Cotati City Council
Agenda Staff Report
Item type: CONSENT CALENDAR (ACTION)
To: City Council
Subject: ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION TO APPROVE THE 2026
PLAY LIKE DJ DAY OF THE DEAD EVENT IN LA PLAZA
PARK.
Date: October 13, 2026
Written by: Ashley Wilson, Recreation Manager
Recommendation
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution approving the 2026 Play Like DJ Day of the Dead event in La Plaza Park.
Background
Play Like DJ is a local nonprofit organization that empowers youth through sports by creating opportunities and mentorship experiences that help young athletes play, grow, and thrive.
Through scholarships and community partnerships, their goal is to remove barriers for local youth while creating opportunities for them to succeed both on and off the field. Play Like DJ is working with Girasol Collective, a local business that desires to continue bringing cultural events to Cotati. The event is proposed to be the 2nd Annual Day of the Dead Celebration, honoring Latino traditions and promoting cultural appreciation. Girasol Collective’s owner, Rocio Alvarez, also owns a small business selling local goods at pop-up shops and events. She currently has a presence at many Sonoma County cultural events, promoting small businesses.
Girasol Collective was a recipient of the 2025 Cotati Cultural Grant Program award and used the $5,000 in grant funding to produce the first year of the Day of the Dead event in 2025 in La Plaza Park.
This year, they are proposing to host the second year of the event on Sunday, November 1, 2026, in La Plaza Park.
Analysis/Discussion
The proposed event will feature Altars (Ofrendas) to honor loved ones with marigolds, photos, and offerings, live music from traditional mariachi and folkloric performances, children’s crafts and activities, and vendors with local goods, foods, and other items.
The event is proposed to be from 1:00pm-6:00pm with street closures on La Plaza Street behind the park between Old Redwood Highway and West Sierra Avenue. The street closure request would be from 9:00am to 8:00pm to allow for setup and cleanup before and after the event. No park closures are requested or required. The event would be free to attend.
The applicant has requested the use of amplified music, and authorization for vendors to sell goods, food, and beverages (including the sales of alcohol).
The exhibits attached to the resolution describe the street closures necessary for the orderly movement of vehicle and pedestrian traffic during street closures. City staff will place no parking signs on La Plaza Street on the morning of the event.
The street closure signs will also be placed by the City’s Public Works Department on the day of the event. The applicant has reviewed the insurance requirements and has indicated that they can provide adequate insurance. A Condition of Approval has been included which requires proof of insurance supplied to the City before the event.
A Condition of Approval has been included in the agenda packet. This item outlines the requirement of an approved temporary permit for the sale of alcohol, provided by the California Department of Alcohol and Beverage Control, to be supplied to the City before the event.
Financial Considerations
Girasol Collective has requested fee waivers for their event. In accordance with the Park Use and Special Event Policy regarding fee waiver requests, staff recommends that these costs be partially waived by 50%, as this event is a free community event offered by a non-profit organization, is a significant annual event, and will increase the number of visitors to the City thus providing increased opportunities to promote economic development .
Total costs and waivers would be as follows:
Fees for Play Like DJ Day of the Dead Event
Fees &
Deposit
50%
Discount
Adjusted Fees
& Deposit
Large Event Non-Resident Park Permit Fee $ 569.00 $ 284.50 $ 284.50 Small Street Closure Fee 798.00 399.00 399.00
Special Event Application Fee 57.00 28.50 28.50
Electricity Fee 18.00 9.00 9.00
Restroom Cleaning Fee 220.00 110.00 110.00
Refundable deposit (prior to event) 500.00 - 500.00
Totals $ 2,162.00 $ 831.00 $ 1,331.00
The total cost of the waivers is $831 and would be funded by the City’s General Fund account.
Environmental Issues
This action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it is not a project which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, pursuant to CEQA Guideline section 15378,