04-02-2025
Perch and Pilsner looking for new organizer
Feb. 4—CONNEAUT — The Conneaut Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Trustees unanimously voted to stop hosting the Perch and Pilsner Festival.
According to a chamber press release, the decision was not easy for board trustees.
"We understand how much the community enjoys the festival, however, we discussed what we want to accomplish in 2025 and the benefits we can add to the community and the chamber members," the release said.
Perch and Pilsner was started in 2018 by the chamber, and hosted every year, except 2020 and 2021, at the COVID-19 pandemic's height.
"The chamber has been the sole organizer of the event and the festival has been made possible due to the generous business sponsorships and event volunteers in the community," CACC Executive Director Wendy DuBey said.
DuBey said the festival has become more expensive to host.
"We have continued to collect more sponsorship dollars from the community year over year in order to continue the festival," she said.
DuBey said other challenges came up last year after the chamber decided to move the festival to Labor Day weekend.
"Volunteers are not as available on the long holiday weekend to run the festival and the festival is taking revenue away from the businesses that are sponsoring the event," she said.
DuBey said the chamber will sponsor local events "that fall within the guidelines of the chamber's mission."
"Our mission is to help support the local businesses and promote economic, civic, and social improvement," she said. "We are excited for the opportunity this gives us to reorganize and figure out how we can best fulfill our mission."
Conneaut City Manager Nick Sanford, whose office is represented on the board, said the chamber should focus less on city events.
"The chamber needs to focus on how it can accelerate rates of return on business in the community," he said.
The chamber's business should be local business, he said.
Sanford is looking to bring in the Conneaut Recreation Board to take over Perch and Pilsner.
The recreation board was formed in the 1960s, and focuses on local athletics.
It includes five board members chosen by the city manager and approved by council, and it has historically promoted athletic facilities for summer programs.
Sanford said is going to reach out to the CRB soon.
"There'd be a lot to take into consideration," Sanford said.
Sanford is interested in the CRB taking charge of other local events and festivals, he said.
"Let a recreation board handle the recreational events in the community," he said.
Alongside Perch and Pilsner, Sanford said he hopes the CRB could regulate a revitalized Oktoberfest.
Oktoberfest was an annual city event several years ago, which has since become defunct.
