The Community Festival will continue to enforce the long-standing NO BYOB policy.
Why Not?
CARRY-IN ALCOHOL IS ILLEGAL.
It has always been illegal to bring alcohol into a city park, per City Ordinance: Section 919.99. ComFest includes the NO BYOB policy in our Program Guides every year, as well as in ads and press releases. ComFest has never approved carry-in alcohol, nor do we have the power to make it legal for anyone to bring it into the park. The festival’s liquor permit to sell alcoholic beverages does not allow for carry-in alcohol by individuals. The City Ordinance permits police to ticket offenders, with potential fines up to $250.
CARRY-IN ALCOHOL ADDS TONS TO TRASH AND RECYCLING!
Tens of thousands of pounds of trash and recycling result from the festival every year. In 2008 ComFest revelers left more than 20,000 pounds of landfill waste and over 14,000 pounds of recyclables, including some 40,000 aluminum cans. The numbers have increased exponentially over the past 10 years. It takes hundreds of volunteers many hours sorting and sifting through the debris’ left in the park. Carry-in alcohol creates an unsustainable situation for ComFest.
BUYING COMFEST BEER SUPPORTS THE COMMUNITY AND THE FESTIVAL.
ComFest is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization. It is completely organized and produced by volunteers from our community. No volunteer is paid or profits from Community Festival. The money from beer sales (1) pays for the current year’s festival, (2) provides seed money for the next year’s festival, and (3) allows ComFest to give grants to other community organizations and help maintain and improve Goodale Park.
ComFest has no desire to police the public - we know some people bring food and beverages into the park during the festival, but ComFest encourages you to leave coolers at home. Remember, it has always been illegal for anyone to bring alcohol into the park.
ComFest needs every member of the community to cooperate and help. Please, leave your alcoholic beverages at home in the fridge. Remind your neighbors that BYOB is illegal and not ComFesty. Help keep Community Festival sustainable for the future!
