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4a. 2007 4th of July Evaluation CITY OF CBANBASSEN 7700 Market Boulevard PO Box 147 Chanhassen, MN 55317 Administration Phone: 952.227.1100 Fax: 952.227.1110 Building Inspections Phone: 952.227.1180 Fax: 952.227.1190 Engineering Phone: 952.227.1160 Fax: 952.227.1170 Finance Phone: 952.227.1140 Fax: 952.227.1110 Park & Recreation Phone: 952.227.1120 Fax: 952.227.1110 Recreation Center 2310 Coulter Boulevard Phone: 952.227.1400 Fax: 952.227.1404 Planning & Natural Resources Phone: 952.227.1130 Fax: 952.227.1110 Public Works 1591 Park Road Phone: 952.227.1300 Fax: 952.227.1310 Senior Center Phone: 952.227.1125 Fax: 952.227.1110 Web Site www.ci.chanhassen.mn.us 'ffA-.. ~ MEMORANDUM TO: Jerry Ruegemer, Recreation Superintendent John Stutzman, Recreation Supervisor j f., ,) FROM: DA TE: July 16, 2007 SUBJ: 2007 4th of July Evaluation PREVIEW SUMMARY Overall, the two-day event grew since last year. More games, vendors, seating, and activities were either added or expanded upon from last year. The biggest addition was that of the carnival ri.d~8~ food. and. games. Despite the periods of rain on both days, I believe the attendance was up from last year. Below you will find a breakdown summary of all events that took place during the two-day celebration. Recommendations are also included with the individual summaries followed by suggestions for next year. An expense/revenue sheet for the celebration has been added at the end of this report. .JUL Y 3rd Kiddie Parade Approximately 2.50 kids participated in. this year's Kiddie Parade.t"fhe attendance was down this year due to rain that occurred about a half.hour prior to the start of the parade, but this continues tobea. popular event. Lake Ann concession staff and the playground staff coordinated the logistics of the parade. They did a nice job making sure the parade ran smoothly. The Fire Department and the Carver County Sheriff's Department were of great assistance in helping to ensure a safe route for all involved. Next year we will need to make sure that Market Boulevard is closed down earlier so cars are not forced to turn around in the Bank and Senior Center parkin.glots. .Kool-Aidjuice pouches were handed out to all parade participants by Christ Lutheran Church. This was helpful as it allowed our staff to be utilized elsewhere. Business Fair The Chanhassen CbamberofCommerce Business Fair bad 44 participants this year. The Chamber had a separate tent again this year for the Business Fair. I would recommend continuing to do the same for next year as the overall celebration is growing larger every year. The City of Chanhassen . A growing community with clean lakes, quality schools, a Charming downtown, thriving businesses, winding trails, and beautiful parks. A great place to live, work, and play. Mr. Jerry Ruegemer July 16, 2007 Page 2 Kaptain Kirby Train Rides This is a great attraction for young kids and families. The kids have a wonderful time with this activity and it continues to be popular. I would recommend trying to find them a location in front of the carnival so they are more visible among the other rides. This attraction consists of very little set-up and maintenance for the city and I would invite this attraction back next year. Face Painting/Caricaturesl Air Brush Tattooist These are popular activities and remain successful at our celebration. The City retained 20% of all sales with these activities. Their profits were similar to last year's figures, but I believe they would have had a more profitable outing if not for the rain. I also invited them back for July 4th where they had their tent with a face painter. I would recommend inviting them to both days again next year. Their location was just east of the "food vendor's horseshoe," and it seemed to ,work well w-ith the- flow of people walking towards the carnival rides. The location was the same both days~ They would benefit from a little more space if possible because they use three tents. I would recommend continuing these activities for next year. . This attraction consists of very little set-up and maintenance for the city. Carnival Games The carnival games were a hit again. The playground staff along with the Lake Ann concession staff operated the games. They did a wonderful job and were a huge asset to our celebration. Even with the addition of the carnival with their rides and additional games, the profits were higherthan last year. I would attribute this to the playground leaders and the great rapport they have with the kids The Medicine Show This is an entertaining group to have intermingled with the business fair crowd before the Street Dance. I would invite them back next year. All About Girls Up-does and Makeovers (hair and make-up) This attraction was popular again this year and a nice asset to our celebration. They had a location between the carnival and the music tent. It seemed to work well, but they were a little too close to the carnival ticket booth. This created lines that intertwined. I recommend giving them slightly more space for their lines next year. The City retained 20% of all sales with these activities. I would recommend inviting this vendor back again next year. G:\P ARK\4TH\2007\Evaluation .doc Mr. Jerry Ruegemer July 16, 2007 Page 3 Water Wars Water Wars was a success and busy again this year. We had two Water Wars apparatuses this year and with the addition of the carnival rides, I feel this is the correct number of units. The City took in 20% of their sales. I would recommend that we invite them back next year. This attraction consists of very little set-up and maintenance for the city. Speedway Racing This attraction was once again very popular. This is a great family event and involves very little setup. The City took in 20% of their total sales. I would