Noooooooooo! Don’t say it is so. There was a vote on Monday to determine the fate of the Sunset Junction Fair and the Los Angeles Board of Public Works has denied the Sunset Junction Neighborhood Alliance operating permits for its 2011 street fair!!
It is supposed to happen this weekend and it has been ruling this neighborhood for 31 years at this period of the year,….and this has been my kiss goodbye to the summer for a decade or so,… it sounds very depressing.
According to the LA Times, the board voted 3-1 to deny the permits because of nearly $400,000 in unpaid fees ($256,484.14 from last year's fair) owned for policing, street closures and diverse services. Sunset Junction fair founder, Michael McKinley has questioned these fees, saying that much smaller fees had been applied for other street festivals in Los Angeles.
I know that some local business owners have some problems with this festival, but it has always been a very positive thing for the Silver Lake community, it has definitively established this neighborhood as a place for artists, musicians, has made it the center of a rich cultural diversity and it has even helped youth at risk by developing the Sunset Junction Neighborhood Alliance’s outreach programs. So how could this cancellation be a good thing?
Nevertheless, there is hope, this decision could be reversed if Michael McKinley can raise $141,978.57 by Wednesday…. he claimed to have $50,000 in liquid funds at the moment, so there is only $90,000 or so missing! Where are the sponsors?
At the end of Monday afternoon, the following was posted on the Sunset Junction Fair facebook page and tweeted:
‘Evidently we are the hottest TREND- Please do not Panic, stay tuned for updates at sunsetjunction.org we will have good news in 24hrs!!! Everyday is a challenge #sunsetjunction DO NOT PANIC!’
Come on, bands are booked, tickets are sold, I just want it to happen…. You can donate money here to save the fair: