March and the St. Patrick's Day parade and right around the corner, ready to put a stake in the heart of this endless winter. I love the parade. I've designed floats for and marched in the parade for years. But, see, there's the thing. I love the parade and I'm
in the parade. It's been a lot of years since I was a spectator at the Grand Ave. extravaganza. I know it gets crowded. I known certain amenities can be hard to find. So if I were a watcher instead of a marcher, I'd be on this news like green on a shamrock:
The K.C. St. Pat's Parade committee announces a new way to watch the parade this year.
Cottage Row, where you and your group can watch the proceedings in a private, reserved tent. For $1200, you and 29 other members of your clan, office, group or organization get:
- Private 10x10 tent in PRIME secured viewing area of the parade
- Private porto-pottie shared with other Cottage Row sponsors
- Allowance for food and drink in tent along route
- Street access prior to the start of the parade for unloading
- Cottage sign acknowledging your company as a sponsor
- First right of refusal for 2009
Let that second one sink in, parade goers: private toilet. At the parade. That's worth the money right there. But listen, like all good things availability is limited and the cottages will go fast. Get yours by contacting one of the smart people who thunk this up, and find them
here.
Oh, and could I stop by and use the potty as the Irish Fest float goes by? I'll just be a minute.
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16 comments:
Sounds like a desperate cry for some extra dollars.
Not so much a desperate cry but a response to the feedback we get every year from spectators who struggle to make their way through the crowds. Don't get me wrong....we do have a tremendous fundraising goal that we are constantly aware of. Hopefully the money raised from this venture will be helpful in getting that accomplished! We would love feedback on the idea though so feel free to share! So far we have had a very positive response!
Erin Kiekbusch
Vice President/Co-Chair, KC St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee
What did the Fire Marshal say?
T-H-E-L-I-N-K
What a great way to block the view of those folks who don't have the money to rent a public sidewalk!
How about we simply run the parade on a pay-per-view basis and get it over with.
Geez, "Anonymous," "Anonymous," and "Anonymous," lighten up and see the good side to this. It means the parade committee is really thinking about how to firstly, raise money to pay for the fencing that everyone has demanded (those things are NOT cheap!); and secondly, provide a posh area for you and your friends to feel special, drink your own libations, and, most importantly, have your own privies. So you have to give up 10 measly feet of parade front. So what!?
Lighten up!
Cami
How come everyone who expresses a dissenting opinion on this blog is invariably told to "lighten up". What this world needs is less stratification between the haves and the have-nots, not more. To a lot of kids that parade may be one of the few free forms of entertainment they get to experience. Their prime curb space should not be taken away because somebody has $1,200 to spend on feeling superior.
Hi guys! Me again! I appreciate all of the talk this has generated! Cami, thanks for having our backs :-) and Anonymous, I completely appreciate your concerns. There is no reason to worry though. The space these will take up is very little and is space that previously had been occupied by other things anyway. Our first priority has always been the families and especially kids. SO there will still be PLENTY of room for those groups who do not want to participate or can't afford it. Thanks everyone!
Erin Kiekbusch
Vice President/Co-Chair, KC St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee
We welcome all opinions and all dissent here. They all get published unless they use language that is abusive or obscene. I could count the comments I haven't published in two years on the fingers of one hand. Maybe Erin could give us a little more information as to how many of these tents will be erected and where they'll be. The parade route, I believe is a little better than a mile long. With spectators on both sides standing 4 or 5 deep, a few 10 foot wide tents over a total length of some 11 or 12,000 linear feet of parade route doesn't seem to me like it will keep any kids from enjoying the parade. Since parades by definition move, I think the concept of prime space isn't a big issue. No matter where you are, you're all getting the same stuff passing you by. I don't think it's fair to say that the people who buy the tent space will be doing so "to feel superior." If you fill your tent to its 30 head capacity, it's $40 a person. I would think that would put it in range of a lot of families, church groups, schools, etc.
Well, by the time I'd finished typing Erin had read my mind and responded. Thank you Sunshine.
It's not so much how much space these "cottages" will use up, or what the space has been usec for in previous parades (and where did these prior occupants get moved to?) it's a matter of where the prime real estate is located. Yes, Dan, the parade passes everyone by, but some are crammed into nooks and crannies while others can spread out. It's no different the the annual Rose Parade in Pasadena (though on an infinately smaller scale); people camp out on sidewalks there days in advance to get a prime viewing spot even though, as you said, the parade goes by everyone somehow equally.
It's still awfully elitist to plop a tent down and stake your claim to an otherwise public sidewalk (that we all presumably pay taxes on) so that you can sip your beer far of the jostling elbows of the common folk.
