The Jackalope Block Party, a skateboarding event that drew more than 50,000 people to downtown Ventura over three days in early May, will return in 2027 and 2028.
The Ventura City Council voted 6-1 on June 2 to approve the event at a total cost of $300,000, or $150,000 per year.
Councilmember Liz Campos cast the lone dissenting vote.
“I think we can make more money for the city by hiring a cultural arts manager and letting them work with local groups to accomplish these events,” Campos said in a June 4 text message.
How much did the city make from the festival?
Meredith Hart, economic development manager for the city, told the council the event generated significant commercial activity. She said 470 hotel room nights were booked at two hotels, producing about $334,000 in direct visitor spending and roughly $107,000 in transient occupancy tax, for a total of $441,000.
Councilmember Jim Duran said that not all businesses benefited, but restaurants he contacted reported sales increases of at least 25%. “In some cases, even a little bit more, which is pretty amazing,” Duran said.
Three speakers opposed the item, saying more data was needed before approval.
Resident Glenn Overley, who spoke during public comment, urged councilmembers to wait for City Manager Bill Ayub and Chief Financial Officer Greg Morley to return with additional financial comparisons to prior years.
Carlos Landeros-Angel, who said he volunteered at the event, criticized organizers as unprofessional and had “serious concerns,” including safety planning and coordination with security and police.
What does the festival funding pay for?
The $150,000 spent each year will cover police, fire, infrastructure, permitting, event services, fencing and portable toilets, Hart said.
Hart said at the meeting on June 2 that all sales tax data will not be available for about six months and cannot be broken down by a single weekend.
In a pre-meeting email, Hart said the event drew 50,505 unique visitors and boosted hotel occupancy during a typically slow period, exceeding expectations of 450 room nights. She added the event generated “substantial media exposure,” with videos drawing between 100,000 and 4.2 million views.
The arrangement gives Jackalope the certainty to secure sponsorships, attract athletes, expand programming and marketing opportunities and that would in turn help the city, Hart said.
Wes Woods II covers West County for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at wesley.woodsii@vcstar.com, 805-437-0262 or @JournoWes.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Ventura to spend $300K on Jackalope event return in 2027, 2028
Reporting by Wes Woods II, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
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By Wes Woods II, Ventura County Star | USA TODAY Network
