There comes a time when a festival has to grow up. That’s where
the Hollister Independence Rally finds itself.
There comes a time when a festival has to grow up. That’s where the Hollister Independence Rally finds itself.
The rally is the city’s signature event and has put Hollister on the map. Over seven years, the event, which draws thousands of bikers to town, has become an overwhelming success, a great time and financial godsend for local businesses.
Many businesses have come to depend on the revenue from bikers looking for beer, bread and beds. When motors rumble, cash registers jingle.
But the agencies that supply extra officers to help police the event no longer are willing to do so on their own dime. They want compensation, and they want the city to pick up the tab for workers’ claims if their officers are hurt at the rally.
The bill – about $280,000 – is coming due at a bad time for Hollister. The City Council in January approved a plan to lay off 36 employees to keep from drowning in a pool of red ink. And the city manager isn’t inclined to bail out the rally.
The city is considering canceling the event. That would be a shame.
But the Independence Rally has reached a point where it can’t, and shouldn’t, depend on the city financially. Bad times are here now, and they will come again. It needs to be able to weather those troubles if it is to become a world-class event
The situation calls for some creative thinking and leadership from the city, elected officials and the rally organizers.
If the Independence Rally is going to survive and flourish for years to come – something we hope for – it must take a long look at its financial model and learn to operate like a business. The city needs to help the rally get there by lending professional advice and know-how.
Look at corporate sponsorship. Look at hiring professionals to organize the festival and find ways to increase revenue. Find out how much money the festival brings to the city and its businesses. And negotiate a reasonable price with those other law enforcement agencies.
It is possible.
Years ago, the Gilroy Garlic Festival was in the same boat. But Gilroy buckled down and changed the way it did business and became a much more professional organization.
It’s now the pride of the community and rightly so. The Garlic Festival donates hundreds of thousands of dollars to nonprofits, creates a unifying identity for the community and brings in hundreds of thousands of dollars for hotels, restaurants, gas stations and city coffers.
Make it work in Hollister. Because when bikers hit the road on Independence Day, looking for a place to spend money and have some fun, Hollister needs to be on the map.
