PITTSBURG – For four decades, the city has attracted visitors to its Seafood and Music Festival. But without its traditional support, it will now be no more.
Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce CEO Wolfgang Croskey said historically, the city and the chamber partnered to organize the event.
However, after the COVID-19 pandemic, Croskey said the city no longer provided support or subsidized services, causing the full financial burden and fundraising efforts to fall on the chamber.
“I can’t speak to why they made that decision, and I can only speak for the years that I’ve been involved. I would say that ever since we came back from COVID, it is when they started invoicing us,” said Croskey in an interview with this news organization.
Croskey said the chamber would need to raise around $250,000 for the festival and pay the city for its services. Last year, the chamber was billed around $123,000 by the city for the festival, and about $90,000 in 2023.
The bulk of the cost to produce the festival went toward critical services – such as insurance, event permits, and police staffing.
“Without a strong partnership with the city, the cost of city-required services alone makes it impossible to produce a festival that meets the standards our community expects and deserves,” said Croskey. “The last two years, the festival lost money, and so that’s why doing it a third time, it’s just not a good business decision.”
The chamber also explored various options to continue the festival in its current format, but was unable to close the financial gap to maintain its quality and scale.
The festival, typically held in September, has been part of the city since 1984. It was created to spotlight the city’s Old Town, support local businesses, and put Pittsburg on the map as a destination for visitors.
Despite the decision to end the festival, Croskey said the chamber is busy working on another event to achieve similar goals.
“I can’t share all the details on that, but it’s definitely not a festival because festivals are oversaturated in the Bay Area. Everybody’s got a festival for this and that, they are everywhere,” said Croskey. “But we’re looking at other ways to bring people using entertainment.”
Many residents and vendors have contacted Croskey after learning of the festival’s end. For vendors, the festival was part of the revenue they depended on, he said.
“Although it’s sad and disappointing, I think it’s an opportunity to create something new,” said Croskey. “Although 40 years is quite a legacy and there are lots of memories, those memories don’t die, they get to be woven into what makes Pittsburg such a wonderful city.”
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Pittsburg Seafood and Music Festival comes to an end after 40 years )
Also on site :
- DC vs RCB Live Streaming Free and Live Telecast - IPL 2025, Match 46
- Walmart Has an 'Awesome' $200 Mattress Topper on Sale for $52, and Shoppers Say 'It’s 100% Worth the Money'
- Trump's third-term talk freezes the potential 2028 Republican field