Tag Cloud
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Fine-tuning underway for Second Saturdays
by Suzanne Hurt, published on March 31, 2010 at 6:58 PM
Storyline: Events
Sacramento officials and business leaders are working to keep the “art” in Second Saturday Art Walks and head off other problems as the event kicks into high gear.
With larger crowds expected in the coming warm season, officials from the city’s Code Enforcement Department, the Sacramento Police Department and Midtown Business Association are having a series of meetings to fine-tune rules and written guidelines.
One of their primary concerns is to prevent growing sidewalk sales from turning the art walk into a giant flea market. The city has had to discourage people wanting to sell appliances and other secondhand goods during Second Saturday, said MBA Executive Director Rob Kerth.
“The goal is to preserve Second Saturday as an art walk or a place where people can go out and see art and locally produced crafts,” he said.
The city recently released a flier to remind businesses, vendors and musicians about existing rules and point out one or two new ones for the monthly events.
Police will more strictly enforce requirements that businesses get a one-day alcohol beverage permit from the Sacramento Police Department as well as a special daily license from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control in order to sell or give away alcohol, said Sgt. Norm Leong, police department spokesman.
The 2010 flier tells business owners and temporary vendors that sidewalk sales and other outdoor vending can take place without a special permit if the goods are "the same items normally sold or displayed" inside. Vendors must get written permission from the adjacent business and leave a six-foot-wide path clear on sidewalks.
A special permit for sidewalk sales would be a new requirement. However, they are considering changing the wording to allow people who own or lease non-art office or retail space in Midtown or other popular Second Saturday areas to sell their own art or crafts outside without that permit, Kerth said.
There is also talk of enforcing things such as the requirement for written permission to hold a sidewalk sale and making sure amplified bands are spread out. Acoustic bands don't raise the same concerns. Outdoor amplified sound must always have a special permit, whether it’s on public or private property. That may now also need to meet the sound ordinance — although the way that’s monitored may be revamped for this event. The sound may be monitored close to the speakers, he added.
Police oversee the safety of pedestrians and vehicles, street closures and the enforcement of sound and alcohol ordinances so the event can remain successful, according to Capt. Dana Matthes, the police department’s central area commander.
Official hours and street closures for Second Saturday are from 5-10 p.m. For more information, call Special Event Services at 808-7888 or click here.
Flag Article As:
Conversation Express your views,
debate, and be heard with those in your area closest
to the issue.
Leave a Comment
Besides, the most interesting thing about 2nd sat is the life outside, they should encourage that as you can only take so much landscape watercolours or “cityscape” oil paintings on the inside.
On their face, the new requirements seem to be reasonable and responsible. I hope that the enforcement part of the equation is equally responsible and even-handed.
Having said that, I do wonder/hope that the proposed new rules are finalized & enforced in such a way as to maintain the variety of talented vendors & musicians who are just individuals (not business owners) we've come to love at Art Walk. I was a bit confused by the part about special permits being required to sell work not sold in the store... does this mean that without special permits there will be no more artists outside coffee shops/clothing stores/and huge venues like McMartin Realty because they are not a)the business owners or b)selling the goods normally sold in the business? What is the proposed cost of said permit and where do the funds collected go? The wrong answers to those questions could remove a GREAT DEAL of the ART from Art Walk. It would be a real shame to see this become just another corporate event that excludes the "little" artists & crafters that currently make it unique.
And I DO hope they aren't too hard on the musicians-- I know many people who find them as much of a 2nd Saturday draw as the arts & crafts. Our city's ordinances are pretty strict with musicians already (ex: bums can beg for money providing nothing in return, but musicians can't play with a hat/music case accepting donations? Seems skewed).
I know there are many efforts going into further increasing Sacramento's appeal as an artistically & culturally rich city... the best way to have known artists & musicians from your city is to support them & help them AS they grow, leaving them "hometown proud" once they've "made it."
City and business leaders are still working out the rule and guidelines regarding special permits being required if the goods sold on the sidewalk are different than the ones sold inside.
The intent is to enable artists and crafters to sell, as long as they have permission to be where they are.
All of these regulations already exist and have been ignored and/or selectively enforced during the tenure of City Manager Ray Kerridge and Development Department Director, Bill Thomas, both of whom recently evicted from city leadership, under an underexamined and underreported cloud of scandal and investigations.
Second Saturday did not have to remain dedicated to synergizing art galleries' visibility and sales. It also did not have to be turned into a garish, circus-like street fair while our Midtown neighborhoods were turned into alchohol fueled, mall mentality, war zones.
I d love to see the Heritage music festival return to our city as well as the old open air markets of the past.Including the additon of more sporting events in the streets of our city .
We can have both, quality of living for our residents and an exciting vibrant city . It just takes work . Work, well worth doing.