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Organizers pitch large Smoking Hot Wing & Music Festival for Freedom Park; public-safety questions remain
Summary
Organizers propose moving the Smoking Hot Wing contest to Sunbury's Freedom Park on Oct. 3 as a ticketed event benefiting local charities; staff said major issues remain — water/sanitation, single access point, generator power, alcohol permits and staged public-safety review before the event advances to parks and council.
Organizers told the Sunbury City events committee on March 17 they are exploring moving the fourth annual Smoking Hot Wing & Music Festival from Grove City to Freedom Park in Sunbury, proposing a ticketed fall event with music, a wing competition, VIP and kids areas and charity beneficiaries.
"It could be something really cool to bring to the community that they could enjoy," said Jillian Banton, who presented a draft site map and said organizers expect to work with Delaware County Transit for shuttle service and to require state permitting for any alcohol sales. Banton said veterans would enter free and that the event would be ticketed to help organizers anticipate attendance.
Organizers estimated attendance could reach "about 8,000 people throughout the day," though staff cautioned that number may be high for a new venue and said it will need to be scrubbed further. Staff told the committee Freedom Park lacks permanent water and restroom infrastructure — organizers would rely on portables and on-site generators for power — and police and fire have already flagged concerns about single access points and emergency access. Banton and staff said they would convene follow-up meetings with police, fire and EMS to address outstanding safety, sanitation and traffic plans.
The event would require several approvals: events committee acknowledgement, parks committee approval, and a council sign-on for required state permits and liquor-control applications. Staff emphasized the committee will not advance the event past this committee until public-safety sign-offs are in place.
What happens next: Organizers will work with staff and public-safety officials to refine maps, confirm port-a-potty and water needs, verify generator and fire-extinguisher plans for cooking areas, and return to events and parks committees before council consideration.
