The differences between the Gilroy Garlic Festival and the
Hollister Independence Rally are staggering
– in community commitment, financial impact and crowd
demographics.
Hollister – The differences between the Gilroy Garlic Festival and the Hollister Independence Rally are staggering – in community commitment, financial impact and crowd demographics.
But the question remains: How can two events, held 20 miles away from one another with similar numbers of revelers partaking in the festivities, diverge so drastically when it comes to bottom lines, public safety issues and overall feelings of security?
The Garlic Festival first held its ode to the stinking rose in 1979 and now draws nearly 130,000 people to Christmas Hill Park in Gilroy over a three-day period every July. Due to resounding community support – including that from the local governments, law enforcement and the business community – the event was a money maker from the start, according to Executive Director Joann Kessler. The festival has an annual income of more than $2 million and is able to donate between $200,000 to $270,000 to charities every year, Kessler said.
But besides the big bucks the festival generates, the event also has more than 4,000 volunteers, 24 committees made up of several members that oversee every aspect of the event, a 26-member strategic planning group made up of former board members and past presidents and a nine-member board of directors. The festival has full support from the city’s police department – the police chief is even one of the event’s past presidents – and from the city’s chamber of commerce and its business community.
“It’s very much a community event. There’s so much pride within the community which gives a really nice flavor to the event,” Kessler said. “It’s neighbors working with neighbors.”
But feelings about the Hollister rally are decidedly more mixed. Several council members recently stated if it came to a vote now, they would vote to ax the event completely.
After nine years, it’s still unclear how much money the rally generates for the city. Although an economic impact report the Hollister Independence Rally Committee commissioned, which Hollister City Council members dismissed as lacking credibility, states the rally brings the city nearly $400,000 over the Fourth of July weekend. HIRC, in conjunction with Hollister’s Rotarians, gave local charities about $12,000 from the event’s beer garden this year.
The rally also differs from the Garlic Festival in that HIRC has four board members after losing three who recently resigned, roughly 400 volunteers, and 22 committees which largely are comprised of a single person.
Additionally, both the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce and Hollister Downtown Association have declined to take an official stance on the rally, but Chamber Executive Director Liz Sparling said some of the chamber’s 500 members support the rally, while some are against it. Sparling said a survey has not been conducted to gauge exact statistics.
And importantly, local law enforcement has serious reservations about the event, highlighted in a recent report Hollister Police Chief Jeff Miller presented to council members where he stated he cannot guarantee adequate public safety staffing at future events.
Miller declined to say whether he believes the rally should be canceled or not, and he didn’t have any suggestions on how to make it successful from a police standpoint.
“I don’t know,” he said. “Police are outnumbered if something happens.”
While Kessler said the Garlic Festival has been financially successful from the get-go, there were times when the festival suffered growing pains which caused organizers to rethink, restructure and regroup, Kessler said.
Primarily, the crowds became too large to handle, so event organizers focused on advertising to a specific group of people they wanted at the event – families.
“We made a concerted effort to target families. It changed who was hearing our message little by little,” she said. “Now our event is very family-oriented.”
The change in demographics cut down on the number of people who consumed alcohol at the event, and the amount they consumed. It brought a peaceful ambiance to the festival – one law enforcement officials feel very comfortable with, Kessler said.
However, rally organizers have recently been struggling with law enforcement’s view of an event Miller believes is becoming too adult-themed and that has a greater possibility for violence than ever before. In his report, Miller stated that a confrontation during the 2005 rally between rival motorcycle groups the Mongols and the Hells Angels could turn into a large-scale violent event such as one that occurred in Laughlin, Nev. several years ago where a number of people were killed or injured.
HIRC Acting President John Loyd said he thought rally organizers had a good relationship with local police until Miller presented his report to council members several weeks ago. He also said HIRC continually tries to improve its relationship with the city.
The chief’s report, combined with the shaky economic impact study, has cast a shadow of doubt over the rally’s future. Compounding city council members’ failing confidence in HIRC’s ability to pull off successful events is a community that hasn’t decided whether it wants to embrace the rally or shun it. Some local businesses shut their doors during the Fourth of July weekend, while others stay open or rent their storefronts out to vendors and rake in large profits.
Some residents bring their families to the event and spend time perusing the thousands of bikes that line San Benito Street, while others leave town altogether to get away from the crowds, traffic and motorcycle fumes.
And while it seems clear the Garlic Festival and the Independence Rally’s similarities end with how many people descend on the small communities, it is still unclear of what needs to happen to bring the rally up to snuff and continue the biker tradition.
However, there are organizations that lend a hand to events like the rally to help produce events that are both financially secure and safe for residents and participants alike. One such organization, which the Garlic Festival has been a member of for years, is the International Festival and Events Association. President and CEO Steve Schmader said members of the organization network with each other, offering ideas about what works and what doesn’t, and help organizers create strict organizational structures to run events smoothly.
“The best advice is that hopefully all those involved, city officials and planners and organizers would see the value of the event and getting involved,” Schmader said. “It’s very smart for events, before anything ever happens, to sit down and have conversations with city officials and law enforcement people, because it really needs to be a team. You need to ask yourself, ‘What are we trying to accomplish?'”
City Councilman Brad Pike broached that exact subject at a recent city council meeting, saying to truly make the rally a success, all involved parties may have to rethink its goals and objectives.
Pike was very interested in getting in contact with an organization such as the International Events Association, and believes to make the rally a success some type of outside agency needs to shed some light on proper organizational techniques.
“First of all, obviously the city has to play a major role. But my feelings are, after nine years HIRC needs to have some direction, some assistance with their plan,” Pike said. “Bringing the right players to the table and having these open forums and putting ideas on the wall and looking at them – that’s what this thing needs.”
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or em*******@fr***********.com.
