Comfest 2010 Cancellation Rumors « Columbus Underground Messageboard

Columbus Underground Messageboard » General Columbus Discussion

Comfest 2010 Cancellation Rumors

[345 posts] [89 contributors]

Topic Rating:

(Total Ratings: )
Rate this topic:

Started 2 years ago by Walker
Latest reply from thefiercelime
poll: Should Comfest be Canceled in 2010?
Yes : (23 votes)

19 %

No : (100 votes)

81 %

123 votes

Tags:

« Previous 123…18 Next »

Twixlen
Westgate, Columbus
Login to Send PM

I don't know for sure, but from what I understand, it costs an amazing amount of money for the police to, well, police these events. Since they've had budget issues, and curtailments of overtime (which is heavily used for such events), I'm sure the Chief is looking for ways to lessen the impact an event like ComFest has on their yearly budget.

I know last year's RW & B had drastically less police in force downtown than in previous years, due to massive cost - I'm curious about how that event will be handled as well.

Posted 2 years ago #
somertimeoh
Harrison West
Login to Send PM

armyoflarry wrote >>

somertimeoh wrote >>

armyoflarry wrote >>

byJody wrote >>

armyoflarry wrote >>
They better hope it is really canceled. With all the talk about it being too big and trying to scale things down, all this cancellation rumor stuff will shine even more light on the festival. I have a feeling this rumor mill is going to churn BIG TIME.

Maybe it is time to charge a gate fee? That's the best way to scale it back...sorry to say.

If they do that, the festival is over anyway. Might as well cancel it.

Why do you say that? Why would a small fee keep you from having a great time? If you can't afford $5 or so - volunteer.

Did I say a fee would keep me from having a good time? I'm just saying it goes against the whole principle of Comfest. It won't be Comfest anymore imho. And if another person asks me to volunteer(and wrongly assumes I don't already) I will start taking babies hostage in protest. Don't assume...
Anyway, like I said on the donewaiting board: I will believe none of this talk until Mark Fisher tells us via interpretive hippie dance.

Sorry, it was a universal "you", as in people who might complain that it's taking away the ability for ANYONE to go which would not be the case as long as they were willing to volunteer, not a personal "you".

And I think it's just that time of year for Comfest rumors to start. Remember last year when we were all going to be strip searched and drug tested? :)

Posted 2 years ago #
michaelcoyote
!seabus
Login to Send PM

osulew wrote >>

armyoflarry wrote >>
Anyway, like I said on the donewaiting board: I will believe none of this talk until Mark Fisher tells us via interpretive hippie dance.

I'm sure the hippie mafia is going to show up and drown me in granola while I sleep, but that guy gives me the biggest case of the creeps ever.
There. I said it.

Comfest Pimpin' ain't easy:

Posted 2 years ago #
osulew
My house...in the middle of my street
Login to Send PM

We are so not friends anymore.

Posted 2 years ago #
roy
Downtown
Login to Send PM

Seems to a lot of former supporters that the Community Festival has outlived its useful life. Organizers don't take reponsibility for festival-related High Street litter, adding insult to the injury of merchants losing all their off-street customer parking during a busy summer weekend.

A filthy, warm-beer-fueled free-for-all is likely not what the original framers had in mind. Give it up already, 'festies. Donate ComFest's cash on hand--and I hear there's plenty of it--to a few charities and call it a day.

Posted 2 years ago #
alison

Login to Send PM

I think the gate fee is not only unworkable, but it sets up an 'us-vs-them' mentality that would make some people feel more justified in acting like asses -- rushing the gate, jumping the fence, bringing whatever they wanted to into the festival and dumping it, so they woudn't get busted on the way out.

This will be the first year since 1992 I'm taking the bus to ComFest, rather than walking over the three blocks two or three times every day -- I'll be interested to see how that changes my perspective. A friend of mine did that last summer for the first time and she found she was much less into ComFest.

