No ball drop for new years? (Sacramento: restaurants, bars, housing)

[Majin]

So i'm getting my plans together for new years and I am just now finding out that the ball drop is canceled this year because last year's ball drop was too successful and too many people showed up.

Anybody else as dissapointed as me? Sacramento can put together an extremely popular new york style ball drop even that brings in 10's of thousands of people into the grid and they are not doing it this year?

Two steps forward and 5 steps backwards

I cannot even express my dissapointment in the Mayor and the business community for not putting something together this year. Sorry just so disspointed I had to make a thread about it. Wburg I welcome your thoughts and haters please stay out the thread I'm not in the mood.

[wburg]

The problem is that last year's event was too successful. It was supposed to draw 2000 because supposedly Sacramentans don't know how to party. 10,000 showed up because the people who thought that were wrong. This year they would have had to provide 5-10 times as much security, bathrooms and other crowd-control measures, because only a miracle or the stars aligning right prevented a mob scene last year. Nobody wanted to pony up the cash for that, so no party.

There will be a big ol' thing in Old Sacramento, including fireworks, and there are only about a zillion New Year's Eve parties going on. I imagine 21st and P, 20th and K, 28th and J, 16th and L, 15th and R and assorted other intersections where there are a bunch of bars will be quite ridiculous, but the Old Sac one will probably be the party to be at this year.

[NewToCA]

They had announced the cancellation a couple of weeks ago. Just a shame, kind of confirms many of the negative sentiments folks have around here, about it being a second class area.

The lack of public rallying to save the event is a bit troubling, at least to me.

[wburg]

One year isn't really enough time to establish a tradition, it was a party put on by a couple local restaurant owners last year with very little planning or forethought. If someone wanted to put up the money they could have put it on, but everyone was broke, including the city. It's not like they're canceling the Jazz Festival or the State Fair or something--there's really nothing to "save." I imagine there will still be quite a lot of people milling around K Street on New Year's Eve, and considering there are a few nightclubs on that block I imagine they will find something to do.

[NewToCA]

I have no doubt that plenty of activities will be available, but part of what makes a city "something" is the establishment of traditions. This seemed like an opportunity, but obviously isn't going to be easy to pull off each year.

[Think About It!]

Well that is too bad. I was planning on attending this event until I saw this thread and found out it's not happening. Looks like Old Sacramento or SF now.

[wburg]

Why can't Old Sacramento be the tradition? It has been there for the past several years, and draws a big crowd. It seems like nothing we actually already do counts as "something," which is kind of ridiculous--as though the things we can do don't matter, seemingly only because they happen in Sacramento, and the things we can't do somehow are more important than what we have actually accomplished. I find that ridiculous.

I'll be near 10th & K on New Year's Eve, I'll let you know what happens.

[Phil Minor]

Remember city and county budgets are really thin owing to the collapse of the housing bust and less aid from the state. If the government has to cut back somewhere, I suspect that city funding for a New Years Party is probably less urgent than funding the police department, the fire department, various social programs etc.

[Curmudgeon]

Makes me wonder if St. Patrick's Day will be celebrated in the street between 8th and 9th and K again this year.

[wburg]

Curmudgeon: When was St. Patrick's Day celebrated between 8th and 9th and K? There aren't really any open businesses there except for the Rite-Aid. Last year I thought the big St. Patrick's celebration was in front of DeVere's on L and 16th.

Phil Minor: Last year's event was not a city or county function, it was private, paid for by the owners of some restaurants near 10th and K. They aren't willing to put up enough to pay for the security and toilets the city wants (and really should have been there last year), and the city can't afford to make up the difference.