ROCKFORD, IL — GoRockford is refunding the cost of permit fees and its commission on sales to vendors after more than 8 inches of snow fell on this year’s Stroll on State.
A letter was sent to more than 100 vendors on Wednesday informing them that “because of the hardship caused by the storm, we will be refunding all vendor permit fees and waiving all food vendor commissions for this year’s event.”
“We know how much planning, product, staffing and heart go into preparing for this event,” the letter states. “And we know the snowstorm created real challenges for you. The weather significantly affected foot traffic, operating conditions and your ability to generate revenue as expected. While we tried to keep everyone in the loop as event details changed throughout the day, we apologize for any details we may have missed in our communications.”
Vendors can expect to refunds to be processed by the end of the week.
“We hope this action helps offset some of the financial impact created by the weather,” the letter reads. “Thank you again for your flexibility, dedication, and for helping bring the magic of Stroll on State to life even in very tough conditions.”
GoRockford CEO John Groh said attendance was hampered by the severe weather which made driving conditions hazardous. The event typically attractions more than 80,000 people, but attendance figures which have not yet been released aren’t expected to be anywhere near that.
Snowstorms that dumped the second most snow on Rockford on a November day on record, prevented the fireworks needed for its annual show from reaching Rockford. The horse and buggy operator called off when rural roads were deemed impassable. And the snow made the planned drone light show — performed by what are essentially flying computers — impossible.
Groh said organizers did everything they could to adjust to changing weather conditions and preserve as many attractions as possible, trying to make the best of the situation.
Plenty of people took to Facebook criticizing the city for not rescheduling or just moving it to Sunday, but that was virtually impossible, Groh said.
A huge event like Stroll on State is a go or no-go decision, Groh said. Moving forward with a scaled back event was a joint decision reached with input from city police, fire and public works departments, Groh said.
“It’s never really an option to just reschedule a massive event like Stroll on State, a major street festival,” Groh said. “When you are closing 20 city blocks downtown, that doesn’t just happen.”
Before the snow storm, more than 100 retail and food vendors. Brick and mortar businesses had hired extra staff for the day. Hundreds of volunteers were lined up. Police and fire personnel were scheduled and they can’t just be told to show up the next day. The drone show permitted by the Federal Aviation Administration and the event permitted by the city was specific to a that day and it’s not feasible to double book, Groh said.
“It’s logistically impossible to just say, ‘Oh, we’ll do it tomorrow,” Groh said. “if it was a contained event on a much smaller scale, it would maybe be doable, but it really isn’t something you can do.”
Vendors including owners of The Olive Branch, a Greek food truck business, expressed their disappointment on Facebook saying the event had left them heartbroken and at a financial loss, having rang up just $76 in sales for the day.
“It’s difficult to share exactly how much work goes into getting ready for an event like Stoll on State,” The Olive Branch posted online. “What was disappointing wasn’t the weather. What was disappointing was that it wasn’t down scaled. Did you know that it costs $300 to participate in this event? There was no option given to us vendors. And for small businesses like us, we have to do what it takes to at least do something to break even.”
Jeff Kolkey writes about government, economic development and other issues for the Rockford Register Star. He can be reached via email at jkolkey@rrstar.com and on X @jeffkolkey.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Vendors devastated by Stroll on State snowstorm get silver lining
Reporting by Jeff Kolkey, Rockford Register Star / Rockford Register Star
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