Fort Bragg cancels annual Oktoberfest celebration

**Pete** · 09-13-2012, 04:46

Fort Bragg cancels annual Oktoberfest celebration; decline in revenue, attendance cited in festival's demise

http://fayobserver.com/articles/2012...ac=fo.military

"Octobers are going to be a little less festive on Fort Bragg.

The Army post has decided to quit holding its annual Oktoberfest celebration each fall because of sharply declining attendance and revenues. The 11-day festival lost money last year, said Fort Bragg spokesman Tom McCollum...................."

I used to got there with the kids and have a great time. I believe there was a number of reasons for the declining attendance.

We got there well before sunset and departed not too long after full dark. For a couple of years teens started to get a bit rowdy later in the evening. The fest increased the MP's which seemed to handle things.

But a little hard to get to for those not in the know, not much advertising and then the screw up in 2010 seems to have put the nail in the coffin.

Was looking forward to taking the grand daughter this year. The price for entry and rides was well worth it.

MtnGoat · 09-13-2012, 04:51

Pretty sad, maybe the fact that so many people were gone due to deployments.

**Pete** · 09-13-2012, 04:59

New Year's party at Festival Park over, hosts say

http://fayobserver.com/articles/2012...2?sac=fo.local

Well, the FayOb is just full of good news this morning

"Old acquaintance will be forgot this New Year's Eve at Festival Park.

The annual New Year's Eve Party in the Park, produced by the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival, has been canceled after three years......................

.......Party in the Park was added in 2009 as a free event open to the public. In its first year, it brought 3,000 New Year's Eve revelers to the park. That figure rose to 5,000 in 2010 and 8,000 in 2011, proving its popularity, King said.

"We still believe there's a need for this kind of event," King said. "But there's too many variables at play for it to be successful, and we feel we're better off devoting the resources that go into the Party in the Park back into Dogwood."............."

They caused a bit of a PR dust up when they charged a fee for those coming in after 9:00PM last year but it was a growing event. Too bad it was run by the Dogwood group and they decided to put the focus back on the Dogwood Festival.

glebo · 09-13-2012, 06:27

Yeah, I heard form folks here who've attended say that the gangs were becoming a problem after dark, screwing up a good thing..go figure..

As far as the Fayetteville New Years, it seems like they are taking away/doing away with all our usuall festive activities and maiking everything vanilla...stripping away our ways...per sey..

Maybe just me...

But, I'm sure they'll endorse hold some "other" cultural festivities....watch...

MtnGoat · 09-13-2012, 07:13

Me and HH6 and friends have been going every year I'm home. We have had fun there but the games were getting bad last year wife I said. I did the 2010 New years and we all had a great fun it was good times.

What does the dogwood festival committee thinks that games only stop coming to the New Years festival and not any other festival downtown?

akv · 09-13-2012, 08:54

In a tough economy, this is just the time you need a good party/shindig.

Flagg · 09-15-2012, 18:31

I'm not familiar with this particular event, but have been involved with many of this kind over the years.

What is interesting is the decision to can the whole event, rather than rationalize it back towards it's roots.

The article mentioned it originally started as a 1 day event, and expanded to 11 days.

I wonder why the choice was made to go from 11 days to zero, rather than 11 days to 7 or just a single weekend.

We've had success resizing events back down to the "new reality".

MtnGoat · 09-15-2012, 18:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flagg

I'm not familiar with this particular event, but have been involved with many of this kind over the years.

What is interesting is the decision to can the whole event, rather than rationalize it back towards it's roots.

The article mentioned it originally started as a 1 day event, and expanded to 11 days.

I wonder why the choice was made to go from 11 days to zero, rather than 11 days to 7 or just a single weekend.

We've had success resizing events back down to the "new reality".

I totally agree..why go from 11 to 0! They should have gone down to just a long weekend or just 3 days.. Friday, Saturday & Sunday. Cost of gas has impacted everything nowadays.