Posted 2 years ago #
scornflakes

Login to Send PM

Yes, by all means, let's have more police, more security, and a gate fee. We can finally put and end to this preposterous masquerade that Comfest is still the unique, inclusive, civic celebration of local musicians, artists and artisans that it once was and was intended to be. I'd like to express my heartfelt thanks to all of those who have managed to turn a pretty amazing community holiday into a commerce-driven, self-congratulatory event for the new successful denizens of the Short North to see and be seen outside of our usual bars, restaurants, condos, and RJD2 release parties. Then again, I suppose it's all in how one defines "a community" and how that community defines and treats its "riff-raff" . . . when we deign to acknowledge them at all, I mean. Anyway, the transformation from Short North to fabulous ShoNo is nearly complete . . . finally. I have an idea: let's celebrate! If only there were a large civic park somewhere nearby that the city could let us use for a couple of days, and we could invite everyone regardless of their race, color, creed, sexual orientation, religion, income, politics, where-they-buy-their-jeans, whether-they-wear-jeans, whether-they-wear-clothes-at-all, etc., and have a bunch of bands and food and we can shrug off all the overly-complicated nonsense of life for a weekend, together . . . if only something like that were possible.

Posted 2 years ago #
thecandlelab
Columbus, OH
Login to Send PM

While I know this is nowhere near as cool as Comfest, I was part of the group that finally decided to start charging at the gate for the Gahanna Jazz and Blues Fest. This had been a free event for years, and attracted crowds of over 20,000 to downtown Gahanna and the surrounding parks.

We heard all these same complaints - people will complain, people will jump the fence, its too hard to fence it off and police it, its against the spirit of the event, its not the way we have always done it, etc. etc.

It came off last year without a hitch, and hardly anyone said a word about it on their way in. They paid their money and went right in, with hardly a problem. This can be done, and it should be. Not wanting to pay $5 for a free day of art, live music and fun is puzzling at best. If its a community festival, why wouldn't you want to support it as a member of the community?

Complaining about a $5 gate fee to get into an event of that size and scope means that you have never tried to organize an event, even on a small scale. Isn't that $5 a small price to pay for a safe and well-run event?

Posted 2 years ago #
berdawn
near that stretch of N. High Street in the Short North
Login to Send PM

somertimeoh wrote >>

armyoflarry wrote >>

somertimeoh wrote >>

armyoflarry wrote >>

byJody wrote >>

armyoflarry wrote >>
They better hope it is really canceled. With all the talk about it being too big and trying to scale things down, all this cancellation rumor stuff will shine even more light on the festival. I have a feeling this rumor mill is going to churn BIG TIME.

Maybe it is time to charge a gate fee? That's the best way to scale it back...sorry to say.

If they do that, the festival is over anyway. Might as well cancel it.

Why do you say that? Why would a small fee keep you from having a great time? If you can't afford $5 or so - volunteer.

Did I say a fee would keep me from having a good time? I'm just saying it goes against the whole principle of Comfest. It won't be Comfest anymore imho. And if another person asks me to volunteer(and wrongly assumes I don't already) I will start taking babies hostage in protest. Don't assume...
Anyway, like I said on the donewaiting board: I will believe none of this talk until Mark Fisher tells us via interpretive hippie dance.

Sorry, it was a universal "you", as in people who might complain that it's taking away the ability for ANYONE to go which would not be the case as long as they were willing to volunteer, not a personal "you".
And I think it's just that time of year for Comfest rumors to start. Remember last year when we were all going to be strip searched and drug tested? :)

the "universal you" is "one"--Why would a small fee keep one from having a great time.
thank you,
back to squabbling

Posted 2 years ago #
dru
IV
Login to Send PM

"Comfest 2010: This Year with Rumors"

like clockwork, the weather gets nice, attention turns towards summer and the loathing/defense of Comfest begins. this thread should eventually hit 40+ pages and have at least 14 "my band is awesome and didn't get a slot" complaints by the weekend. ahh, don't wait for blooming crocuses, it is springtime in Columbus.

