Creekside Festival Provides Financial Return for Princess Place Preserve
The Chamber of Commerce presented Flagler County a check for $6,171.71, representing 25% of the proceeds from the festival.
Palm Coast FL – October 20, 2010 – For six years now, the Creekside Festival, put on by the Flagler County Chamber of Commerce, helped residents and others “discover” Flagler County’s crown jewel of parks – the 1,500 acre Princess Place Preserve.With a record crowd of an estimated 17,000 people visiting the two day event this year exposure wasn’t the only benefit to the park. Monday night Rebecca DeLorenzo, executive vice president of the Flagler County Chamber of Commerce, presented the Flagler County Commission with a check for $6,171.71.
DeLorenzo said the crowd at this year’s festival October 9 and 10 was the largest ever and as a result the check was also the largest, topping last year’s check by more than $1,000. For the past 6 years the Chamber has presented the County with a check from the festival that is 25 percent of the proceeds from the festival.
The money is presented to the county for improvements to the Princess Place Preserve. DeLorenzo also recognized County employees who helped get the park ready for the weekend and assisted in putting on the festival.The popular festival features two days of live bluegrass music, arts and crafts booths, food and children’s games. Crowd estimates are made each year at the festival by using a car counting device provided by the County.
75%
Where did the remainder 75% of the money go?
75%?
Didn’t the Flagler School District received some of that money?
traffic control
We will never attend this event in the future. We waited 45 minutes in traffic on a dusty dirty road waiting to get to the main entrance.
The entrance fee was not publicized & neither were the times of the events.
If the entrance fee would have been collected while waiting in line to enter the process could have gone a lot faster. When we asked where the money would go 3 people were not able to give us an answer. All of the monies should have gone to the park
To Jane and Alex
Membership dues do not cover the total cost of operating the Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber puts on the Creekside Festival each year to raise funds for its many programs. The Chamber’s popular phone book is another fund raising project. Of course the substantial expenses associated with staging the festival come out of the ”other 75%.”
The Chamber is very active in the community in many ways beyond the help it provides to its business membership. It represents the County to the tourism industry.(Flagler’s bed tax revenue is increasing while other Florida areas are seeing declines in bed tax revenue). It also provides $6,000 in scholarships funds per year for local students.
At a time when other cities Chambers of Commerce are struggling or closing, the Flagler Chamber remains strong, both from the support of the local business community and because it gives so much back to the community.
Full Disclosure: These comments are my own. However I am a member of the Chamber of Commerce and sit on its Business Issues subcommittee.