OLDS — Town council has approved a request from C5 Rodeo for a $10,000 sponsorship for Oldstoberfest.
Council made that decision during its May 23 meeting.
The company is a major organizer of the annual event, billed as “the world’s only Bavarian rodeo and biergarten.” This year’s edition is slated for Sept. 15-16, at the Olds Regional Exhibition rodeo grounds.
The first Oldstoberfest was held in 2015. But a series of unfortunate events – including COVID – kept it from getting the momentum it needs by occurring annually. C5 Rodeo took over in 2017. It finally got back on track last year.
As always, in addition to lots of rodeo action, beer and food, the two-day festival will feature a rock concert and country concert.
This year, The Hip Show will perform a classic rock concert on Sept. 15. Tim and The Glory Boys will stage a country concert on Sept. 16.
“Oldstoberfest is estimated to bring 8,000 visitors throughout the weekend,” a request for decision in council’s agenda package said.
“The committee’s goals are to maximize economic impact, increase community engagement, and showcase the town of Olds and the county of Mountain View.”
Gillian Grant of C5 Rodeo made the pitch for council to contribute a $10,000 gold sponsorship when she gave a presentation on Oldstoberfest to council on April 24.
During the May 23 meeting, chief administrative officer Brent Williams told council the request is in line with what the town has donated to organizers during previous years.
He said the money can come out of the town’s community grants reserve which “still does not have strong parameters around it but it does have the funds available.”
“Given that there’s precedent for this event in this amount and that it provides great value to this community, the recommendation is to approve the gold sponsorship (investment),” Williams said.
Deputy mayor Harvey Walsh asked if the $10,000 requested would cover enhanced policing that had been requested.
"That is over and above,” Williams said.
He said that was the case for previous editions of Oldstoberfest as well.
Coun. Dan Daley said a line in Grant’s presentation that said the C5 had donated $150,000 to the local community is “a misprint” and he asked for that to be corrected in the record.
“She made it very clear that that is a misprint, that actually that is what it costs for them to do their business here in town,” he said.
