The Tybee Island Tourism Council has agreed to relinquish control of the annual Tybee Island Pirate Fest after a new not-for-profit group, comprised of business owners who had criticized proposed changes, applied to hold the event instead.
Whether the South End Association of Bars and Restaurants will be able to pull the October event off is in question, however. The organization is counting on getting about $30,000 in funding assistance from the tourism council, which made it clear on Wednesday that no such money will be forthcoming.
The shift comes after the tourism council withdrew its event application after some south end business owners criticized proposed changes that were mainly related to the relocation of the music stage and a children’s play area.
Chairman Keith Gay said the council wanted to move the stage from the north end of the parking lot along Strand Avenue to the south end to separate alcohol sales from the family area.
Some of the business owners were concerned the move would reduce the amount of traffic into their establishments and steer customers away from vendors on the north side when the acts took the stage, said Richard Adams, who helped establish SEABAR and submit the group’s event application.
After City Council heard the concerns on Thursday, they requested the council and business owners meet before approving the application.
The tourism council then withdrew its site plan. Gay said the council did not know the application also would be withdrawn.
Upon learning the business group wanted to take over, the tourism council on Wednesday unanimously voted to support the move by reaffirming its application withdrawal.
“Quite honestly, this is probably the best thing that could happen to this group,” Gay said.
This year’s festival would have been only the second since the tourism council took control of the event following the dissolution of Tybee Fest organization in 2011.
Gay said the council did not want to be in the festival business and reluctantly “stepped up” to prevent the festival from going away. Having SEABAR take over would allow the council to focus on their marketing efforts.
“If they can make it work the old way, God bless them,” Gay said. “I hope they are successful.”
The newly formed SEABAR hopes to get the $30,000 the tourism council received from Tybee Fest’s account when that organization dissolved, said Adams. He said the organization also will count on receiving $25,000 from Southern Eagle Distributors, which has provided such support in the past.
Gay said the council’s festival committee would meet with the SEABAR organization to see how they could assist but the $30,000 would not be provided. Those funds are needed for other events for which the tourism council is still responsible, he said.
Other details will have to be worked out with the change. The tourism council has paid a deposit of about $10,000 to reserve the bands scheduled to perform, and that will be lost if the contracts are cancelled, Gay said.
The new group can use the bands for the event, but they would be responsible for covering the balance owed to them, Gay said.
Gay said the festival has always lost money and the council had been hoping the event would start breaking even with the changes.
If the new organization is not successful, “it could be the end of Pirate Fest as we know it,” he said.