Palatine plans Street Fest in late August, provided Illinois is in Phase 5

Provided that Illinois remains fully open in late August, Palatine will hold its customary Street Fest after last year's hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The only change to the downtown festival Aug. 27-29 would be the absence of the children's area, a suggestion made by Village Manager Reid Ottesen and other staff members. The village council agreed to that after a discussion earlier this week.

"Hopefully, knock on wood, we're in Phase 5 and we'll have a festival, scaled back a little bit," Mayor Jim Schwantz said. "But hopefully it will help get a sense of normalcy back this summer."

Gov. J.B. Pritkzer announced last week that Phase 5 of the Restore Illinois plan - the phase in which events can return to full capacity - would begin June 11.

Village staff members examined a variety of options and determined there would be too many restrictions for a successful event under Phase 4 or the current Bridge Phase, Ottesen said.

The festival never makes money and in 2019 was about $18,000 in the red, according to village data.

Not setting up the kids zone at Towne Square would save costs while creating an open area for people who want to hang out or bring food there, Ottesen said. The village also would set up music speakers in that area, he added.

If the village were to hold Street Fest in the Bridge Phase - with capacity restricted at 30 people per 1,000 square feet - the projected deficit would increase to about $80,000, even without the kids zone, Ottesen said. That would be mostly due to costs for fencing and increased police staffing to control access points, Ottesen said.

"The logistics just aren't worth it," he said, particularly in light of the fact that the village is operating with fewer staff members due to pandemic-related budget cuts.

Having the festival in Phase 5, without the kids zone, would yield a projected deficit of about $31,000. Attendance is expected to be lower than normal due to the public's ongoing COVID-19 concerns, Ottesen said.

"Street Fest is a service that we provide to people," Councilman Doug Myslinski said, "and I think the people really, really want this. And I'm glad - whether it's hybrid or full scale or whatever - that we're doing something."

The village will work to make everyone comfortable, but attendance will be a personal choice for members of the public, Ottesen said.

"I don't want to sound callous," he said, "but if they are not comfortable, then don't come to Street Fest that year. If you are comfortable, come to Street Fest and enjoy Street Fest. There will be more room to spread out by not having the kids zone, so hopefully that will make it more comfortable."