St. Charles Council OKs Festival to Fund Autism Fight

A week ago, a proposed festival to raise funding for a charitable effort took up a lion’s share of the discussion when the St. Charles City Council met as the Government Services Committee. But on Tuesday night, the River Rock House Fest was little more than a footnote.

As a week ago, the City Council remained divided 7-3 on the application, but the council’s discussion on Tuesday evening focused intently on the closing time for local bars and taverns.

Procedure was a key issue when the council considered the festival as the Government Services Committee on Aug. 27, and 5^th Ward Alderwoman Maureen Lewis repeated three objections prior to the vote:

, formerly Chord on Blues, filed its application on July 30 — less than two months before the event. Applications for festivals are required to be filed 90 days prior to the event.

The festival is just one week before the Scarecrow Festival, when the ordinance requires festivals be separated by 30 days.

It occurs on the same day as and along the route of the homecoming parade.

Members of the council have indicated to the city administration they do not want to see another festival application unless procedures for it are followed “to a T,” as one alderman reiterated Tuesday night.

In the end, the deciding factor was that the event is a fundraiser for a charitable cause — finding a cure for autism, an issue that reverberated through the council a week earlier.

The festival is scheduled Friday, Sept. 28, through Sunday, Sept. 30, in the parking lot at 2^nd Avenue and Walnut Street, directly behind . Local vendors are expected to offer food, a petting zoo is planned, and a stage at Illinois and 2^nd avenues for outdoor performances by local bands.

But Geoff Sandz of Elgin, who is working to promote the event with and Sara Turner, the St. Charles mother of a child with autism, said they hope to raise $20,000 for TACA — for Talk About Curing Autism, a national nonprofit that provides education and support for families affected by autism.

The Class E liquor license for the festival allows outdoor alcoholic beverage sales and comes with conditions:

The event cannot begin until 5:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28, in deference to the high school homecoming activities, unless the police department gives approval to set up earlier once the students have cleared the area.

Outdoor music must end by 10 p.m. on Friday, and be allowed from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday. On Sunday, outdoor music would be allowed from noon to 8 p.m.

The Fest would split the $5,058 cost of increased police patrols with the city.

In other business, the City Council voted unanimously:

• To appoint Scott Buening to the St. Charles Zoning Board of Appeals.
• To appoint Jim Diorio to the St. Charles Youth Commission.
• To pass a resolution setting Sept. 10 to 14 as Chamber of Commerce Week in St. Charles.

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