Organizers seek committee blessing to host Smokin' Hot Wing & Music Festival at Freedom Park; request extended park hours for Oct. 3

Organizers of the Smokin' Hot Wing & Music Festival asked the Parks & Recreation committee to bless a proposal to hold the event at Freedom Park and to support a request to extend park hours on Oct. 3 to about 9 p.m.

Doucette Banton, the event organizer, told the committee that the proposal had already gone through the events and commemoration committee and that both the police chief and the deputy chief reviewed logistics and gave "thumbs up" during that review. Banton presented a scaled site map produced with city assistance showing an arrangement of 10-by-10 contestant tents spaced about 10 feet apart; she said organizers based their layout on past events that typically had 20–25 contestants.

Banton asked the committee to allow use of Freedom Park and to support the subsequent council request for the one-and-a-half-hour extension beyond park hours. "So I'd like to ask that, you allow us to use Freedom Park," Banton told the committee. The organizer said the event would include bands throughout the day, a judges' tasting during the contest, a kids area with complimentary activities, and food trucks to supplement vendor wings.

On alcohol, Banton described the Ohio liquor license process: organizers will apply through the state portal, police and fire will electronically receive the application to review and sign, the city will sign off, and the state will stamp the license for the specific date if approved. Brian Kelly, identified by Banton as the event founder, will handle the licensing and vendor logistics.

Banton said ticketing will be used to control entry (military would be admitted free) and estimated adult tickets at about $20 and child tickets at "5 or 10" dollars; the organizer did not provide a firm child ticket price. Proceeds are intended to be split between a 9/11 fallen hero memorial fund and Big Olnut Friends Who Share.

Organizers also described plans for shuttle service (two routes with four shuttles total), coordination with local hotels for block rates, vendor trash service, lighting, staging at a local Eagles post for pre-event storage of frozen wings if needed, and first-year goals of breaking even and expanding in future years. The committee did not record a formal vote on the request during this meeting; the chair said she expected the item to move to council for final approval.

The committee requested no additional action at this meeting and the organizer said she would present to council at the scheduled council meeting.