Siesta Key Village Association considers canceling Siesta Fiesta

At today’s Siesta Key Village Association meeting, multiple board members expressed their displeasure with the Fiesta this year and its negative affect on business.

The Fiesta was held April 11 and 12.

“Siesta Fiesta is a liability for us,” said Russell Matthes, SKVA board member and owner of Daiquiri Deck.

Matthes said he felt the festival had lost its identity and original purpose. It used to be a party for locals to welcome them back onto the Key after season ended and most of the tourists had departed, shutting down Ocean Boulevard for the festival.

Now, however, that identity has been altered.

“Season is lasting longer, shutting down the street is hard to manage and parking is at a minimum,” he said. “We’ve seen a saturation of these types of events.”

The Fiesta is currently managed by Howard Alan Events, which has a contract with SKVA and pays an annual fee to run Fiesta and the Siesta Key Craft Festival typically held in February. Howard Alan Events manages other crafts festivals in Sarasota and the West coast of the state.

Matthes said the week prior to Siesta Fiesta had been busy, and during the festival business was slower than during the week—something not common for Daiquiri Deck.

“I could have closed and it wouldn’t matter,” said Ed McConnell, owner of Siesta Village Outfitters. “They’re not spending a nickel… at the brick and mortar businesses.”

After the meeting, McConnell said that his business had experienced a 65% decrease in revenue when comparing the days of Siesta Fiesta to the previous weekend.

“We’re scratching our head, why do these guys get to come out here at the height of season while the rest of us businesses have to slug it out all year long?” he said. “It’s always been kind of a negative for us.”

The board discussed the possibility of either combining Siesta Fiesta with Siesta Key Craft Festival in February or canceling the Fiesta contract with Howard Alan and keeping the February event.

No official decision was made, but the options will be on the table at the SKVA board’s May 19 meeting.

Matthes said Howard Alan Events has managed the festival for more than 15 years, but these negative effects have only started in the last five years or so, as tourism has grown on the Key.

“It was bad all around,” said Roz Hyman, board treasurer. “I feel like we’ve all hit our saturation.”

Helayne Stillings, the on-site show coordinator for Howard Alan Events, said the community had always been supportive of the festival and she was surprised that businesses were not generating revenue during the event.

“You have to stand in line to get into the restaurants,” she said. “Any merchant we’ve ever spoken to has been supportive.”

The important thing to note about the event is that it brings new people onto the Key, she said. Although they may not make any purchases at the local businesses that weekend, they might return later to try out a restaurant or a shop.

Stillings said in the past, Siesta Fiesta had been an event when locals would come together and drink, and it was more of a street party. However, at one time Siesta Key passed an open container ordinance that restricted drinking in the street. Stillings said the change redirected the festival. Now, fewer locals seem to support the festival, she said.

“We didn’t want to bring out the people just to drink—this is a higher-end crowd,” she said. “You can bring the whole family.”

Crime Stoppers

Sheriff’’s Office Lieutenant Debra Kaspar told SKVA members at the meeting to remember to always lock their cars and homes, even if they would only be leaving for an hour or two.

Kaspar reported that the Gulf Gate area had seen a spike in car burglaries in the last few weeks. All of the crimes had been opportunistic, meaning the cars were not broken into—the burglar simply found an unlocked car and gained easy access to the interior.

So far, no similar trend has been reported on Siesta Key, except a home burglary over the weekend, Kaspar said.

“We want to stay ahead of the trend,” she said.

Kaspar told the group that crime prevention was key: use your locks and secure your valuables.

“You don’t know what you’re protecting from,” she said.