SnowGlobe chasm grows as dissenters organize

By Kathryn Reed

While a segment of the South Lake Tahoe community is rallying to silence SnowGlobe, the fact is the contract calls for another year of the three-day electronic music festival.

“Absent violations, they are holding the 2018 event,” interim City Attorney Nira Doherty told Lake Tahoe News.

SnowGlobe is expected to be on the March 6 agenda as requested by the council. It will likely only be discussion since the contract is already in place.  

At the Feb. 6 meeting a settlement regarding the field was approved by the council without any discussion. Promoter Chad Donnelly was at the meeting, but did not speak.

There is little gray area regarding the festival. People love it or hate.

It is an economic force. Hoteliers, restaurants and other tourism related businesses say the South Shore is no longer always busy over New Year’s Eve. In years without snow, like 2017 was at that time, having an event like SnowGlobe brings people to town. About 12,000 people attend each of the three nights.

Donnelly says since the festival started in 2011 it has had a $50 million impact to the local community.

Then there are the people who are literally rattled by the bass for three days. This isn’t a two- to three-hour concert like what takes place at Harveys in the summer. It’s about nine hours for three days. The Stateline concerts have an earlier curfew. SnowGlobe goes to midnight or 1:30am depending on the day.

No Globe Alliance is organizing to get rid of the event or move it from the community ball field on Al Tahoe Boulevard.

This group of local residents in a position paper stated, “This event has unfairly displaced local residents, invaded our homes with noise, closed access to whole neighborhoods, exposed our forests to unnecessary and dangerous potential for fire and attracted visitors who do not reflect the family friendly Lake Tahoe we want to be.”

Donnelly put together a SnowGlobe summary that he has circulated among the business community, and which city staff has been privy to. Lake Tahoe News sent each of the electeds a copy of the document and asked for thoughts about SnowGlobe 2018. None of the five responded.

LTN asked Donnelly if there is a point when he might say enough is enough based on the struggles he has had here. No answer. However, his summary states he still wants a long-term contract.

While the city and Donnelly have a contract that covers 2018, there are out clauses.

“Paragraph XXIV … allows either party to cancel the contract with five days’ notice by setting forth the specific violations of the special event agreement, temporary activity permit or facility use permit. The terminating party has to give the other party the chance to meet and correct violations before the termination is effective,” Doherty explained.

While the town may be divided about SnowGlobe, attendees want more. Pre-sales for 2018 are sold-out.