invite them back next year. They were in the same location as last year, which is east of the Chamber tent. This seems to be a good location for them, as it allows them good visibility. Food and Beer Garden All around the food vendors had a very successful night. I would suggest that we keep a similar number of food vendors for next year. The vendors that the city brought in seemed to have a good night with lots of space in the west city hall parking lot. The Taste of Chanhassen food vendors were set in a horseshoe shape again just north of the trail past the main tent. Pedestrian traffic was directed through the middle of the horseshoe into the carnival and games area allowing for maximum exposure for the Taste of Chanhassen food vendors. This also provided a nice transition into the carnival areas. The beer garden had an I.D. check this year and handed out wrist bands to those of age. This year, patrons were more aware that there would be active I.D. checks and those doing it were moved further out in line to allow for more exposure. I recommend this process again for next year. More room was also added around the beer tent, and I would recommend doing the same again next year. Tae Kwon Do Demo Jeff Engel and his staff provided our audience with an entertaining demonstration. His students seemed to enjoy performing for our event and it is also a great opportunity for the City to promote our Tae Kwon Do program at the Rec. Center. Next year I would recommend giving them a more designated area, possibly more up front so that people know that it is going on. I would invite them back again next year. This attraction consists of very little set-up and maintenance for the ci ty . G:\P ARK\4TH\2007\E valuation .doc Mr. Jerry Ruegemer July 16, 2007 Page 4 Summer Skateboard Series This event was a great addition to the celebration. 3rd Lair Skate Park came to Chanhassen Skate Park and put on the entire competition as part of a summer long series. They reported their highest attendance of the summer at our event. I would invite them back next year. Pony Rides/Corral This seemed to be a very popular attraction. I would recommend having them back next year. This attraction requires very little set-up and maintenance from the city. Basketball Free Throw Shooting Contest This event was quite successful. We gave away trophies and basketballs to the winners in five different age categories. If we added signs showing where the contest will be held, I believe it would increase the popularity of this event even more. I would recommend running this event next year. Chalk It Up Contest This event was cancelled this year due to rain; however, we still had people inquiring if the event would take place. Unfortunately we were unable to accommodate this event due to wet ground. I would recommend running this event again next year. This year we planned to have two separate age groups and I would recommend this idea for next year. Baby Changing Station A non-profit organization offered a privacy area for parents to change or feed their infant children and toddlers. There was no cost incurred by the city for this added feature. Service was provided at City Center Park for both days of the celebration. I would highly recommend having them back again next year as they provide a well-appreciated service. Carnival The addition of the carnival rides and games seemed to be a huge hit and a great addition to the celebration. I would highly recommend bringing a carnival back. Some things to consider for next year are giving very specific guidelines to the company that brings in the carnival, such as arrival time, set-up time, tear-down time, where to throwaway trash, and better communication between carnival management and those staff implementing the event. I would also make sure they have a minimum of 2-3 ticket booths as lines grew very long this year. The rides were open both days, but had a smaller attendance on the 4th. If we have more activities in this area on the 4th, I believe these rides will have greater success on the second day. G:\P ARK\4TH\2007\Evaluation.doc Mr. Jerry Ruegemer July 16, 2007 Page 5 Street Dance What a great performance yet again! I think that everybody at the celebration enjoyed Casablanca Orchestra's performance. Once again we rented the staging for the band, which really seems to work well. I would definitely recommend renting the stage again next year and booking CBO. We added additional tables and chairs this year as well as renting a larger tent. I feel all of the additions were very well utilized and needed because the tent was full for a majority of the show. Additional porta-potties were added this year as well, and I recommend increasing the amount next year as this event continues to grow each year. JUL Y 4TH Adult Fishing Contest There were a total of 51 participants registered in this year's contest. Everyone that participated had a good time. The entry fee for the contest was $15. Every participant that registered also won a door prize. I would recommend offering this event again next year, as it is a nice activity to offer our adult population. It was brought up that a Derby-style contest be considered with a check-in station so the event last longer and allow for more participants. Kid's Fishing Contest A total of 90 kids participated in this year's fishing festival. All kids received a grab bag with fishing items. We also gave away trophies and other prizes to the winners of the largest fish, longest fish and smallest fish in two different age categories. The contest was run by Holly Kaufhold, Charlie Eiler and by our playground staff. This event consists of very little set-up and maintenance for the city and I recommend it again for next year. Sand Sculpture Contest The contest was run and judged by Sara Thompson and the playground