Chicago festival organizer among several in deep debt due to lack of funding, wants community's help

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago is known for its diverse neighborhood summer festivals and street events, but organizers say the cost to pull them off has skyrocketed.

The owner of the Silver Room in Hyde Park wants to put together more festivals on the South Side, but he's still facing financial hardship from the last several block parties that he's put together. He's one of several event planners who want to make festivals more financially sustainable.

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Summertime Chi is synonymous with street festivals and neighborhood events that bring the whole community together. From live music to delicious food, Chicago residents can't get enough of their festivals.

But they aren't cheap, and the cost to produce street events has soared.

"I walk down the street, and everyone's like, 'The block party. We need this!'" business owner and festival organizer Eric Williams said. "It was such a good time. And I have to explain to them, it was self-financed."

Williams, who produced the popular Silver Room Block Party, said he lost hundreds of thousands of dollars of his own money to keep the street fest running and keep the community happy.

He has since created a GoFundMe page to recoup the funds he lost, but also to bring another fest back if the city and community will support him this go around.

He's not alone. Festivals all over the city, from the North Side to the South Side, have been sounding the alarm about lack of funding, rising costs and a donation model that simply isn't working.

RELATED | Chicago street festivals struggling with rising costs, drop in donations

Wallace Goode, Executive Director of the Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce, says donations from festival-goers isn't cutting it.

"Producing a festival is tricky... costly, and a lot of people lost money," Goode said.

He says security costs and insurance went up after the 2017 deadly Las Vegas mass shooting. The bigger the street fest, the more the organizers have to pay to keep it safe.

"We are a victim of our own success," Goode said. "Festivals are a community opportunity to help not only the businesses but to bring people together... so the city could underwrite some of the insurance and security costs."

Goode says with fewer sponsorship dollars and risings costs, he'd like to see the city do more to financially support the festivals.

Williams agrees, as he works to get out of street festival debt. He's hoping the city and community will step up so that people don't miss out on quintessential Chicago events.

"We shouldn't put the burden on one person. Be it me, or anybody," Williams said. "If we want to see the city shine as a collective, it's going to take all of us to make these things happen."

A city of Chicago spokesperson shared the following statement:
"Street festivals and neighborhood events embody the soul of our city, showcasing the vibrancy of our 77 neighborhoods. The city of chicago is dedicated to supporting the organizations and community leaders that make these events happen. We have teams across departments that review applications to ensure events meet the safety guidelines for the community."