Okay, since you mentioned that this is no different (other than scale) than the Rose Parade, grandstand seating for that event- grandstands holding 70,000 which presumably take up prime real estate and block views- costs between $42 to $85 per seat this year. That's just for a seat. Elitist? Maybe. But consider this: the Kansas City St. Patrick's Day Parade like the Rose Parade has sky-high costs and no admission charge. Unlike the Rose Parade, they have extremely limited revenue streams. It takes some creative thinking by the 100% volunteer staff to come up with ways to pay for the security, set-up, permits, clean-up, insurance and all the other costs necessary to make this thing happen every year. The taxes we pay for sidewalk space don't come close to cutting it.
As a parade marcher of many years, I see the entire route every year and I can tell you if you get away from the crowds in the Union Station/Crown Center area, there is plenty of room to watch without being "crammed into nooks and crannies", even with the addition of a few tents.
Condemning an idea is easy. Coming up with a better solution is a little more challenging. If the private tents are elitist or unfair, I'm sure Erin and the rest of the committee are more than willing to listen to suggestions for other more equitable ways to finance the parade.
I really do appreciate your comments, seriously I do. But for a second, I need to speak as Erin. Not Erin the co-chair of the parade or anything other than just plain Erin...I think the reason anonymous comments that are negative get bashed is because they are so strongly opinionated but the person posting doesn't seem to have the "guts" (for lack of better term)to sign their name to it. If you feel so stongly and are sure that what you are posting is fair and warranted then why not sign your name? I guess I personally tend to give a little more credit to a comment if the person posting owns up to their opinion.
Having said that though, again I do appreciate your feedback...heck it was feedback that brought us to adding this new feature in the first place. And I am proud to report that 95% of the feedback (at least!) has been oustandingly positive. As I mentioned earlier....there is still going to be awesome viewing space for those who have their "favorite spots" and want a good view of the parade. (a mile fits a lot of people!)
So if you really would like to discuss this further or if you have better suggestions to share, I truly would love to hear them but perhaps emailing me personally might be a more constructive route to go.
Erin
Oh and perhaps leaving my email address might be helpful! erin@kcirishparade.com
Discounting an honest opinion simply because it is "anonymous" is a very juvenile way to call someone out. I personally don't sign my name because I don't think this should devolve into a "personality" issue. My name or yours (complete with impressive title), should not be the issue here.
I don't think I am "hiding" behind my anonymity. Rather, I am using it to speak for the faceless crowds who are often overlooked as commmittees cook up their plans.
For the record, Dan probably knows who every submitter is since all responses have electronic tags are are likely very readable. In my case, I am simply too doggone lazy to go through the hassle of registering for an acccount on this blog service. (I already have enough passwords to remember as it is.)
And, since you, Erin, bring up the matter of identifying yourself, I only have to wonder why you have yet to mention your "third" identity as a member of the Board of Directors of the KCIF (and sponsors of this blog). If you're gung-ho for "identifying" who's doing the talking you should have no qualms about sharing this tidbit with blog readers.
Of course, this missing information may not seem relevant to the matter at hand, and no more relevant than anyone's particular identity, but what people choose to share and what they choose not to share can often be very informative in and of itself.
Well friend....I guess no matter what I say you are never going to be interested in seeing anyone elses side so I am done trying to make you happy. As I said earlier if you really feel strongly.... lets just chat about it one on one over email. But regardless, leaving out my "title" as board member of Irish Fest had absolutely no alterior motive. It just wasn't relevant to what I was posting. But yep....I am a board member of the fest as well...and proud of it I might add(I worked hard to get here).
I would like to make a quick note though....the parade committee is not some sort of exclusive committee that "cooks up plans" in some secretive way. Our committee is completely open and all are welcome. We meet every Wednesday night (at least when we are this close to the parade)at various locations posted on our website.
I wish you would just take a deep breath and try to let go of some of this anger boiling out of your posts. You will notice in all of my responses to you they have been very positive and welcome your opinions. And yes, just as you have the right to an opinion about what is going on with the events around town, I have the right to have an opinion about not posting your name (and by the way, you don't have to register to include your name....I am not registered)
Anyway, again, as I have said in all of my posts....nothing that I have said has been intended to anger you or offend you. (or anyone for that matter) I appreciate others opinions and welcome feedback. I would imagine (and hope) that most people who know me would describe me as a kind, fun loving and non-controversial person. I do my best to make people happy and do the best job I can at whatever I am working on whether it is the parade or the fest or any of the many other activites I am involved in. Am I perfect? No of course not...not even close! Do I sometimes take things personal that I shouldn't....you bet! I put a lot of blood sweat and tears into the events I work on and I want to make them the best experience possible for those who attend. I am human and do the best I can....and so are all of the other hard working people who run these events as well.
As we all get fired up about our personal opinions lets just remember that we are all hard working volunteers trying to do the best job possible.
Ok so I promise that is it now.....so much not commenting anymore. That is the last you will hear from me on this thread though. I can safely say that I have expressed all I have interest in expressing. At least on this blog. :-)
Thanks for the discussion....Erin
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