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Wednesday, July 25, 2018

A Viewer Writes: Folk Festival

Joe,. Wondering why no one has commented on the city of Salisbury and folk festival director Caroline Ohare going on the local networks begging for donations this close until "showtime". She stated they are still over 100,000 dollars short of funding needed.

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

With all the bad publicity going around about the Folk Festival, I'm wondering whey they mayor or the director Caroline Ohare has not done a formal press conference letting everyone know the status of this event. How many performers are signed up? How many vendors? Food? Crafts? How about a layout of where everything is going to be. What roads are going to be effected. How are the occupancy rates at the hotels looking? How are the volunteers looking? Do they need more? How are all the projects around downtown coming along? Are they going to be done in time? Will the finishing touches on the parking garage going to be finished? This is not only for the public but also for the local businesses & restaurants that might be effected with a influx of business and they want to be staffed for it accordingly. if they can do a press conference for having kyacks at Brew River then you'd think this is just as important.

Anonymous said...

If she admits to being $100,000 sort that means they are more likely $200,000 short, maybe more.

Anonymous said...

7:58 AM Why do you care? I could care less about the Folk Festival and think it is a waste of taxpayer money, but if you are going to attack it, at least have some common sense. That being said, let me help you out my friend. If you haven't heard there is this thing called google. You may want to check it out. https://www.nationalfolkfestival.com/

Anonymous said...

Because 50 days is a lot of time to grovel to businesses and try to defer taxpayer dollars.

Anonymous said...

I’m sure someone will get on me about posting anonymous but due to my job position I’m not allowed to. All I will say is that they have contacted a few higher ups in Salisbury to put it simple the ones you see in say the Metropolitan Magazine. I know a few very wealthy people around the area that they have asked to donate money The answer was a simple now due to the bad publicity they don’t want their name associated with it should anything arise such as a catastrophic event or something even worse like the thing never come about to begin with. My understanding is that they have until August 17 to have a final declaration of intent given to the organizers of the folk festival I don’t believe salisbury will have that done. Hopefully the thing doesn’t even come about this is the last thing we need around this area the main reason for not having a press conference is because of the embarrassment that it will cause. As also stated earlier On the Blog how convenient will it be for your mayor to be out of town during the whole event he already knows he screwed up that’s why he signed out like he did he had the chance to stay home but chose to leave why would you leave something that was your idea to begin with I know firsthand he had the option to stay home and chose not to enough said.

JoeAlbero said...

8:51, WOW!

JoeAlbero said...

Jake Day went to the Bank of Delmarva personally and asked for $1,000.00 and was immediately turned away.

Anonymous said...

They are begging. Good events that are well planned don't have to beg for money - people want to be associated with success. This is a debacle and the lack of support speaks volumes.

Anonymous said...

Somebody needs to ask the city attorney what is going on! The city is now on notice...but wait...he will get back to you next year when the late bills are $130,000 over due.

Anonymous said...

We've received 2 letters from the Folk festival asking for $1000.00 donations. One of which also asked if we'd like to rent a room or our house to the visitors. What? Rent to people we have no clue who they are? I think there are still plenty of Hotel rooms available for people no one knows.
I don't think so. We want nothing to do with it.

Anonymous said...

Yes Joe...just WOW!

Anonymous said...

The "old" folks festival will happen and it will only be because of the old folks volunteering, old money donations, and old-time fleecing of the public (in so many ways).
There will be many failures and plenty of finger pointing to go around. By this time next year the city will hire a much larger staff to fix half the problems from this year. By year 3, the costs for a "free" festival will be through the roof!!! The following year, the mayor will find a way to retain all the, paid, festival staff as full-time city employees and everything will workout as planned.

Anonymous said...

And all it'll take is one hurricane or tropical storm to work it's way up the east coast - Sorry folks, didn't see that coming, go home be safe, see you next year! Or not?

Really, who plans the largest event Salisbury has ever held during hurricane season??

Anonymous said...

Joe,

Please post the names of any donor businesses so we can go elsewhere.

Anonymous said...

9:13 AM - Now, that's funny! Nobody wants this stupid idea of his to happen so just give it up and let it go.

Anonymous said...

