A local municipality is debating the future of an event that's just two years old.
Leamington Council voted Monday night to accept a report from the community and development services department on the Sip and Savour Experience, which was held this past August on the lakefront near the Pelee Island Ferry docks. However, council also decided to hold off on giving the festival a green light for 2018 until they've begun budget deliberations.
The report, presented to council by Leamington Community and Services Director Paul Barnable, paints a concerning picture of the festival's financial losses, along with signature features of the event that did not go as organizers hoped.
Sip and Savour drew about 3,100 people to the lakefront over a weekend, featuring a marketplace, a music stage, a recipe contest and an appearance by celebrity chef Lynn Crawford. The purpose of the event was to showcase local food and drink and provide entertainment.
Barnable says vendors expressed concern over a lack of hydro availability at the site. Furthermore, the new features of the event, the VIP Signature Experience and a Friday fish fry, fizzled because of what is said to be a lack of promotion, a low selection of food, and disappointing attendance.
Attendance for the event was much higher than the inaugural Sip and Savour in 2016, which was hampered by bad weather.
A cost breakdown presented to council shows that the festival ended at over $82,000 in the red. That's a big concern for Councillor Tim Wilkinson who was the first to question the validity of having the festival in its current financial predicament.
"If you look at the numbers, the financials behind this from 2016 to 2017, we're kind of trending in a troubling direction," says Wilkinson. "How long do we continue to throw good money at a bad situation?"
The monetary loss for Sip and Savour was also blamed on a $50,000 grant application to Celebrate Ontario that was not approved, as well as lower-than-expected revenue from sponsorships.
After much debate, Mayor John Paterson suggested holding off on organizing a Sip and Savour Experience for 2018 until budget deliberations are held, and careful consideration is made in relation to costs. This move was approved by council.
Wilkinson says he'd like to see the festival return and he welcomes the opportunity to take a closer look.
"I think there's a very valid reason for holding this festival, to showcase all the culinary aspects of Leamington," says Wilkinson. "But we need to re-look at this, and I'm glad the mayor suggested that we bring it back at budget time."
Barnable says in his report that the cost overruns from the 2017 festival can be covered by a surplus in Leamington's tourism and economic development budget, with no impact on the 2017 municipality budget.