staff. With the amount of time and energy people put into their sculptures, we should look at making multiple age groups. This is fun activity during the celebration and I would include it again in next year's celebration. Treasure Hunt An adult found the medallion after the first clue was given. This is a fun and simple event and should be included in next year's celebration. The clues were organized by Nate Rosa and Margie Theis. I would recommend the hiding place be a little less of a landmark in the park as it was this year (the emergency siren). Margie was a great asset in the planning and organization of this event. G:\P ARK\4TH\2007\Evaluation.doc Mr. Jerry Ruegemer July 16, 2007 Page 6 Parade The parade had a predominant crowd again this year. The Chanhassen Rotary took the lead again, but had strong support and help from the City of Chanhassen. The parade consisted of eighty-nine entries. The parade continues to grow with viewing patrons who flood the downtown area. I recommend adding more volunteers or paid staff to help coordinate and control. This year we added a garbage truck followed buy a truck picking up the blue barrels. This worked extremely well as it encouraged people to pick up trash around them and made clean-up a lot easier than in the past. We need to maintain emergency routes and barricade off roads in a more successful manor to help with our increasing numbers. We also asked the people in attendance to not use tents or canopies for fear of driving stakes into buried lines. This is a course of action I would recommend continuing, but it needs to have stronger enforcement in the future. Taste of Chanhassen and Car Show The Chanhassen Rotary also took the lead again, with strong support and help from the City of Chanhassen. Streets, roads, and parking lots were blocked off for these two events ahead of time to maintain a safe participant area. I would recommend the City of Chanhassen 4th of July t-shirts be sold during these events next year. Fireworks This year's fireworks were again contracted through Melrose Pyrotechnics. I thought they put on an excellent display. The staff at Melrose continues to do a great job coordinating all the logistics of the display. I would definitely look at having Melrose Pyrotechnics do our show again next year, but have them increase the overall show for our 25th celebration. Glow-Sticks and Bracelets An outside vendor was brought in to sell glow-sticks and bracelets. We accepted bids from two vendors and gave the contract to David Rochlin since he not only gave a higher bid, but was also willing to sell product during both nights of the event. I recommend having the same product sold next year and continue having the vendors bid for the contract. Benefit Concert This was a great event and helped fill in the schedule before the fireworks on the 4th. We left the main tent and music stage up for a second day and had a band play. This is a fun event during the celebration that adds a lot and I would include it again in next year's celebration. G:\P ARK\4TH\2007\Evaluation .doc Mr. Jerry Ruegemer July 16, 2007 Page 7 SU22estions for 2008 1. Look at adding new and exciting activities and expand upon the current ones to reduce wait times and lines. 2. Continue blocking Audubon Road after the fireworks are complete. This will allow us to keep traffic moving down to Galpin Boulevard. 3. Be sure to spray for mosquitoes again next year at both City Center Park and Lake Ann. We received several positive comments from festival attendees. Coordinating and spraying with Metropolitan Mosquito Control seemed to be well worth our efforts. 4. Make announcements during CBO's breaks. This would include: t-shirt sales, check prize board, raffle tickets for sale, etc. 5. Keep Taste of Chanhassen and other events uf in City Center Park rather than moving them down to the plaza on the 4t . 6. Sell Chanhassen 4th of July T-shirts on the 4th during the Taste of Chanhassen. Look at incentives for buying t-shirts. Maybe receive a couple free raffle tickets with the purchase of at-shirt. 7. Be sure to create a more defined timetable for the carnival company so that they are ready to go when we need them to be. 8. Look at getting other city organizations more involved in the overall celebration. 9. Add a detailed parking map for the Lake Ann Park fireworks display on the back of the rules sheet that is handed out to viewing patrons. Also have signs with parking lot names so they are more easily identified by staff during parking. G:\P ARK\4TH\2007\Evaluation.doc 2007 4TH OF JULY REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE REPORT REVENUE Food Vendors $ 1,320.00 Adult Fishing $ 765.00 T -Shirt Sales $ 465.00 Maund Entertainment $ 416.20 Night Light Novelties $ 450.00 Carnival Rides and Games $ (800.00) est. Speedway Racing $ 185.00 Kids Games $ 869.91 Water Wars $ 116.00 All about Girls $ 117.00 Total $(5,504.11) est. EXPENDITURES Target $ 1,175.09 Cabin Fever Sporting Goods $ 671.55 Andon Balloons $ 141.90 Oriental Trading $ 1,000.47 Domino's $ 80.00 Ace Hardware $ 59.51 Executi ve Ocean $ 198.86 Party America $ 67.51 Cub Foods $ 208.44 Total $ 3,603.33 101-1613-4300 Melrose Pyrotechnics $23,000.00 Casablanca Orchestra $ 4,900.00 Promotional Sales (T-shirts) $ 3,048.30 Candyland Pony Service $ 1,200.00 Medicine Show Music $ 675.00 3rd Lair Skate Park $ 500.00 Captain Kirby Train Rides $ 495.00 Total $33,818.30 101-1613-4340 Southwest Suburban Publishing FedEx Kinko' s 101-1613-4400 Imperial Porta-Thrones 101-1613-4410 Skyway Event Services Festival Sound & Lighting Waste Management Total Expenditures Total Revenue BALANCE $ 1911.00 $ 158.41 Total $ 2,069.41 $(2,700.00) est. Total $(2,700.00) est. $ 8,431.35 $ 912.50 $( 1 ,000.00)est. Total $(10,343.85) est. $(52,537.89) est. $(5,554.11) est. -$( 46,980.78) est.