STORY:
Some First Night Cities Having Trouble

Lack of funds causes Edmonton to cut back, Lima Ohio to cancel everything

Organizers in two more cities staging First Night festivals say the lack of funding and spiraling entertainment costs have forced them to scale back and cancel the popular New Year's Eve events. In Edmonton, Albert Canada, organizers say events will be scaled back unless city leaders cough up extra money which organizers believe is doubtful. And in Lima Ohio, funding and managerial conflicts have forced the cancellation of First Night altogether.

Sponsorship of the Edmonton's First Night has shrunk from about one-third of the festival's budget to only one-tenth now, according to the Edmonton Sun. And without more money, organizers say it will be hard to pay performers and sound and light technicians on the night they're most in demand. The festival has run on a total overall budget of about $650,000 (CDN), but this year the budget is expected to jump by at least $200,000 (CND).

City leaders tell The Edmonton Sun that the sponsorship drop, declining attendance and a growing deficit may be reasons not to support the society's request for $50,000(CDN). They also believe people may stay home because of potential problems related to the computer Y2K bug.

In Lima Ohio, similar issues have forced organizers to cancel outright its First Night activities on New Year's Eve. In the past, the city's Arts Council had more than 500 performers ranging from rock bands to comedians and woodcarvers performing in businesses, churches, and other downtown buildings. Some historic buildings that were being renovated or sitting vacant were opened for the public to see and get out of the cold.

The event lost $3,500 last year and members of the Arts Council say they cannot afford to lose even that. According to the Toledo Blade, organizers spent three weeks this summer trying to raise enough money to cover expenses for this year's celebration but gathered only $28,000 in pledges. Last year, the council raised $50,000 in donations from businesses and private individuals for First Night.

First Night is a family-oriented, alcohol-free arts event that was pioneered in Boston twenty years ago and now it's being replicated in over 200 cities nationwide.

Source: Edmonton Sun, Toledo Blade

DATE: 9/01/99

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