Posted 2 years ago #
geedeck
Witalian Willage
Login to Send PM

roy wrote >>
Seems to a lot of former supporters that the Community Festival has outlived its useful life. Organizers don't take reponsibility for festival-related High Street litter, adding insult to the injury of merchants losing all their off-street customer parking during a busy summer weekend.
A filthy, warm-beer-fueled free-for-all is likely not what the original framers had in mind. Give it up already, 'festies. Donate ComFest's cash on hand--and I hear there's plenty of it--to a few charities and call it a day.

It's sad when you see someone so caught up in the judgementalness of others that they can't even conceive of anyone having dissimilar, let alone happy experiences.

Your main criticisms are that someone in Comfest needs to organize a cleanup crew for High Street, and that it causes some parking issues. Well, welcome to life in a non-small city. Parking issues happen on a semi-frequent basis. Maybe it should make us look at the bigger picture? Maybe this year's motto should be "It's the transit, stupid", I mean that would be a great thing for the community to agitate for.

Otherwise, I've served plenty of cold beer, drank plenty of cold beer, had a lot of good times with my friends, watching my friends perform and sell their art/food/whatever and made new ones. Seems to me that as long as you're still open to the experience, then you can still get what "the original framers had in mind".

Posted 2 years ago #
Coreroc
Egoville USA
Login to Send PM

armyoflarry wrote >>
They better hope it is really canceled. With all the talk about it being too big and trying to scale things down, all this cancellation rumor stuff will shine even more light on the festival. I have a feeling this rumor mill is going to churn BIG TIME.

Enter electronic duct tape!

Posted 2 years ago #
mrsgeedeck
Castle of Lions
Login to Send PM

roy wrote >>
Seems to a lot of former supporters that the Community Festival has outlived its useful life. Organizers don't take reponsibility for festival-related High Street litter, adding insult to the injury of merchants losing all their off-street customer parking during a busy summer weekend.
A filthy, warm-beer-fueled free-for-all is likely not what the original framers had in mind. Give it up already, 'festies. Donate ComFest's cash on hand--and I hear there's plenty of it--to a few charities and call it a day.

Can I ask how merchants are losing off-street parking? Is Comfest taking up private lots? I personally can say that during Comfest I'm prone to wander into one of the many bars or restaurants on High Street on my way home from Comfest for a bite that isn't served from a cart. While I know it can be somewhat inconvenient for residents (we live all the way on 5th and know not to move our cars Comfest weekend) I expect that businesses are still managing a significant amount of business.

Posted 2 years ago #
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
Login to Send PM

dru wrote >>
"Comfest 2010: This Year with Rumors"
like clockwork, the weather gets nice, attention turns towards summer and the loathing/defense of Comfest begins. this thread should eventually hit 40+ pages and have at least 14 "my band is awesome and didn't get a slot" complaints by the weekend. ahh, don't wait for blooming crocuses, it is springtime in Columbus.

Don't forget the BYOB tangents.

Posted 2 years ago #
lizless
Columbus/Hocking Hills
Login to Send PM

mrsgeedeck wrote >>

roy wrote >>
Seems to a lot of former supporters that the Community Festival has outlived its useful life. Organizers don't take reponsibility for festival-related High Street litter, adding insult to the injury of merchants losing all their off-street customer parking during a busy summer weekend.
A filthy, warm-beer-fueled free-for-all is likely not what the original framers had in mind. Give it up already, 'festies. Donate ComFest's cash on hand--and I hear there's plenty of it--to a few charities and call it a day.

Can I ask how merchants are losing off-street parking? Is Comfest taking up private lots? I personally can say that during Comfest I'm prone to wander into one of the many bars or restaurants on High Street on my way home from Comfest for a bite that isn't served from a cart. While I know it can be somewhat inconvenient for residents (we live all the way on 5th and know not to move our cars Comfest weekend) I expect that businesses are still managing a significant amount of business.

I think the bars do well over Comfest weekend. The retail shops and some of the fine dining really suffer that week, it's been an on-going struggle that has worsened the past few years.

