This has been brought to my attention by three different people now, so I can ignore it no longer.
By Ward Triplett
The Kansas City Star
Three weekends ago Irish Fest brought thousands to the Crown Center area with multiple stages of cultural entertainment, food booths and more. This weekend Oktoberfest hopes to bring 50,000 to the Crown Center area with multiple stages of cultural entertainment, food booths and more.
The difference between the two?
“You mean, how is polka music different from U2?” joked Bill Dietrich, president of the KC Downtown Council. “We do think Oktoberfest is the more family-oriented event. Not that the Irish Fest isn’t, but we do have the carnival and the big focus on providing things to do for young people. The Irish Fest is the more pure music festival, and Oktoberfest is more about having a lot of different things to do.”
Exsqueeze me? Bill, were you at Irish Fest? Have you been to your own event? "The big focus (is) on providing things to do for young people." Your "big focus" is on BEER! I mean, come on man! Embrace it! It's what you are! It's what Oktoberfest is! Hiring an outside vendor to set up carnival rides in the park hardly makes you the more "family-oriented event."
Let's see: Oktoberfest, carnival rides. Irish Fest. A children's tent with crafts, games, and activities all day, all weekend. A children's stage featuring music, magicians, storytelling and puppet shows all weekend. A children's parade. Contests in writing, drawing, coloring and cow naming. Custom designed Irish temporary tattoos. Face painting. Multiple big bouncy things. Carnival games. A ferris wheel. A video arcade. Dance Dance Revolution. A children's Irish heritage exhibit. A dedicated children's page on our website. Uncle Bloggy's Story Hacienda. Okay, maybe we'll leave that last one off. But you see my point.
Don't get me wrong. I encourage everybody to go to Oktoberfest. I'm going. I go every year. I wish them every success. So go. Drink some beer, responsibly. Have some fun. Eat a sausage. Dance a polka. Buy a nutcracker. Hell, take the kids to the carnival. I'm sure it's great. But don't try telling me it's the more "family-oriented event", because that makes about as much sense as telling me that Irish Fest has more pig racing and chainsaw carving. I ain't buying it.
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14 comments:
Man! Keep Shawn away from this guy!!
Somebody point out this Ward guy to me at the next Irish Fest and I will give him a personal tour of all the kid-friendly stuff there is to do. I'll make SURE he understands just HOW kid-friendly we are. Then I'll break his kneecaps!
Cami
Sorry, I meant Bill, not Ward. (But I'll include him if I need to!)
Cami
To be fair, Ward's just reporting what the Oktoberfest rep said. Don't shoot (or break the knee caps of) the messenger.
Dude, There goes your chance for free beer this weekend.
Bill, then, not Ward. I'll just make sure he's informed correctly.
Cami
I'm glad you pointed that out. If anyone would see how hard Shawn Sullivan works all year long to make sure the kids have a great time, they would know how kid friendly KCIF is. My 3 kids were there all weekend and had an awesome time and never once got bored. For that matter, we have spent time at Octoberfest as well, where they wanted to go home as soon as the carnival tickets ran out. I love KCIF and I enjoy Octoberfest, but if my kids were to pick one, KCIF would win hands down!
Way to go Danny.....
I have been at Octoberfest before...It was cool. Meaning they had tents all over the terrace area. Not a lot of people, but lots of tents. Not much for the kids to do.
I sure didn't see a lot of families there.
I will be there again this year to check it out.
By the way, last year they were selling necklaces with marajuana beads on them....I bought one for to make sure that was what it really was. What kind of family event sells that kind of stuff?
Being a volunteer in the children's area on Saturday afternoon at the irish fest, there is nothing more that screams family than this area. It was non-stop traffic and family fun. We accomidated every child and thier families. Everyone I encountered left with smiles on thier faces and I saw many return multiple times to enjoy the activities that were available. Shawn has done an amazing job making this area a wonderful experience for families and her volunteers. It is a hard job to entertain kids and this is area is ace's in my book.
The Star should come with a warning label on % of fiction.
McCarthy
I liked Uncle Bloggy, I tuned in to every uncle Bloggy.
Letter to Uncle Bloggy
Over Labor Day weekend, Crown Center hosts the Kansas City Irish Fest. I am a member of the incredibly talented group that works for a year to put that together. I am in charge of the Children's Area. We pride ourselves on many things, but from our first year at Crown Center until now, it is catering to a 'family'. In my area, the Children are 'our' guests, and the our is the enormous amount of volunteers and vendors and artists that work to make sure the children have a memory that is forged in fun and growing and wonder.
I think Mr Dietrich needed to attend our Poetry or Acting Workshops or one of our Magic shows, or maybe join in the Children's Parade, and watch a Puppet Shows. Maybe Mr. Dietrich would like a giant shamrock balloon from one our balloon artists and he would have understood what is important to the Irish Fest.
Or maybe for the 2008 Festival, Mr Dietrich would like to write an essay for us, one of several activities that continue throughout the year. Or maybe Mr. Dietrich simply needs to see the list of 'things' to do in the Irish Fest, in the Kid's Tent that was 33 things alone.
The year after the Irish Fest flood when the Irish Fest Board said let's forge ahead with this, we know the Irish Fest will be GREAT Kansas City Fun and Entertainment; the Children's Area was an important focus in that decision and has remained an important focus since.
So to every Volunteer, Artist, Vendor, I apologize for Mr. Dietrich, and I hope he apologizes himself!
Shawn A Sullivan-Warner
Resident Fairy Folk
According to the mission statement of the Downtown Council: "The Downtown Council’s 220 members – businesses, nonprofit organizations and property owners – all work together to enhance Downtown. In short, membership in the Downtown Council will benefit you, your business and your community."
I would like to know what Mr. Dietrich was thinking... How was he "enhancing" or "benefitting" KCIF by speaking about which he obviously knows very little? Was he just speculating -- repeating what he overheard someone say? Or worse, was he pushing one event over another?
Dietrich. Sounds German. Wonder where his interests lie? Let's ask. Here is Bill Dietrich's email address: bill@downtownkc.org.
WTF? "Enhanse downtown?" Then why is Octoberfest at Crown Center?
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