July 22, 2021 |
The owners of outdoor concert venue in Saratoga, The Yard, received approval for their last-minute concert scheduled for this weekend. Town Council also gave Chris Shannon and Cindy Bloomquist, a number of conditions for the show, as well as admonishments and perhaps enough rope to hang themselves with if something goes wrong. The lack of planning and lackadaisical attitude toward potential problems associated with the show produced a number of concerns for council members.
The promoters submitted their application for the all-day concert late under the terms set forth by ordinance. Shannon also admitted that the stated number of attendees on the application – 200 – was lower than the 300 being advertised in their online promotions for the What Thing. Shannon described the show as a smaller version of the notorious, multi-day What Fest, a show that has moved around the state over the last decade.
When he originally came before council in early July to talk about the show, Shannon withheld any of the details about the nature of the show. Councilman Jon Nelson said he found the lack of transparency frustrating.
Shannon appeared both amused and irritated by some of questions put to during the 45-minute public hearing. He shrugged off the notion that Saturday’s concert would resemble the historically rowdy What Fest.
Camping is a big issue. The Yard drew fire for allowing camping after a night show in June in violation of a town ordinance. Camping has been a traditional feature of the What Fest since its inception in Cody nearly a decade ago. Shannon assured the council he would not allow camping and that he would turn away guests if the show reached the state fire marshal’s occupant capacity of 330.
Some members of council expressed skepticism about The Yard’s ability to exercise crowd control. D’Ron Campbell probed for some insight into how Shannon would police his event.
In addition to crowd size control and camping, questions about parking, the number of porta-potties and underage drinking were also raised. The concerns were compounded by the relatively short notice given to planning for the show. Shannon said the last-minute scheduling resulted from the What Fest organizers cancelling the original Arlington venue because of “logistical” problems. He and his partner seemed unconcerned about the worries expressed by council. They suggested that any problems would sort themselves as they arose.
Council members expressed support for The Yard’s concerts, but also a desire that Shannon and Bloomquist worked more cooperatively with the town on their events. The adversarial relationship that The Yard has had with previous administrations seems to haunt their interactions with the town. Councilman Nelson said it came down to having a plan and taking seriously the potential negative impacts an event can produce for people living nearby who want to enjoy a peaceful Saturday night without loud crowds and festival goers.
Mayor Creed James cut the discussion off after 45 minutes. Council ultimately approved a motion to approve the permit with the following conditions:
• No Camping
• No outside alcohol
• Wrist bands for over attendees 21-and older
• Parking plan and area information available in a handout at the gate
• Photo IDs for alcohol purchases
Pictured above: Jalan Crossland plays at the Yard in summer 2018 during a special music event. Photo by Emma Diercks/Bigfoot 99.
Related: Special events applications back up for discussion
