Shame on the organizers of Sunset Junction

[DonMike]

I have to agree with Jasun on the whole LA Pride thing. I've been going for the past few years because I was helping with the Erotic City tent (which is a whole other discussion I won't even go into here) but I'd do a quick round through the vendor booths and then go back to the tent. You'd be lucky to see a cool vendor booth with interesting things or a place to get more info about a community group because there are so many booths that are big corporate companies just trying to sway the gay buck in their favor. It's gotten really commercial.

I have to admit, I've never been to Sunset Junction. There is always something going on that weekend where I'm out of town or doing something. But it always seemed to me that it was a nice quiet street fair and not some overblown production.

[Takemytaco]

The LA Weekly's story on dubious admission charging of Sunset Junction Street Fair

http://www.laweekly.com/news/news/pr...0-tickets/304/

Priceless Sunset: No $10 Tickets

By CHRISTINE PELISEK
Thursday, September 1, 2005 - 12:00 am
LAPD officers dropped by last weekends Sunset Junction Street Fair, and, as in past years, they didnt like what they saw: staffers charging $10 admission.

The Silver Lake bash is a city-sponsored event on a public street and organizers cant charge people to get in or sell advance tickets. Donations are voluntary and can only be suggested.

We advised the organizers that if they insisted on charging $10 we would consider pulling their conditional-use permits for alcohol and loud music, said LAPD Sergeant Art Sandoval. We intervened and said it was a donation only and you cant strong-arm the people into giving you money.

Two weeks ago, Shane Goldsmith, a Silver Lake deputy with Councilman Eric Garcettis office, said that she asked fair organizer Michael McKinley, who runs the Sunset Junction Neighborhood Alliance, the nonprofit that puts on the fair and provides outreach for youth at risk in the Silver Lake and Echo Park areas, to post suggested donation signs. However, most of the gates had no signs, or signs were posted periodically during the two-day event. McKinley, when called for comment, hung up the phone twice.

The fair began in 1980 as a way to ease tension between gangs and the gay community. Despite a mid-80s riot, the peace effort was deemed a success, and the fair became an institution, with people paying whatever they could afford to get in. In 1997 McKinley fenced in the fair and began charging an entry fee. Since then, questions have arisen about where the fair proceeds are going and if it is reducing community frictions and problems in the community or just causing more. City streets are blocked off for the fund-raising event, and every year the city waives the $28,000 in fees. It is estimated that the fair draws more than 100,000 people.

In 2003, Garcettis office held a series of meetings to ease community tensions, and formed an advisory committee that came up with recommendations for fencing, alcohol sales and posting suggested donation signs. The committee also asked McKinley to show financial statements 60 days after the event. (The 2003 financial statement showed a profit of $83,000.) However, the committee was short-lived. There were less complaints, and we had a change in staff, said Garcettis acting chief of staff, Ana Guerrero, who has yet to receive the fairs 2004 financial statements.

Next year, Garcettis office plans to hold public meetings to once again talk about concerns. But some community members wonder why this happens year after year. Nothing is going to change unless someone gets involved who isnt afraid to look into it, said Silver Lake resident Dorit Dowler-Guerrero. No one wants to be the person who shuts it down because it wont look good when they run for higher office..

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[A_DeAngelo]

Yeah, and what a pisser! We drove accross town for what? circling for a very long time to find parking - ok - I can live with that but, because we were a few minutes past 4PM, we were charged $15 each to get in! So that was $30 for the two of us to ramble around - we left about a half hour later and headed to the Eagle where the gay crowd was much hotter - that $3 admission ($6 for two) added to the $7 for two beers - other rounds (paid for by others) added up to a whopping $43.50 + tips for two?!?!?! for the short 3 hour afternoon...

How does a young guy with a not so great paying job manage to get out these days and have any fun?

What did I do when I was in my $%&*#& ???

That's my point, with the orgaznizers ripping the cash out of our wallets, who's got anything left over for food, rent, car payments and porn?!?!?

No wonder we don't go out!!!! Its so much cheaper to order in...

[XXXWriterDude]

Gay pride in LA is another "event" I won't participate. when they are giving the message you can only be proud if u pay this amount.

Oh come on. That's absurd!

As several have pointed out, there are tons of costs associated with putting on an event of this size. I know the organizer, and I can tell you he is NOT sitting high on a throne rubbing his hands together with evil laughter while he is counting all his millions.

He has been this since the early 1980s, and each year it becomes harder and harder for him to do it successfully. It's not about the money.

I can't tell you about all the specifics, but I do know Michael, and making a statement like the one made above is positively ludicrous. You try organizing an event that involves paying bands signed to major labels, closing down several blocks of a major street, and employing a staff of police officers and fire fighters, and tell me how you do it without charging anything for more than 10 or so years.

Times change. Inflation goes up. Costs rise. Before condemning the organizers of the Sunset Junction and publicly shaming them, perhaps you should write them a nice, diplomatic email asking them to explain the ticket prices to you. You might learn something.

[XXXWriterDude]

Yeah, and what a pisser! We drove accross town for what? circling for a very long time to find parking - ok - I can live with that but, because we were a few minutes past 4PM, we were charged $15 each to get in! So that was $30 for the two of us to ramble around - we left about a half hour later and headed to the Eagle where the gay crowd was much hotter - that $3 admission ($6 for two) added to the $7 for two beers - other rounds (paid for by others) added up to a whopping $43.50 + tips for two?!?!?! for the short 3 hour afternoon...

