Whatever gave the Urbana Park District the bozo idea that the recent Chautauqua celebration at Crystal Lake Park could attract thousands? Yes, in 1907 families would travel miles for outdoor October concerts and speakers, but in 2007, with the internet, television, and multiple simultaneous local cultural events, attendance, despite pleasant October weather, was unsurprisingly dismal.
In a tent set up with 400 chairs, a performance by local dancers and a one-woman play about Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring, respectively attracted audiences of 15 and 40.
On the “main stage” in the flat area on the norths side of the hill in Crystal Lake Park, a “dance party” attracted maybe 70 spectators, an African dance performance a bit over 100, a Latin Grammy nominated Mexican music ensemble maybe 125, the phenomenal Corky Siegel's Chamber Blues ensemble only 150, an Interfaith Music Festival maybe 50, and a supposedly well-known country music performer less than 200. Three hundred chairs were placed in front of the main stage, supposedly reserved for those who had paid $75 for this special seating. But with the sparse crowds, this area became open seating.
A couple of the food vendors were more often closed than open due to the lack of business.
Admittedly a Tuesday evening concert, with temperatures pushing 80, attracted 600-700, and Robert Kennedy Jr drew maybe 500, but neither justified the restriction of traffic along the park's south and east borders, or contracting the MTD to provide shuttles from ultimately unused downtown Urbana and county fairground parking areas.
Kennedy's $20K fee worked out to $40 or so per attendee. Some of the other performances above certainly had comparable per spectator fees. When adding up the cost of publicity, tents, set-up and tear down, and security, the several hundred thousand cost of this several day non-event could have been better spent in park improvements, or donated to some charity. But this is no ore obscene or any lower than the per vote campaign costs realized in many election contests.
One wishes that the current president had planned one-tenth as carefully for the Iraq war and occupation as the Urbana Park District planned for the Chautauqua. And then maybe the war and occupation could have been as poorly attended, which would have been worthy of a Chautauqua.
One thing to note is that this event was sponsored by dozens of private citizens and several local businesses including Carle. While RFK Jr.'s fee was obviously high, I haven't seen anything that implies my tax dollars were used to pay that fee. I'm not implying this is what you said, I just want to clarify that point.
fwiw – my family and several friends attended two of the events and thought it was a great time. We saw some friends we hadn't seen in years, the kids got to run around in the park and we listened to one of the country's leading environmentalists explain the damage that has been done to our environment during the last seven years of conservative rule. A call to arms, as it were. All in all not a bad way to spend a Sunday.
And it only happens once every 100 years. :)
But you are not alone. Did anyone see the letter-to-the-editor in yesterdays NG? Dick Adams was concerned that RFK's message was too liberal and did not appeal to conservatives.
Dick Adams was concerned that RFK's message was too liberal and did not appeal to conservatives.
It is URBANA - I am sure IP was wise enough not to expect Ann Coulter on the stage :-)
fwiw – my family and several friends attended two of the events and thought it was a great time.
Then like me you enjoyed poorly attended entertainment paid for by moneys, however raised, that could have been put to much more productive use in the community
Michael Fuerst
Uh ... it wasn't as well attended as I thought it would be but I don't know if I would go so far as to say it was "poorly attended". Although I was really only there on Sunday (or was it Saturday?). Ugh. Kids.
So, is IP's real name "Dick Adams"? Interesting.
IP is an Urbana resident - I don't recall him being shocked that Urbana would bring a liberal speaker to an event.
"So, is IP's real name "Dick Adams"? Interesting."
No. IP's real name is Gordy Hulten. I do live in Urbana, and found the letter interesting, but I didn't attend the Chautaqua. I'm sure if I had, I wouldn't have been offended by anything RFK Jr. said.
As for how his talk was funded - certainly I believe that I could have found a better use for those dollars, but they weren't mine to spend, so I have no problem with how they were spent.