I’m going to tell you some things I know about the Boomtown festival, coming downtown on Sunday, May 24. If the following reports appear scant and contradictory, it’s because I’m restricting sources to those that are open and public (yesterday’s merchant meeting) or ones disclosed directly to me (the Flea Off e-mail).
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We learned yesterday that the city of New Albany has ceded event planning sovereignty to the Louisville’s musical promotions firm Production Simple as it pertains to control of alcoholic beverage vending at this year’s second Boomtown show, slated for Sunday, May 24.
David Duggins told yesterday’s Merchant Meeting attendees that last year’s consortium of local businesses operating under the aegis of an NABC catering permit for the occasion, a group now formally chartered as the New Albany Restaurant & Bar Association, would not be repeated this year. No reason was offered for this.
Rather, in 2015 Production Simple will utilize its “preferred” and “professional” beverage caterer from Louisville, the name of which Duggins conceded he could not remember, although he repeated the word “professional” several times, and explained the caterer is “local” by virtue of having a warehouse located in New Albany.
In addition, the Louisville street bazaar known as Flea Off returns to Boomtown in 2015. Yesterday Duggins told the merchants that while local alcoholic alcoholic beverage vendors would be excluded from participation, local restaurants could contact Flea Off and register to serve food, even though a representative of Flea Off recently declaimed responsibility for both food and drink in an e-mail to the author.
Duggins also noted that while Flea Off vendors typically pay for their space, the city of New Albany has negotiated a special deal, and local retail stores and other entities will be allowed free booth space for Boomtown. Finally, the band Houndmouth will not be performing this year, as it did in 2014 at the conclusion of Boomtown, although the Houndmouth “brand” still fully backs Boomtown.
Now, many of you have asked me about beer for Boomtown and other summer events (Bicentennial Park concert series, July 3 fireworks, et al). Remembering that I’m on leave of absence from NABC in order to campaign for mayor, and have referred communications to others within the company, all I can say is that little is known to me or them. In short, the situation is almost completely opaque.
Unofficially, I am told that NABC beer will be sold by the “professional” caterer at Boomtown, but because no one knows who it is, and the level of craft beer commitment it possesses, there is simply no way for me to predict its offerings or how much it cares about craft. This, too, is opaque.
As to what happens when the concert series begins on Friday, June 5, it’s also anyone’s guess about vendors and beverage choices. As of this writing, no information has been forthcoming for public attribution, and there is no way of knowing whether local vendors will be involved, or Production Simple’s “professional” caterer, or an entity yet to be revealed.
Frustrated by the persistent fog?
Trust me. I know how it feels. That’s why I’m running for mayor in the first place.
