Georgetown Edition | March 2025

BY ANNA MANESS

What they're saying

Taking a step back

A “logistical nightmare” occurred in 2023 when a cell tower went down the night of the festival, Schroeder said. The downed tower caused problems for people trying to schedule rides home, Parks & Recreation Director Kimberly Garrett said. “This year, we made a commitment in our contract with C3 that we would work to get better cell coverage,” Garrett said. Ocials have purchased portable cell tow- ers on wheels—or mobile towers providing temporary cell coverage—and are working closely with cellphone providers to improve signal at the park, Garrett said. Nonprot Friends of Georgetown Parks and Recreation is the ocial presenting sponsor of the festival, Garrett said. The city of Georgetown contracts with the nonprot and in turn, Friends of the Park subcontracts with C3, allowing C3 to make an annual donation back to Friends of the Park,

The two-day event attracted about 60,000 people in 2023 and 63,000 in 2024, Bartkus said. This year, her team is preparing for 70,000. “The lineup of the festival has gotten better and better every year,” Healy said. Georgetown Mayor Josh Schroeder said he’s enjoyed attending the festival both years. “I’m in the front row, screaming my head o,” Schroeder said. After locals said tickets ran out too soon, C3 began oering presale tickets for residents.

Friends of the Park support via Two Step Inn

$500K for purchase of Southeast Park $50K for Parks & Rec scholarships, programs, memberships $5K for a permanent StoryWalk in San Gabriel Park $70K to purchase a Parks & Rec van

$100K for a digital movie screen

SOURCE: FRIENDS OF GEORGETOWN PARKS AND RECREATION/COMMUNITY IMPACT

Schroeder said. The past two years’ donations from C3 were $1.1 million and $1.2 million, respectively. Garrett said Friends of the Park uses the donations to give back to the community.

PHOTO COURTESY TWO STEP INN 2023, GABY DEIMEKE

The impact

Looking ahead

The festival brings both opportunities and challenges to the area, said Jen Bradac, president of Georgetown’s North Old Town Neighborhood Association. Bradac said she’s working with C3 and city ocials to regulate unauthorized parking in her neighborhood during the event. Bradac said neighbors are generally receptive to the festival, but nearby businesses experience a decline in customer trac during the event. “[With] the money the festival brings to Georgetown, these businesses should not be losing money,” Bradac said. After becoming concerned the festival would negatively aect The Palomino’s rst full year of business in 2024, Kurkowski said she reached out to the city. After negotiations, C3 oered her and other local businesses a VIP spot in the food court last year. “They told us to prep for up to 3,000 people,” Kurkowski said. “We only had maybe 300 sales total for the whole weekend. I lost a signicant amount of money.” Nina Regalado, general manager of The Golden Rule, a restaurant in the downtown square, said the restaurant saw a surge in customers during the festival’s rst year. “I think it’s a great concept. I think this town

“As far as the local business owners, it’s not helping us. For us, it would be better if they didn’t have the festival.” AMBER KURKOWSKI, OWNER OF THE PALOMINO

City council approved a renewal agreement with C3 in May 2024, which ensures the festival will return in 2026 and 2027. “We didn’t think that there was any chance a town of our size could get a festival like this,” Schroeder said. Schroeder said C3 officials told him the longer runway they have to plan the event, the heavier they can invest into the festival. Schroeder said at some point, C3 might ask the city to schedule the festival across two weekends, but city leaders are sensitive to shutting down the park for more time. “If it’s in one additional week of closure from where we’re at now, but it doubles the amount they give to the parks foundation—if not more—then I think we’ve got to at least look at it and do that math,” Schroeder said. Bartkus said for now, staff is ensuring the one weekend event improves each year. “We are very happy to call Georgetown home, and we’d like to continue our partnership with the city for the foreseeable future,” Bartkus said.

“It’s all about the long game. … There’s just no denying the number of people that we’ve drawn to the square on a daily basis, year over year.” JOSH SCHROEDER, MAYOR OF GEORGETOWN

needed more spotlight,” Regalado said. This year, C3 is giving 20 local businesses free giveaway tickets and will highlight the companies on social media ahead of time, Bartkus said. Addi- tionally, C3 will purchase sta meals from local restaurants during festival setup and highlight businesses staying open late on a jumbotron at the park, she said.

GEORGETOWN EDITION