HomeMy WebLinkAbout3.2 - 2464 St. Patrick's Day Celebration Festivities R
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STAFF REPORT
CITY COUNCIL
DATE: March 5, 2019
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM:
Christopher L. Foss, City Manager
SUBJECT:
2019 St. Patrick's Day Celebration Festivities Report
Prepared by: Tegan McLane, Cultural Arts and Heritage Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The City Council will receive a preview of 2019 St. Patrick's Day Celebration festivities.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Receive the report.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The 2018 St. Patrick's Day Celebration is budgeted to bring in $137,935 in revenue.
Expenditures associated with putting on the festival and supporting the parade are
budgeted at $112,145. The Shamrock 5K Fun Run and Walk is budgeted separately
and is expected to bring in $53,500 in revenue, with $31,911 in expenditures. The cost
of Police Services is not included in these numbers and is typically about $25,000
annually for both. The total budget impact (revenues less expenditures) for the events is
estimated to be $22,379.
DESCRIPTION:
The City of Dublin’s 2019 St. Patrick's Day Celebration celebrates its 36th year on March
16 and 17, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Dublin Civic Center. The free two -day festival
attracts crowds from all over the Bay Area and is expected to draw as many as 80,000
people.
The event will have a strong focus on Irish music, dance, food, and drink and will
feature three outdoor stages, including one devoted to Irish dancers performing Irish
Step Dance, the other stages will offer a mix of Irish music including Celtic rock, Irish
pub and traditional Irish folk music as well as a roaming bagpiper. Mainstage headliner
bands include the popular Celtic rock band, Tempest, The LeperKhanz playing upbeat
funky Irish rock, The Gallowglasses with traditional Irish pub and folk music, and Cali
Celtic, performing modern Celtic folk music.
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The event will have an authentic Irish tea room in the City Hall Lobby and Regional
Meeting Room, serving tea cookies, scones and shortbread along with fresh brewed
Irish tea in china cups. Celtic Food Court vend ors will sell traditional Irish fish and chips,
bangers and mash, and boxty (Irish potato pancakes) along with the Irish -American
favorite, corned beef and cabbage. Guests can also find Irish -inspired food items such
as Guinness marinated tri-tip, corned beef sliders and banger corn dogs. The Dublin
Rotary Club will again manage beverage operations, with two bars serving Guinness,
Harp and Smithwicks beers on tap as well as wine.
Vendors in the Irish Marketplace will sell Irish tartan kilts, scarves, wr aps and capes;
Celtic jewelry, artwork, metalwork, and pottery; and Irish shortbread, scones and cakes.
More than 100 other arts and crafts vendors will also be on hand. Carnival rides will be
set up in portion of the Dublin Sports Grounds parking.
In conjunction with the festival, the Dublin Sister City Association will kick off the festive
weekend with its Green and White Gala dinner dance at the Dublin Shannon Center.
Tickets are $75 per person and may be purchased online through the festival website.
Saturday morning, Fire Station #16 hosts the annual Firefighters Pancake Breakfast,
serving green pancakes hot off the griddle, along with sausage, eggs, juice and coffee.
Breakfast is $5 per person for this fundraiser and tickets can be purchased at the d oor.
The Dublin Lions Club will host the 36th annual St. Patrick's Day Parade, starting at
Saturday 9:30 AM. The parade begins at Dublin Boulevard and Amador Plaza Road,
traveling east on Dublin Boulevard, north on Village Parkway, and west on Amador
Valley Boulevard to end near the Dublin Senior Center. The parade is expected to
feature more than 80 entries, including local marching bands, floats, equestrian groups,
bagpipers and community groups.
Sunday morning, the City will sponsor the Shamrock 5K Fun Run and Walk, with the
race ending at the festival Main Stage. Runners will enjoy live music, pizza, fruit and
other giveaways in the post-race area, and many festival vendors will open early to
welcome runners in from the finish line.
Assuming the weather is clear, participation in both the festival and run is expected to
be strong and comparable to last year. Sponsorship and vendor recruitment are
underway for this year’s events is expected to meet or exceed 2018 numbers which
reached $80,250 for Race and Festival Sponsorship and $12,400 of in-kind donations.
To mitigate traffic and parking issues throughout the weekend, Staff has arranged
offsite parking for volunteers at Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc., 5160 Hacienda Drive, with a
free shuttle bus operating 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. both days. The public is also welcomed
to use the free shuttle. Staff is also reaching out to local corporations, particularly those
west of Civic Center, to request use of their parking lots. The City provides participating
business owners with insurance and arranges to have their lots swept clean after the
event.
Additionally, the City is once again partnering with BART and LAVTA to offer free bus
rides from both BART stations, via the Wheels Rapid 30R bus, and discount rides wit hin
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Dublin via Lyft, Uber and DeSoto Cab. Cycling to the festival is also encouraged, and
the City will provide free secure bike parking at two bike valet stations.
NOTICING REQUIREMENTS/PUBLIC OUTREACH:
Neighboring businesses have been contacted with reminders about the event and
possible impact to traffic and parking.
ATTACHMENTS:
None.