Times Newsroom Blog

After an almost-90 minute discussion that ebbed and flowed between all sorts of possibilities and included at least one vote in which some people weren't exactly sure what they were voting for or against, the Ox Cart Days Planning Committee this afternoon voted 7 to 4 in favor of moving Crookston's annual summer festival from its primary home base in Central Park to Crookston Sports Center. The move will take effect immediately, with the 2011 festival scheduled for Aug. 18-20.

Options that were debated included leaving things entirely as is for this year at least, to give new Chamber President/CEO Shannon Stassen a year to get more feedback while not having to rush a change as big as moving the community's biggest event of the year. Another option floated before the committee involved "easing into" a move by locating some festival events at the CSC, but leaving others in the park. That option included leaving the Thursday evening lineup of events, including the kids' pedal tractor pull, Riverview bed races, the service clubs' brat and corn feed, athletes' challenge and battle of the bands, in their current location, on Ash Street and in the park.

Stassen said he was more than willing to support any of those options, and stressed repeatedly that he might have jumped the gun and gotten a little too excited about the potential move to the CSC when he spoke to the Times Tuesday morning and an article was subsequently written in Tuesday's paper about the Ox Cart Days move to the CSC being almost a "done deal."

But comments by city council member Wayne Melbye about the city's desire to use the CSC for as many things as possible that don't have to do with hockey or skating, and Parks & Recreation Director Scott Riopelle's desire to streamline the festival events at one primary location as much as possible to boost efficient use of staff and resources, seemed to turn the tide among some committee members. Committee member Andrew Svec, noting declining festival attendance in recent years, said the time to give Ox Cart Days a "shot in the arm" is now, and that "shaking things up" and giving the festival a "fresh start" might boost interest and attendance.

With the decision made, now the task of making it happen needs to commence. Chamber Events Coordinator Juanita Lopez, the point-person for the festival for the past handful of years who said she personally preferred leaving the festival in Central Park, said the most important thing was making a decision one way or another today, because there's a ton of work to be done.

The change in venue isn't all that's on the table. Not a fan of the festival wristband that people need to purchase for the weekend of events, Stassen wants to increase business sponsorships so that as many official Ox Cart Days events events as possible are free of charge. His goal is to have events located outside, in the east parking lot of the CSC, free. Bigger "premiere" events located inside would cost money, unless sponsors step forward. For families with kids who like to attend all kinds of events, he said he's open to keeping the wristband option if it's cheaper in some situations than a "pay as you go" setup.

Tom Anderson, who coordinates the Battle of the Bands, and Stacey Bruggeman, who helps coordinate the RiverView Bed Races, each said they could make the CSC work for their events. Bruggeman added that, if for some reason the CSC move proves to be unpopular, the festival could potentially return to Central Park later.

Events that coincide with Ox Cart Days but aren't official festival events, such as the Miss Crookston Scholarship Pageant, the Rib Fest and Crookston Classic Cruisers Run to the Park, will stay put in their current locations, the high school, the American Legion and Central Park, respectively.

Check back for more on Thursday.