Posted 2 years ago #
armyoflarry
Columbus, Ohio
Login to Send PM

thecandlelab wrote >>
While I know this is nowhere near as cool as Comfest, I was part of the group that finally decided to start charging at the gate for the Gahanna Jazz and Blues Fest. This had been a free event for years, and attracted crowds of over 20,000 to downtown Gahanna and the surrounding parks.
We heard all these same complaints - people will complain, people will jump the fence, its too hard to fence it off and police it, its against the spirit of the event, its not the way we have always done it, etc. etc.
It came off last year without a hitch, and hardly anyone said a word about it on their way in. They paid their money and went right in, with hardly a problem. This can be done, and it should be. Not wanting to pay $5 for a free day of art, live music and fun is puzzling at best. If its a community festival, why wouldn't you want to support it as a member of the community?
Complaining about a $5 gate fee to get into an event of that size and scope means that you have never tried to organize an event, even on a small scale. Isn't that $5 a small price to pay for a safe and well-run event?

This is assuming that these two festivals have anything in common other than they both have music and people attending the fest. The reason people go, the logistics, the where and why of the these two festivals are on two different planets. Horrible basis for your argument.

Posted 2 years ago #
armyoflarry
Columbus, Ohio
Login to Send PM

another thing, if you charge money to get in, then don't be shocked when some of these bands start asking for cut of the proceeds. The amount of money generated by even 20 percent of the current amount of people going to Comfest would make some of the people playing, and some of the staff say "wait a minute". Like I said before, this takes the whole idea of Comfest and shatters it to the core. It will cease to be a community festival, and become just another music and arts festival that can happen anywhere.

Posted 2 years ago #
Corzac

Login to Send PM

I've only been to Comfest for a few years, but to me it is an amazing feat. Yes it may in an inconvenience to some over the weekend, but in this economy it must produce millions of dollars for the city and that's saying a lot. I don't believe there is a city in the country that can boast of a three day free festival of this magnitude. As for not taking care of the litter I believe they leave the park and surrounding areas as clean or cleaner than when they start. I know cause I helped work cleanup into the late hours. I haven't quite reached 30 but anyone over 30 who can take credit for keeping this event going has got my support as a participant and a volunteer. I don't care how many times they ask me to volunteer, each time I will proudly say, I'm already there. If it's true I will be sorry to see it go. Good luck Comfest

Posted 2 years ago #
scornflakes

Login to Send PM

lizless wrote >>

mrsgeedeck wrote >>

roy wrote >>
Seems to a lot of former supporters that the Community Festival has outlived its useful life. Organizers don't take reponsibility for festival-related High Street litter, adding insult to the injury of merchants losing all their off-street customer parking during a busy summer weekend.
A filthy, warm-beer-fueled free-for-all is likely not what the original framers had in mind. Give it up already, 'festies. Donate ComFest's cash on hand--and I hear there's plenty of it--to a few charities and call it a day.

Can I ask how merchants are losing off-street parking? Is Comfest taking up private lots? I personally can say that during Comfest I'm prone to wander into one of the many bars or restaurants on High Street on my way home from Comfest for a bite that isn't served from a cart. While I know it can be somewhat inconvenient for residents (we live all the way on 5th and know not to move our cars Comfest weekend) I expect that businesses are still managing a significant amount of business.

I think the bars do well over Comfest weekend. The retail shops and some of the fine dining really suffer that week, it's been an on-going struggle that has worsened the past few years.

Now that's an interesting, and perhaps revealing, statement on the--for lack of a better word--element with which the local businesses must deal for four days out of the year. Could you explicate that idea?

Posted 2 years ago #
lizless
Columbus/Hocking Hills
Login to Send PM

I go to the Short North Business Association meetings and have for about nine years. Comfest is always brought up as a major issue for merchants. Comfest organizers also come to the meetings to help mitigate problems. Unfortunately, the merchants continue to report the problems are getting worse each year. Sales tend to be lower, parking is an issue as well as litter clean-up on High Street. While the bars and nightlife fare well, the retail and fine dining report a tough weekend.

Posted 2 years ago #