SnowGlobe returning to S. Tahoe in December
By Kathryn Reed
SnowGlobe, the three-day outdoor music festival in South Lake Tahoe, is coming back.
The City Council on Tuesday approved the agreement for the event to return Dec. 29-31. But this third year is most likely the last time it will be at the ball fields next to Lake Tahoe Community College.
While Chad Donnelly, who produces the event, is going to put heavy mats on the high-traffic areas, he said it’s cost-prohibitive ($800,000) to cover the entire field. That field was paid for by taxpayer dollars through Measure S/R. And with the city wanting to preserve the integrity of the field as long as possible, City Manager Nancy Kerry is recommending “it never come back to this location.”
SnowGlobe will return to South Lake Tahoe for the third year over New Year’s Eve weekend. Photo/LTN file
The thinking is that by telling Donnelly now that he has to find a new location for 2014, that a location on the South Shore will be found.
Horizon had considered having it. The North Shore expressed strong interest when Donnelly started fishing around for cash to come back. But the South Shore always wanted it. It’s all about money.
The Aug. 6 staff report says, “An overall economic impact analysis was provided by a consultant contracted by SnowGlobe, which estimated the direct economic benefits to South Lake Tahoe community at $5.8 million.” Strategic Marketing Group then analyzed those findings, saying the consultant should have included indirect economic impacts, too, which would bring the financial benefit of SnowGlobe to between $11 million and $14 million.
Jack Fisher, general manager at MontBleu casino, told the council he thought $10 million was “a little light”. His casino has had multiple after parties that have been popular with SnowGlobe attendees.
He broached the possibility of having SnowGlobe at multiple locations in the future.
On the Aug. 8 Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority board meeting agenda is an item to allocate up to $75,000 to the producer of SnowGlobe. The board opted earlier not to vote on the funding until a location on the South Shore had been secured.
Lake Tahoe Community College in April had directed staff to negotiate a multiyear contract with Donnelly. But that won’t be necessary with the city’s not wanting to subject the field to an event like SnowGlobe. The college board, though, will have an item about SnowGlobe on its Aug. 13 agenda.
Donnelly will be responsible for cleaning the field once the snow melts. Under consideration is adding warming huts by the line for buses and near food vendors.
He must put up a $25,000 deposit.
The city is going to absorb about $25,000 in soft costs, which includes time for police and parks and rec staff.
The city believes that $25,000 is an investment in the event with a return many times over via hotel and sales tax revenue generated from concert-goers.
Anyone know why Horizon didn’t take it?
One word, Dopers
At least someone in Stateline is stepping up to try to keep a tourist event. How about closing the airport for a few days and using the runways?
The good about this event — It brings people to the area and they spend dollars.
The bad about this event — It doesn’t have a proper venue, (I think the airport is good idea) it happens during a weekend where we are already at maximum capacity, the promoter doesn’t want to protect the field and wants us to subsidize his income.
Good comments, thanks. The airport cannot be used for an event like this because of FAA regulations and the need to keep it clear for emergencies.
Some years we are not at maximum capacity if there is not enough snow. The other reason to have it in the City is to split the crowd for control issues and to get more of the money spent with local merchants. It has been very profitable for our City people to have it centralized.
JoAnn what is being done to keep the event safe so we don’t loose another young person. $14,000,000 spent by 10,000 kids? $1,400 per kid? Consultants will tell you what you want to hear not always the truth.
Its too bad that the City and casinos keep bringing in these acts that basically encourage drug use. The use of the drug “molly” is so common in SLT kids. I dont think any of you know how bad the use is and how bad the drug is. These events are just giving our kids and the dealers city sponsored opportunities to engage in mass consumption of the drug. I get that kids are kids and they are gonna find a way to do what they want, but why bring in acts that encourage it? Oh right – its about money not about safety.
JoAnn, Where do you recommend the event be held in future years? Is there an open location which can accommodate that many people without affecting the ground unless it is already paved? Maybe the city could close Industrial Ave. for those few days and hold it on properties along there. What about the high school? Same problem as the community college?
Anywhere in Bijou Park? Multiple locations like Mont Bleu suggested might be worth investigating. I just hope someone is thinking about options, not just telling them they have to find a new location. Make it happen in the City or they might find somewhere else.
is it possible to have Snow Globe in the parking lot of Heavenly’s Calif Lodge? The stage could be set up in the corner and fencing could be moved during the day to allow for ski/snowboarder parking.
How about the stage being floated off the beach at Tahoe Commons?
The event should be held in the area’s entertainment district, at the casinos, where the infrastructure, facilities, lodging, restaurants, bars, first aid stations, restrooms, security, staff, transportation and compatible zoning already exist.
I wonder if the folks downtown know they aren’t local merchants?
“It wrecks the field but we’ll have it here anyway…”
“It disturbs the peace and violates the law, but we’ll have it here anyway…”
“We lose money on it but our friends make money on it, so we’ll have it here anyway…”
The best government that money can buy…
I think that SnowGlobe should be held at Lakeside Beach. That way the spenders could be in all the profit centers at once and the overall Stateline craziness could be localized.
Good idea Bill–that way the city could collect zillions of dollars from parking kiosks and parking citations.
Why not have it on the Park property near MontBleu ( Friday’s Station ) ?
That acreage is already doomed to become high density recreational anyway. The kids could trash it in advance……
Ridiculousness, The Cali lodge would be a great location however there is no way that heavenly will close down that lodge and parking for almost 10 days in their busiest time of the year, and it is really really close to residential property.
I work for the City of South Lake Tahoe, and was “volunteered” in May (5 months after Sno Globe) to pick up trash at the community play fields. I was disgusted at the amount of trash, drug paraphernalia (needles, baggies, pipes), broken glass, glow sticks, and much more that littered the grounds. Grounds that we let our children play on. Our City Council should be ashamed of themselves for continuing to allow this event to pollute our community, just to try to make a quick buck.
At the college it’s really close to residential property. One more year the field will be destroyed unless they cover to whole thing. This will be the final straw for the field. I guess we will see in the spring. I hope someone videos the field before and after.
Stateline would probably be a better venue. Montblue and Harvey’s lots perhaps? I don’t think we should give up on this event bc it does bring a ton of money to the town. Drug use is going to happen if it is here or not so I don’t see that is a valid argument, people like drugs this is a topic of discussion for a completely different forum. Buck, there is a multiplier effect on spend in a local economy don’t think of it as 1 individual spending $1400 think of it more as that 1 person buys something that another person had to buy first, ect. ect. What is the bigger picture here folks? Should SLT invest in a Gorge/Redrocks type venue, do we have land to develop for this in an eco friendly way? Can we pour $14 million into Tahoe every weekend without degrading our quality of life? These are more pertinent questions, aren’t they?