STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date: February 6, 2024
To: Honorable Mayor & City Council
From: Matthew Brown, Recreation Services Manager
Subject: Second Annual Festival Beverly Hills
Attachments: None
INTRODUCTION
The inaugural Festival Beverly Hills event was held on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Beverly Hills Farmers Market, and included performances and hands-on family friendly activities from more than 15 artists and organizations including:
• Cultural performances and tutorials from organizations like the Asian Arts Dance Team, Blue13, Cortines High School, Self Help Graphics & Art, and Southern California Marimba
• Culinary programs with a teen cooking competition and an Iranian spice-making workshop
• Iconic Southern California-based organizations like Bob Baker Marionette Theatre, dublab Community Radio, LA Carnivale, and LA Commons • Performances by Beverly Hills Unified School District music production and dance students
Festival Beverly Hills aims to celebrate and showcase the cultural diversity of the City of Beverly Hills and Southern California. Through a range of performances, family-friendly workshops, activities, and culinary offerings, Festival Beverly Hills exemplifies the City as a world-class arts and cultural destination. The objective of the Arts and Culture Commission and Community Services Department staff for the second annual Festival Beverly Hills, is to build upon the success of the inaugural festival and continue to elevate Festival Beverly Hills as a cultural destination for both the Beverly Hills community and the Greater Southern California region.
DISCUSSION
Although the Beverly Hills Farmers Market was a successful venue for the inaugural festival, in an effort to give the event space a larger and more distinctive footprint, the Arts and Culture Commission recommended relocating the festival to Roxbury Park in 2024 and beyond. Roxbury Park, which also plays host to other popular Community Services Department events like Beverly Hills Doggy Daze 90210 and the Beverly Hills Day of Wellness, provides a more flexible and dynamic venue, allowing for continued expansion,
Meeting Date: February 6, 2024
and elevation as a world-class cultural event. Additional parking can be provided for attendees at nearby Beverly Hills High School.
The inaugural Festival Beverly Hills event was scheduled for early spring in 2023 and experienced several scheduling obstacles. Obstacles and considerations to continue Festival Beverly Hills as a recurring spring event, include increased chances of inclement spring weather, the number of seasonal holiday dates, and several ongoing Community Services Department and City-wide programs activities, and events.
Specifically, some of the logistical challenges in the spring include the ongoing need to plan for a date not in conflict with the Los Angeles marathon, Vanity Fair, and the Easter holidays.
Planning for a mid-summer event aligns in the calendar roughly midway between the fall and spring art shows, which is optimal from an event production and overall event calendar perspective. The Arts and Culture Commission proposed that Festival Beverly Hills be moved to a summer event, and scheduled to occur either Sunday, July 21 or Sunday, July 28 in 2024.These dates and placement on the summer calendar will help avoid the spring season scheduling challenges and provide an opportunity to engage a wider audience demographic of residents and visitors to the region alike. The summer season festival date also provides an increased opportunity to secure featured talent and deploy a more robust festival marketing and promotional strategy.
The recommendation was presented to the Arts and Culture Council Liaisons on Tuesday, January 30 and was supported. The Arts and Culture Commission subcommittee will begin working with staff to secure the date, talent, and vendors for an expanded program for 2024. As the program further develops, recommendations will be brought before the Arts and Culture Council Liaisons and full City Council, including a request for additional funding should it be needed.
FISCAL IMPACT
The costs associated with the 2024 Festival Beverly Hills can be absorbed within the Community Services Department budget. The department currently has allocated $20,000 for the expansion of the event. Staff will return to City Council to request additional funding at a later date, should it be needed.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommend that the City Council receive and file this report, as it is for informational purposes only.
Stephanie Harris,
Director of Community Services
Approved By