Friends group warns beer‑garden program may shrink after rising fees and insurance costs

The Friends of Port Washington Parks & Rec told the Park and Recreation Board that the volunteer‑run beer‑garden series has experienced participant drop‑offs and financial stress this season.

Wendy, a Friends spokesperson, said the insurance bill for seven beer‑garden dates was about $5,400 (split among participating groups) and that the park reservation fee of $325 per event made some groups reluctant to participate. "We are actually in the hole over $1,900 for this beer garden season," Wendy said, and she attributed cancellations to weather and to market saturation with competing events.

Wendy described organizational changes meant to distribute on‑site responsibilities across group representatives and said Friends created a beer‑garden committee so each group would provide a representative for event day operations. She said that after a recent year of cancellations the series moved from a central contract model back to a collaborative, group‑run model with Friends offering insurance and music support.

Friends asked the board to allow provisional or penciled‑in park reservations (so groups can reserve dates early and return them if necessary) and asked for earlier public calendar publication (fireworks dates are a major driver of beer‑garden attendance). The board and director said staff can administratively manage flexible reservation timing and improve communications; no formal policy change or fee adjustment was made during the meeting.

Wendy and the board also discussed alternative models (a collaborative pot split at season's end, hybrid events, and seeking additional partners) and emphasized the need for more volunteers and clearer scheduling to restore the program's sustainability.

No formal vote was taken on reservations or fees; Friends will confer with city staff in coming months and aim to confirm participation and dates by February.