Scaled-back 49er Days Envisioned for Fridley Next Summer

News about the , as posted at the Fridley Recreation page on Facebook:

Updates for 2012: There will not be a carnival, nor will the Women of Today be hosting the craft show this year.

Word from Fridley Recreation about what will be there:

Here is what is planned so far: Thursday: parade; Friday: street dance, Taste of Fridley, Lions Beer Tent; Saturday: street dance, Taste of Fridley, Lions Beer Tent and many kids activities including giant bouncy inflatables. Plans are still being made, and activities continue to be added. Updates will be posted as we move closer to the event.

Here is a statement posted Thursday at the Fridley Days page on Facebook:

As community festivals are folding throughout our state due to the economic times, 49er Days continues to go on. We may not have the festival of years gone by, but we continue to exist to bring our residents an opportunity to participate in a low cost event which allows them an opportunity to socialize with neighbors, friends, and family.

Some of our stumbling blocks include lack of donated dollars, lack of volunteers, and lack of event sponsors/hosts. A major setback has been the location of the festival the past few years. The Columbia Arena location was ideal for many reasons: visibility, parking, and size to mention a few.

While at the arena site, we were able to bring in a good carnival with a variety of rides, which also netted the festival some revenue dollars for the next year. Since the move, and with the inclement weather we’ve had, we have not had revenue from the carnival. This has caused a zero balance to plan the next year’s festival and optimistically book activities in advance.

If you would like to see more activities, then we ask for your donations or for you to step forward and volunteer to coordinate a free or low cost event/activity. We are always open to new ideas!

And in response to more than a dozen comments at the Fridley Days page of Facebook:

Donations are not what they used to be, and since the festival is brought to the community on donated dollars, what is received determines what the festival consists of.

The point of 49er Days is to bring the community together to enjoy activities at no, or minimal cost. Parade is FREE ($10,000 cost to the Lions Club), Band performances are FREE ($6,000 cost to 49er Days), Kids activities are FREE (sponsored by Fridley Recreation and other organizations), and fireworks have been FREE ($5,000 - $10,000 to 49er Days). There is also the Lions beer tent to gather and socialize around, and the Taste of Fridley with local restaurants selling a variety of their specialty items. Last year we had pony rides and a fishing pond for the kids. We believe that those who attended DID believe it was a good event -- even without a carnival. I hope this helps clarify the goal of the 49er Days Festival -- a time for residents to gather with family, friends, and neighbors at a low cost.

Comments pro and con are not going unheard, according to this message at Fridley Days' Facebook page:

We appreciate all of the comments received! If anyone has any questions or would like information about volunteering, hosting or sponsoring an event, or donating; feel free to contact us any time.