March 19 Ukes on The Green may have to be cancelled - Need your Help

I just found out from the Venue we were holding the March 19 festival at that one of the requirements is that we supply volunteers for the collection of money, and other administrative duties. We will also need to pay the sound person.

I really thinks we have a great line up with vendors, great musicians and workshop instructors. My hopes have been to grow this into a yearly event at the Green and we are well on our way to do that. In order for that to happen, and the Festival to be held, we need your help. We need some volunteers to work a shift consisting of half the festival or 4.5 hours. 10:00AM-2:30PM and 2:30PM til 7:00PM. You will get in the festival for free and be part of a really fun event. I need to get back to my contact by Monday with a commitment. Think about it and let me know if you can volunteer.

I may also have to raise the admission fee to $15 to cover expenses, Still a bargin considering what you get. ukesonthegreen.charlestonhotshots.com

You might post how many volunteers you need and post on Ukulele Cosmos and FMMBB as well. Do you need the money in advance? How you already sold tickets? Can you arrange some corporate sponsers? Those questions should be answered to give you some idea where you stand. If you are sure the event will take place, submit information to Ukulele Player Magazine and we can publish the info about the event.

I'd also be curious to know where "The Green" is. I'm in New York. Is this something I can get to by car?

Papa Tom said:

I'd also be curious to know where "The Green" is. I'm in New York. Is this something I can get to by car?

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you could, It might take you awhile though. If i'm not mistaken it is in the Charleston, SC area.

Thanks everyone for the responses. I am working my way through the options available to me. I've also had some interest in another venue hosting it.

The problem in a nut shell it this. Unless a lot of folks come, there won't be sponsors, vendors, acts, etc and if there are no sponsors, vendors and acts a lot of folks won't come. So I have tried to slowly grow this by getting folks in the SE to interact and help grow a cool festival. I don't have any money to front so it's all been zero budget. If I had a history of 100+ people showing up it would be no problem.

All the requirements I was given today by the venue were done after I'd asked a couple of times if I needed volunteers, money up front, etc. It wasn't unreasonable, it was just done after I asked, and I thought there were no additional requirements, so I advertised it and contacted everyone.

I think I am trying to do a good thing and will make no money off of it. Ya'all pray for me to get this thing back on track. Because it should be a blast if I can!!!!!

Aren't there other parks that might have better organization, or lesser requirements? Awendaw is kind of a ways out there. What I mean is, is this THE ONLY venue, and if you can't meet their requirements, you HAVE to cancel? It might be worth looking at some other options somewhere in the tricounty. The SPCA that you're benefitting is a large organization, perhaps they can offer some suggestions as to venues that have worked well for them in the past?

Yes I am looking at all options, new venue included. I was blindsided by all of this today. I am a hard man to keep down though.

Ukuleleblues said:

Yes I am looking at all options, new venue included. I was blindsided by all of this today. I am a hard man to keep down though.

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As someone who got majorly blindsided in that "Oh, we'd like to throw up some roadblocks to your future for you, we hope you don't mind!" kind of way, I completely understand. I wish I could help. I was born in Charleston and raised in Summerville, but Helsinki is a bit of a commute.

It might be worth asking someone at the SPCA what venues have been friendly with them, and maybe they have partners that give discounts and what not. Hopefully better than the SPCA was when I was last there some years ago to donate food, and it was like I ruined their day. :/

Thanks for everyone’s input and positive thoughts. It all came together today. The Festival is on.

We righted all of our issues with the March 19 SE ukulele festival; we've got a new venue (Cypress gardesn in SC) and new name (the Blackwater Ukulele Festival). It's gonna be more awesome!!!!!!

We've added miles of walking trails, an aquarium, nature center, butterfly house, gift shop, food vendor, craft vendors, gardens, boat rides, talking birds (parrots), alligators (wild and caged) in addition to the already great line up of:

Ukulele Vendors
2 ukulele workshops
open mic
concert with:
the Charleston Hot Shots
Kent Knorr
the V-Tones

Gates open at 9:00. The festival starts at 10:00. Check out our web site:

blackwaterukulelefestival.charlestonhotshots.com