The annual Foothills Festival in downtown Jasper will now be operated by a nonprofit organization instead of the City of Jasper after a vote of the Jasper City Council on Tuesday morning.
Council members voted to enter into an agreement with the Jasper Area Entertainment Corporation for that group to manage the Foothills Festival, beginning this year.
“This will allow the city to leave Foothills in the hands of the private sector,” O’Mary said. “After the debacle of two years ago, I thought it needed to move into private hands, because we found ourselves in a position where city government was held hostage to a certain degree, and you can’t have that.”
The Jasper Area Entertainment Corporation is a nonprofit group made up of a nine-person board of directors which include three from the City of Jasper, three from Jasper Main Street and three from event sponsors.
“I am really pleased with the agreement.m,” O’Mary said. It covers the key points of moving this project forward.”
O’Mary said the new entity will manage the finances for the event, but the city remains a large contributor, voting Tuesday to approve a request from JAEC increase the city’s funding from $60,000 to $75,000.
The city will also continue to be involved via in-kind work, but O’Mary was clear to say city workers will be overseen by city department heads.
“I don’t want our folks to think they are getting farmed out to work for someone else,” he said.
No acts have been named for the 2023 Foothills Festival, which is scheduled for Sept. 15-16. Zach Baker of 78 Entertainment, talent buyer for the festival, said he is close to having all the talent booked.
“I can’t really mention any (acts) right now, but it’s about 90 percent done,” he said.
