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After losses, events want back into Piedmont

By CHANDLER BROWN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 07/17/08

After taking a bruising outside their usual home at Piedmont Park, three of the city's largest outdoor events are once again pleading with Atlanta officials to let them back into the drought-starved park next year.

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THE STORY SO FAR

Previously:
On Jan. 11, Atlanta announced that all major festivals would have to move out of Piedmont Park this year because of their effect on the park's rain-starved lawn. At least two saw big drops in attendance at alternate locations.

The latest:The Atlanta Dogwood Festival and others want the city to allow the festivals back into Piedmont Park next summer.

What's next:The department of parks, recreation and cultural affairs will make a recommendation to the City Council by Oct. 15.

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On Tuesday, Atlanta Dogwood Festival Brian Hill went before the city council's community development committee and asked for a guarantee his and other festivals could move back to the park next year.

Council members asked Dianne Harnell Cohen, commissioner of the city's parks, recreation and cultural affairs department, to make a recommendation by Oct. 15 about whether the park could handle major festival traffic next year.

By then, "we'll be able to tell where are we with ability to irrigate [using a well] and whether or not there is still a drought," Cohen said.

In January, the city announced that all Class A festivals - those that attract 50,000 people or more - were being moved out of Piedmont Park because of the stress on the park's rain-starved lawn. The move affected the city-run Atlanta Jazz Festival and the private Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race, Atlanta Dogwood Festival and Atlanta Pride.

• The Atlanta Dogwood Festival moved to Lenox Square mall April 4-6 and saw a huge drop in attendance and donations, Hill said.

• The Atlanta Pride Committee held its event over the July Fourth weekend at the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center.

Although final numbers are not yet available, attendance was "down pretty significantly" based on beverage and merchandise sales as well as donations, Pride executive director Donna Narducci said Thursday.

• The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Roadrace ended at Ponce de Leon Avenue and Juniper Street, instead of the park, on July Fourth. Track Club officials said the race attracted its usual 55,000 runners, but they hoped to end the race in the park next July Fourth.

• A scaled-down Atlanta Jazz Festival was held May 24-26 at downtown Atlanta's Woodruff Park. The Jazz Fest is run by the city.

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Comments

By TRC

Aug 2, 2008 12:57 PM | Link to this

NO. NO. NO. Keep them all out the park. Yes, the park is for the people of the city. But turning it into nothing more than a fair ground 3 times a year is not a park intended purpose. It should be for running, walking, picnics, or whatever. Not big events that trample the grass with sheer volume of people. The litter, noise, it's too much for the park to absorb and recover anymore. If you want to have a fesitval, fine. Just find another place and stop destroying Piedmont park every few weeks. It's a park. It's not a fair ground for the masses.

By Andrew

Jul 21, 2008 3:24 PM | Link to this

The Peachtree Road Race wasn't the same without the finish in the park. The definition of park is an area of land for the enjoyment of the public. It's a PARK I completely disagree with removing all these activities.

By DKNATL

Jul 20, 2008 11:34 AM | Link to this

Dianne Cohen is nothing more than a mouthpiece for the Piedmont Conversancy group.
If you can get PAC's and special interest groups out of Shirley Franklin's office, then the city will be able to listen to ALL of their citizens, not a select few.

Many good ideas have been presented on this blog, so let's get them to ALL interested parties: festival organizers, special interest groups and politicans.

By Rita

Jul 19, 2008 10:30 PM | Link to this

Quit whining and PAY for the stress on the parks. You want to have it at Piedmont? Pay for the extra watering, sodding, fertilizing, etc. Your tax dollars pay for maintenance, not for extras.

By Thomas H

Jul 19, 2008 8:37 AM | Link to this

I am so discouraged at the lack of creative thinking in this city. Yes, I want Pride and Dogwood back in the park. But this past year instead of Dogwood at Lenox or Pride at the Civic center why was a street festival on peachtree not considered between North and 10th? Big Cities across the country close streets all the times for events like this.At least these events would have been part of the community they are usually held. Also, better spacing between the big 3 events would help the park recover. As a participant in Pride, I for one would be happy to hold the event in Late September or early October.

By twinkie1cat

Jul 18, 2008 10:35 PM | Link to this

Parks are meant to be used by the people who pay for them. This includes large festivals. When the Atlanta Arts Festival was moved out of Piedmont Park it died in about two years. The Civic Center and Olympic Park are not parks. The way to kill off a festival is by moving it out of Piedmont.

Piedmont also has incredible symbolism for the gay community. It has been a "gay" park for decades and part of a heavily gay neighbornood. The symbolism also includes the parade that goes by where First Baptist, the congregation of Charles Stanley once stood. Stanley was infamous for saying in 1985 that AIDS was God's curse on homosexuals, while he was himself committing adultery. We surrounded the church, about 2000 strong in protest, lead by another Baptist pastor, A.B. Short, just as services let out. Then the route of the Pride Parade was changed permanently from going down Piedmont Ave to pass First Baptist right at noon to mess with their traffic and proceed down to 10th Street to Piedmont Park. If the church had not escaped to the suburbs, it would still be reminded yearly of its sin of bigotry. In fact I am sure there are those who would like to give them a special march in Dunwoody.

The solution to the problem with Piedmont is simple. Plant it with sturdy grass, or better, sod, watered regularly by water from Lake Clara Meer. FErtilize organically and well. Get it good and strong before Pride and then be prepared to make minor repairs afterwards. I am sure the technology is available to keep Piedmont both used and healthy.

The parks are for the people and even if no others large festivals stay at Piedmont, that one MUST be held there.

By P. Greene

Jul 18, 2008 3:05 PM | Link to this

Get a large construction type water truck. Get NON-potable water from the city recycling plant, there should be plenty of that and then water the grass late at night.
The leadership of this city is again religating Atlanta to 2nd tier status as a city. They can't support signature events by thinking of out of the box for solutions.
Come on Mayor Franklin and Commissioner Cohen, get a clue.
A 'former" 11 year Dogwood Festival supporter....

By Joey Mills

Jul 18, 2008 12:27 PM | Link to this

Something has to be done to save these great events. It has been the worst year to live in Atlanta. Everything is screwed up. The Park could have used the lake to water the lawn. Shirley Franklin should have gone back to Philly and screw the residents out of millions like she is doing to Atlanta. Why does it seem that only idiots are running the town?