Postponement May Have Affected City Birthday

Numbers are still being crunched, but officials with the Parks and Recreation Commission learned this year's forced postponement of the city’s annual birthday might have contributed to a lower attendance.

A report on birthday event was tentatively scheduled to go before the council June 5, said Public Information Manager Marsha Roa.

The carnival rides, which included a couple of adult rides but mostly catered to children, brought in roughly $3,000 less than it had in the past, according to an estimate from the Parks and Recreation Department.

But officials did not know officially how much was made during the day. Last year’s event cost about $66,000 and the average attendance is 8,000, Roa said.

Commissioners with Parks and Recreation noted during a recent meeting that the city’s 23^rd birthday event did not seem as packed as it has been in past years. Plus it was Mother’s Day weekend and “some people may have already had plans,” a commissioner said.

“I don’t have a number for this year’s event yet,” Roa said. “It usually takes us a few months to compile the information."

The staff must pay vendors and make deposits first, Roa said.

The event was held May 12 at Pantera Park and included the carnival rides, a car show and business expo. It was originally scheduled for April 14. Rain forced the city to reschedule.

Check out on the history of the birthday celebration.