2014 Whaling City Festival canceled

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From the Whaling City Festival board:

After almost 45 years of celebrations, the Whaling City Festival, one of the city’s trademark events will be canceling the 2014 festival. The New Bedford’s Whaling City Festival Board of Directors voted Monday evening to cancel the 2014 Whaling City Festival. The action taken by the board was necessary due to the challenging economic conditions, resulting from a decrease in corporate sponsorship, an increase in operating cost and a large decrease in volunteers which is the backbone of the festival.

Forty five years ago the Whaling City Festival was founded by a group of local community organizers to create a free fun filled event for family and vendors to come together. The festival has been run by a group of volunteers who dedicated many hard working hours to put on a 3 day event for the local community.

In 2013 the festival upon reviewing the budget, projected a decline in revenue for following years to come with increasing expenses. We decided we needed change. In the latter half of 2013 the board was pursuing to keep the festival open later in hopes of drawing a larger number of vendors which would in turn increase revenue allowing the festival to bring in different entertainment as well as the long term goal of bringing back the once loved laser light show. Steps were taken by the Festival Board to gain this extra time, but were not met by the City of New Bedford until early April. We had original decided to cancel the festival in March but due to the public’s outcry to continue, the board upon being granted an extra hour to stay open decide to give it one last run.

With only three months to plan a twelve month festival and with a handful of volunteers, as we approach July, it has come to our realization that cost to run a meaningful festival were much higher than what the budget could support without putting the festival in substantial debt.

The Whaling City Festival board wants to stress that this was an extremely difficult decision and was not taken lightly. The festival board has put many personal hours in the past years to make this an enjoyable event for the entire community. We are truly disappointed that we can no longer continue to run the Whaling City Festival. In conclusion we would like to thank all of our previous sponsors and supporters who made our previous years successful and enjoyable for EVERYONE.

About Michael Silvia

Served 20 years in the United States Air Force. Owner of New Bedford Guide.

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7 comments

  1. That seems like they’re saying it’s canceled forever, not just this year. Am I reading that wrong or is it over for good?

  2. This is stupid all people who were gonna go now can’t even go

  3. We will miss the Festival . I have taken my children and then my grandchildren to it many ,many years. Maybe if more people step, up and volunteer we will be able to bring it back next year. It is a ritual that brings people from all over the state and puts another black mark on our city. Thanks to all the people who have given their time to make this Festival possible .

  4. How unfortunate. I can only be grateful for all the good times we, as a family, from children to grandchildren, spent there. Those memories are part of our heritage.
    Thanks for all the hard work.

  5. Call me crazy but if they just lowered the cost for the vendors, they would have had more vendors selling. More vendors, more revenue. And more fun for the people. I’ve only attended the festival for 9 years – every year since I moved here – and it def is getting smaller and smaller and more expensive every year according to vendors.

  6. Listen to the powers that be and to ALL for many years my dads band the golden clefs headlined the festival until he went ill and past away in 1986 the in the early 2000’s myself and my cousin headlined shows was nice missed them days when real local talent was a staple of the park not some ridiculous new Bedford idol and fun 107 did not need the pig races either we should bring back the food venders though gotta love the fried veggies sausages and clam cakes venders were ok where else you gonna buy knock off coach bags for your wives people New Bedford City council and your crappy mayor are to blame I say as citizens of new Bedford we take back what was memories and give us back our festival the way it used to be oh and the car show too for those car lovers

  7. But the Carnival is still going on right?

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