Abbot Kinney Festival Attracts 50,000
By Kobe
Maaeo
Shopping was definitely on the
minds of the multitude, estimated by Festival organizers at 50,000, on Sept. 24
as they walked down Abbot Kinney Blvd. from Venice Blvd. to Brooks Ave. One
store told the Beachhead they had raked in more than 15 Grand that day. A food
booth said they were doing about $1,000 per hour.
On the other hand, local vendors who used
to ply their handmade goods on Ocean Front Walk until they were shut down, said
they couldn’t afford the price of the booths. It certainly seemed like
most of the 300-plus commercial booths were from outside the borders of Venice.
But to be realistic, this festival was about raking in the green, not gathering
the Venice tribes together. The website even explained how Playa Vista residents
could get to the Festival on a shuttle bus. The arrival of a mobile ATM truck
explained it all (see photo).
Perhaps
next year, the organizers could create a special rate for local (Venice) artists
and craftspeople so they can participate. Or maybe there should be a separate
festival or fair where Venetians can get together for fun, barter, music, herbs,
politics and art. Let’s hold it somewhere that out-of-towners can’t
find it, like Zeno Place.
A high point
for the Beachhead was the presentation of a posthumous “Spirit of
Venice” award to John Haag (see back
page).
The Beachhead Collective was so
flustered in being asked to accepted it, that we didn’t even remark on the
irony of a “Spirit of Venice” award being signed by the Los Angeles
City Council. Collective member Jim Smith did regain his wits in time to point
out from the Brooks Avenue stage that John Haag’s dream of restoring
cityhood for Venice had not yet been achieved. Smith said that many Venetians
also have that dream and look forward to the day when, perhaps, Bill Rosendahl -
who presented the award - might be elected Mayor of Venice. Werner Scharff, a
longtime Venice developer and property magnate, received the other posthumous
award.
John Haag was a founder of the
Free Venice Beachhead and the Peace and Freedom Party, among other things. He
was the proprietor, along with wife, Anna, of the Venice West Cafe, the
forerunner of today’s coffeehouses. The Beachhead did a John Haag memorial
issue last May that is on the web at <www.freevenice.org>.
Posted: Sun - October 1, 2006 at 02:26 PM