Nobody was at Monteith Riverpark when my bike took the summer concert stage on June 22.
As you have probably heard, the end of Covid restrictions on public gatherings has caused Albany Parks and Recreation to drop its plan to restrict attendance at this summer’s concerts in Monteith Riverpark and charge $5 to get in.
Parks and Recreation Director Kim Lyddane made the announcement Wednesday.
The original plan — online-only sales of a limited number of tickets at $5 per person, along with other routines — was intended to enable the city to hold concerts at all in face of state-mandated restrictions, and also to recoup some of the added costs made necessary by Covid-19.
Now that the restrictions are off, Lyddane quickly revised most of the plan.
The concert venue in Monteith Riverpark will still be surrounded by a temporary fence, with three gates including the main one on Washington Street.
But instead of requiring tickets, the city will ask people for a donation as they go in. The “suggested” amount is one dollar a person, but if people want to donate more, no one’s going to stop them. The money is intended to help defray the costs of putting on these events.
More information about all this, including expenses and revenue, is covered on the parks department’s website here. Lyddane suggests people go there to find out all anybody wants to know.
Four concerts are scheduled in the River Rhythms series, on Thursday nights from July 22 through Aug. 12.
The Summer Sounds series, on Monday nights, has three concerts, on Aug. 2, 9 and 16.
Originally, Parks & Rec had planned to stick with its limited-tickets plan no matter what happened with the shifting state regulations. But with all the state restrictions now lifted, that would not have gone over well with the people for whom these summer concerts in the park are a big deal. (hh)
The city is going to ASK citizens to “tax me more” as they walk into a concert?
This seems inconsistent with the “let’s IMPOSE this fee” approach the council desires.
But let’s not stand in the way of those citizens who want to provide more revenue to the city.
If you truly believe you are undertaxed, please open your wallet for the sake of “essential” programs like concerts in the park.
Your comment has inspired me. Many times when I see certain comments in online forums, I’m reminded of Lincoln’s quote, “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt.” I don’t recall ever replying to a comment with the quote, but it seems altogether fitting and proper in this instance.
I see the speech police are handing out citations today on Hasso’s blog.
The sign of a weak mind is when, instead of providing a counter argument to a person’s position, you maliciously attack the person.
Thankfully, it takes quite a lot to hurt my tender feelings.
To DSimpson, there are times when “to speak” is needed & properly done. To clarify, to enlighten, to inform those who would be “sheeple” and just follow along. A proper discourse amongst opposing & contradicting views is good for our Republic (“For Which It Stands”) on this weekend in particular!
I agree with the “sheeple” reference from a slight different perspective (though I prefer the ‘lemming’ visual to sheeple) . My lovely bride (she’s looking over my shoulder) and I had resigned ourselves to no longer attending due to the requirement of purchasing tickets on a “secure” website.
So, for or us, removing this requirement is fantastic news, and we won’t mind dropping some “buck” into the community chest. Uncoerced user fees make sense.
Since you’re going to have gates, why not simply charge people that don’t live in Albany. These concerts are filled with Corvallis people, often to the point “locals” get inferior seating.
Some extremely funny comments on this particular HH Bloggo post.
Made me laugh out loud.
This one though, where is the documented proof where you type BiLL_OH?
You cannot back up your comment. Too many variables. Different acts? Different dates? Different draws.
F for fake!
I used to go to these concerts and have seen the bigger acts where if you want to see, you stand because the place is full. All you have to do watch the stream of cars heading back on Hwy 20.
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out where they’re going.
Good point! For me the ‘tell’ wasn’t a stream of cars, but rather a sea of cinnabar shirts with the iconic Benton County Courthouse emblazoned on the obverse and the words “In dieser nacht bin ich ein Albaner” displayed in transient solidarity on the reverse.
I personally leave a trail of $5 bills behind me everywhere I go, all day long….