 hours."

The council and licensing board said staff checked with the downtown association and that the association — which applied for the permit — and a majority of downtown business owners were reported to be in support. "Noelle has told us that she's vetted this out with the members of the downtown association, with the merchants down there, and there hasn't been an objection to it," Chief Noren said. Noelle was identified in the record as the downtown association contact.

Council members and board members raised operational concerns. A resident, John (no last name given in the record), asked that emergency access be maintained overnight and noted past rules for Farmer's Market area events maintain a center lane for emergency vehicles. Chief Noren said the downtown association and the police department will ensure emergency-vehicle access. "We'll make sure that there'll be access to, all businesses for emergency vehicles," the chief said. The council also requested staff remain responsive to any business concerns before and during the event.

Both the licensing board and the council approved the permit. At the licensing board meeting a motion to approve carried; at the council meeting the GlobalFest permit was likewise moved and approved after discussion.

The permit approval authorizes GlobalFest to use the downtown permit area for the extended weekend; the record does not include final site maps, vendor lists or a final operations plan. Police and city staff said they will continue coordination with the downtown association and merchants, and the downtown association is the applicant responsible for on‑the‑ground communications with businesses.

The city did not record any formal objections from named downtown property owners in the public record at the meeting. The council vote was recorded as "motion carries" in the meeting transcript; no roll-call tally for individual council members appears in the transcript excerpt.

Council and licensing staff said they will monitor the event and maintain public-safety access if circumstances change.