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Riverbank festival organizers report nearly $13,000 deficit, urge ticket and beer sales push
Summary
City staff outlined the Cheese & Wine Festival layout, vendor and entertainment plans, and a current projected deficit of $12,991.72; councilors praised downtown outreach and suggested better signage and Spanish-language promotion.
Riverbank — City staff on Sept. 10 detailed plans for the upcoming Cheese & Wine Festival and urged strategies to close a nearly $13,000 budget shortfall.
Michael Patton, director of parks and recreation, showed an event map that will close Second through Seventh streets on Santa Fe, host a car show between Second and Third, and stage the main band area at the downtown intersection. He said the event will include two stages, a kids’ corner at the teen center and wine-tasting sessions inside the community center.
"As of yesterday... 94 [craft/commercial] have completed the process," Patton said, and he reported that 28 of 31 food vendors had completed permitting. He also told council that the three wine-tasting sessions (noon–1:30 p.m., 2–3:30 p.m. and 4–5:30 p.m.) hold 150 each and that 41 tickets had been claimed so far.
Patton reviewed promotional plans with a radio partnership and social media outreach: a paid radio campaign through Cumulus Media begins Sept. 30 and the city maintains a festival page and event posts intended to reach Riverbank and the broader San Joaquin Valley.
On budgeting, Patton said earlier projections showed a modest profit but costs and enrollment shifted. "Currently, right now, we're staying at a deficit of $12,991.72," he said, citing higher entertainment and alcohol-related expenditures and lower-than-expected vendor revenue. He recommended maximizing day-of beer sales, continuing social outreach and considering adjustments to ticketed experiences to raise revenue.
Council members praised staff outreach to downtown businesses, recommended clearer directional signage for family and alcohol areas, and urged some Spanish-language outreach in the advertising plan to boost attendance and vendor sales. One councilor asked staff to separate family-event messaging from wine-ticket promotions on promotional signs so the festival’s family programming is clear.
Patton said staff will continue vendor recruitment, finalize a vendor list for release and push collaborative social posts with participating vendors. The city also plans to limit duplicate merchandise booths and emphasize unique, locally sourced offerings.
The council did not take action on the festival budget at the meeting; staff said they will continue outreach and return with any formal budget requests if needed.
