Now that the Walton Arts Center parking lots are no longer available for unlimited festival use, some event organizers will need to look at other locations.
The Fayetteville Festival Task Force Committee intends to help them with that process by identifying what other locations the city has and what amenities those places have — or don’t have.
“Another venue is streets, not just parking lots,” offered Don Marr, Fayetteville Chief of Staff. “Depending on what street you choose, it could have less impact than a 300-space lot option.”
Since the adoption of paid gated parking in the three lots surrounding the Walton Arts Center and metered parking in the lot behind Common Grounds restaurant, each of those four lots can only be closed 16 days a year, according to the city ordinance putting the program in place. The mayor has the authority to determine when those days are.
Large events like Bikes, Blues & BBQ will take up some of those days. Dickson Street Oktoberfest will get 2 1/2 days in the large Walton Arts Center lot. And there’s still other events like the large free concert associated with the annual LPGA tournament to keep in mind. Because of these concerns, Mayor Lioneld Jordan has asked the committee to give him some direction about how to best use those 16 open days.
AT A GLANCE
Fayetteville Festival Task Force Committee
Formed in July and charged with looking for ways to increase the diversity of events in Fayetteville, produce additional entertainment options for residents, provide economic opportunities for local artists, entrepreneurs and businesses and increase the city’s tax revenue.
Source: Staff Report
“We’re very conscious about these 16 days,” Marr said.
The committee will next put together a list of locations around the city which could be used for special events. The list will include obvious places like parks, the Arkansas Music Pavilion and university facilities; but also smaller sites like the Walton Arts Center plaza or the plaza in front of the Fayetteville Town Center.
“There’s numerous places,” said Nelson Driver, who chairs the committee and is a lead organizer for Bikes Blues and BBQ. “But we get stuck with this thought process, that it has to be on Dickson Street.”
The list of sites will also outline infrastructure capacities such as access to electricity. Over the years Bikes Blues and BBQ has made about $200,000 in electrical upgrades to the large Walton Arts Center lot so that it can support a first-rate, high-wattage music stage, Driver said.