Wanna bet the donors are mostly the same as the group that is pushing to kill the tax cap and the bigger donors are members of the Greater Salisbury Committee?

Anonymous said...

Has anyone checked with the decent places to stay in town to inquire if they are getting bookings for that weekend?
With only about 6 weeks until the festival ..........reservations should be filling up the rooms.

Anonymous said...

Pretty sad day(pun intended) when your daddy is the CEO of Purdue farms with ALL the upper echelon contacts at his disposal and everyone is turning their backs on Jakey boys pipe dream. Old Randy day got real real quiet. He was the destfest cheerleader soliciting donations and sending e-mails out now he's practically non existent. Jake day is a punk to bail out on all those that supported him because he looks like a damn fool again. What a flunkie but hey like your directors husband says at least you're trying. Funny how motivated these clowns are when it's other people's money

Anonymous said...

The quote is “I COULDN’T care less”

Anonymous said...

913-No banker worth their salt would give a failed architect, failed urban planner, failed Purdue employee, failed Mayor, and failed Folk Festival organizer a dime.

Anonymous said...

Our family has already made vacation plans for the weekend to be out of town because of this festival. traffic, security, and crowds will be terrible, so we have chosen to get out of town to avoid this cluster f*$&. I encourage others to do the same!

Anonymous said...

I personally cannot wait for this. I know it will be a complete cluster****. The only downside is the taxpayer money wasted, but seriously folks, they'd have wasted it anyway.... I hope it is everything I think it will be and more. I'm already imagining what old jakey boy will say about it. The people of salisbury need to see what they have done by electing and continuing to elect people like jake day and the rest of these poltical hacks leads to. When will the democrats wake up, look around and realize what they have done, are doing , and will do to this city? Forget about holding these politicians responsible, they do whatever the electorate lets them get away with, when will voters hold themselves responsible for what they have allowed to happen? Look around at this city. Some would say the bypass took some business away, and that's true, but who would want to stop in this town except the oblivious parents sending their children to college here? What does it have to offer? A severely sad version of a zoo, the university, oh and let us not forget the highly recommended ward museum. There's the dying mall, the civic center, and the shorebirds. So unless you're a section 8 landlord, a methadone clinic operator, or a pawnshop owner, what about salisbury is a positive? Please, someone tell me because I seriously can't think of one good thing about salisbury other than leaving it.

Anonymous said...

I work for a company that is a low-level sponsor of the NFF. We're excited! It's definitely going to be a challenge, but I think there are good people in charge at every level. Biggest challenges are not going to be fund-raising or signing acts/vendors (on both fronts that work is over 90% complete), but the logistics of parking people and getting them into the downtown. Also, volunteer sign-ups have been a little slow out of the gate.

I have every confidence that it will be a fun and family-friendly event, as promised. And a great financial and cultural benefit for the greater Salisbury as well! =D

Anonymous said...

So you're saying theres a chance this slum attraction won't even happen here?

JoeAlbero said...

MAJOR SALISBURY FOLK FESTIVAL UPDATE!!!

I just learned that the local Hotel/Motels are NOWHERE near booked for the Folk Festival. In fact, they have planned for additional housing and not one room has been reserved/booked.

Day claimed there'd be some 300,000 people attending. Recently that number dropped to 30,000. ANYONE truly interested in attending this event would've easily contacted the numerous options and those roomed would say no vacancy 5 weeks before the event.

The event is clearly a flop before it starts.

I also learned today that GUESS WHAT, the event that happened the past three years in the Carolina's will be going the exact same dates as the Salisbury Festival.

It turns out they plan the event for let's say Salisbury for 3 years. When the 3 years is up the City takes over the event. HOWEVER, every single city across America who hosted this event in the past will be competing with each other from here on out.

So the 300,000 people BS is just that, complete BS. Jake Day and his Staff have been BS'ing everyone all this time. People will NOT be coming from the Carolina's or ANY other place this event has been held and remember, they ALL host the same event on the exact same dates. It's NO WONDER Day and his group can't seem to BOOK any real talent for the event as well. They're ALL booked at other locations.

This whole thing is turning out to be a joke. It's no wonder most local businesses want nothing to do with the event.