How does a young guy with a not so great paying job manage to get out these days and have any fun?

What did I do when I was in my $%&*#& ???

That's my point, with the orgaznizers ripping the cash out of our wallets, who's got anything left over for food, rent, car payments and porn?!?!?

No wonder we don't go out!!!! Its so much cheaper to order in...

Hmmmmm. Well, I had a wonderful time, as I do every year. I love being out among many of my friends and all the people, eating the festival food (Hawaiian BBQ, roasted corn, pineapple smoothies -- mmmmm, goooood), checking out the bands (the Cramps were particularly fun) and just walking the streets and looking at all the hot men. It's one of the few places you can find leather daddies mingling happily with hetero couples pushing their babies around in strollers, and I am happy to support such an endeavor with my $15.

When I first came to L.A., I was shocked to find out that Sunset Junction was free. Where I come from, these kinds of events always cost money. I know there's a lot that goes into them, so I expect to pay for them. Besides that, the money is going to a great cause. Until such a fact is otherwise proved, I choose to give Michael the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps I'll do a story on the Junction and see if I can get him to go on record for me.

[Takemytaco]

If I am going to a concert at a venue, for example, Juan Gabriel at Universal, then I know what I am getting and what I am paying for. I'm paying money because I enjoy Juan Gabriel and the money that I am paying is going to Juan, to the venue, to the record label, etc. Yes, business is business and I am more than happy to support and engage in that.

Sunset Junction, however, was designed and is promoted as a "community event" under the guise of a non-profit organization. For those who miss this point, it's a NON-PROFIT organization. Over the years, it has represented an event that focuses on bringing the community together and with admission only being a donation then later a "suggested donation," it remained open to all, including low-income and no-income people. Maybe you'd like to think that these low and no-income people aren't part of a community, but they are.

Charging a mandatory $ 15 admission for a "community event" turns this event into something much different. It then becomes something much more like a Juan Gabriel concert or any other commercial concert where it's only about money. This is the difference.

The moment the "street fair" excludes parts of the comminity based on economic challenge, then it needs to call itself what it is...and what it is not.

The Street Fair is now no longer a community event.

[XXXWriterDude]

Maybe you'd like to think that these low and no-income people aren't part of a community, but they are.

Uh, no, I would not like to think that, and I kinda resent the implication that I might. Talk about "shame on someone." You should be more careful with your words and baseless accusations.

The moment the "street fair" excludes parts of the comminity based on economic challenge, then it needs to call itself what it is...and what it is not.

The Street Fair is now no longer a community event.

Of course it's a community event. The street fair itself is not puposefully excluding anyone. Again, I would recommend you look into things before you
go off on rants about them in public forums.

[A_DeAngelo]

We didn't see very many families. A family of 4 would have to dish out a lot of money to attend the event - or at least, get in...

Where we come from, most community events have always been and still are FREE.

San Francisco loves to hold street fairs and festivals, etc. etc. and for some reason, a city of only 750,000 is able to have these events ALL the time. Grant Street, Union Street, Folsom Street, Filmore Street Fairs, the Gay Pride Day Festival, Chinese New Year...etc, all attracting thousands and thousands of visitors...

So does Beverly Hills, a city of only 34,000 - lots of FREE events with big name talent...

For some reason, Sunset Juntion charges more than I think is acceptable and affordable for most of the mid and lower income families in that area... excluding the very people that are imposed upon...

and what... to get into an event so that your kids can hear someone singing about mastrubation? I mean, come on!

Cam and I have gone back and forth on this since yesterday and we goth agree that something's fishy here...

[CamCruise]

I know what I said in here earlier. It does cost money to put any event on.
But We went to this event for the first time in over 8 years.
And I was disappointed!
$30 bucks to get in and the only thing to do is to spend more money!!:anger:
All you can do is stand. Not one place to sit and eat or rest from the heat.
Other than the loud music, There was not a art exhibit or any fun thing to see.

This was not the street Fair that I remember.
It was just like going to a county fair.
only that they taken away all the free fun stuff to do, and there is only the food venders and people selling there wares.

BORING.... and a waste of at least $24.00

[DonMike]

I hate when you pay to go into an event and the only thing inside are vendor booths. If you are spending money at the booths, why pay a huge fee to enter. Save your money and just go shopping somewhere. Don't get me wrong. I like vendor booths, but there should be a nice mixture of entertainment, vendors, food and social activities. Even LA Pride has this. There's the big park area in front of the main stage where people can chill out, there's Erotic City where (like it or hate it) there are demos in the tent, people shining boots and all kinds of stuff going on, there's dance tents and other things. It is very commercialized but at least there are some cool things.

Okay, how bi-polar am I today. Earlier in this thread I was totally trashing LA Pride and now I'm praising it. Well, I'm a Gemini, what do you expect.

[XXXWriterDude]

Not to sound snotty, but I guess I think of it more in terms of the cause behind the event, not so much what I'm getting out of it. The thing is, I ALWAYS enjoy myself at Sunset Junction. I love the bands and the food and all the people, and just being able to walk down the middle of the street without getting hit by a car. LOL!

Most times I don't pay b/cuz I'm press, but I paid this year, and after all was said and done I didn't spend any more than $30 the whole time I was there. I don't really go there to buy anything anyway.

Oh well. Everyone has their own way of looking at it.