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Applicants pitch Dia de los Muertos festival for Carpenter Park; board to consider July 21
Summary
Organizers presented a safety plan and application for a Dia de los Muertos cultural festival at Carpenter Park, proposing a $20 entry fee, compliance with county health rules for vendors, a staffing plan to cover overtime costs, and 60 portable restrooms; trustees asked clarifying questions and raised a pyrotechnics safety concern.
Organizers seeking to hold a Dia de los Muertos cultural festival at Carpenter Park presented an event packet and safety plan to the Village of Carpentersville Board of Trustees on July 7 and asked to be placed on the July 21 agenda for formal consideration.
"This is a family oriented cultural festival celebrating the traditions of Dia de los Muertos," said Veronica Silali, who spoke for the applicants and described plans for music, food and cultural displays intended to support local businesses and become an annual signature event for Carpentersville. She said the group has provided a detailed site plan and will coordinate with police, fire, EMS and parks staff.
Organizers told the board they would require vendors to comply with Kane County health regulations, provide fire extinguishers for cooking vendors, secure cables and production equipment to reduce trip hazards, and staff the event with two-way radios for key personnel. The application packet specifies an admission fee; trustees and viewers noted a $20 ticket price during the discussion. Organizers said they would provide more than 60 portable restrooms and would pay overtime costs for police, fire and public-works personnel requested to support the event.
Trustees and staff pressed for clarifications: one trustee said the application form lacked the applicant's full name and address and asked organizers to complete the packet; another asked where in Carpenter Park the event would be located and how alcohol controls and ID checks would be handled. The board also flagged a line in the application indicating "pyrotechnics on stage." A trustee cautioned, "We cannot have pyrotechnics, sir. That stage is wood," and staff said the village would consult the fire marshal on what, if any, special effects could be allowed.
Village staff told the applicants they had updated the packet after an earlier staff meeting, asked that the event end by 10 p.m. rather than 11 p.m., and said the board would review the formal application at its July 21 meeting. Staff also said they would circulate the complete safety-plan document to trustees that had not been included in the initial copies.
Next steps: organizers will submit the revised application for formal consideration on July 21. The board and staff will continue plan reviews, and the fire marshal will review any requests for special effects before any permit is approved.
