Council approves $8,000 each for Persian Spring and Diwali festivals and grants Main Street closures for both events

The Tiburon Town Council on March 19 approved $8,000 in town funding each for two cultural events — the 2025 Persian Spring Festival and the 2025 Diwali Festival — and approved requested Main Street closures for both events.

Town staff told council that the Disaster, Inclusion and Tourism Fund (DITF) recommended $8,000 for each event and that the council had previously agreed to limits on Main Street closures in a calendar year (six closures total, three of which are reserved for the Chamber). The staff report noted that two additional requests for closures were before council and that the council had discretion under the earlier limit.

Councilmember Ryan moved approval of the DITF recommended funding and the motion passed on roll call. “$8,000 for each,” was confirmed during the motion discussion. Later, after brief discussion about fairness and the question of whether to allow both events to close Main Street or use alternate sites such as the library plaza, the council voted to approve both street closures.

The funding and closure votes were both recorded by roll call with the same members voting yes (Council member Fredericks absent). The council also discussed establishing a clearer allocation of street closures in future annual planning to avoid perceived favoritism and to provide predictable scheduling for organizers.

Details: The approved funding amounts are $8,000 for the Persian Spring Festival and $8,000 for the Diwali Festival (as recommended by DITF). The council approved closures requested for both events for the 2025 calendar year and directed staff to consider clearer annual guidelines for closures.