Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Events topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Windmill Days asks Baldwin to partner on phased pavilion planning, not construction
Summary
Organizers of Baldwin's Windmill Days presented 2026 festival metrics and asked the village to partner on planning a phased pavilion at Creamery Park, stressing the request is for planning support and letters for grant applications rather than immediate funding.
Representatives of Windmill Days (S1) presented a detailed recap of the 2026 festival and proposed a phased plan to develop a pavilion at Creamery Park that could support year-round events.
S1 emphasized the group is not asking the village to fund construction today. "Tonight, again, we're not asking you for approval to build a pavilion," S1 said, describing the request instead as a partnership to pursue grants, create a site plan, and develop a long-term roadmap. The organizers outlined a phased approach: each phase would proceed only when funding for that phase was secured through grants, sponsorships, or fundraising.
The presentation included financial and attendance highlights: Windmill Days reported operating expenses in the packet (presenter cited a figure of $9,401 with 68% covering infrastructure) and said it invested roughly $37,000 into free events and entertainment this year. The team said marketing expenses of about $13,000 helped generate approximately 1,300 additional attendees in 2026 relative to prior years.
Melissa (S12), who presented social-media metrics, said the festival's digital footprint increased across multiple engagement metrics and that marketing reached new audiences beyond Baldwin, helping broaden the festival's regional impact.
Organizers asked the board to consider providing a site acknowledgement or a letter of support so Windmill Days could apply for competitive grants (one grant deadline was noted as in about 30 days). They reiterated that moving forward would not obligate the village to build the pavilion; it would only enable access to planning grants and other funding opportunities.
Board members and staff discussed next steps, including reviewing the village parks master plan and whether the parks master plan contains appropriate site concepts. No formal funding or binding commitment was requested or made at the meeting.
