LEWISPORTE, NL – Planning is underway in working towards identifying and securing bands/performers for the 2018 Mussel Bed Soiree Concert in the Park.
As was reported in The Pilot recently, there was concern from council that these details had yet to be confirmed.
Deputy Mayor Krista Freake noted that she and Recreation and Tourism director Chris Watton recently attended a meeting with the Soiree Entertainment Committee and the Mussel Bed Soiree Committee.
“We hashed around the budget for hiring bands and production,” she said. “We looked at several options for lineups.”
Potential concert themes were also discussed. Watton will take that information and make contacts to see who is available to book for the summer event and at what cost.
The budget for the event has decreased from $650,000 to $340,000 for 2018 due to losses over the past two years totalling a combined deficit of at least $130,000.
Freake said the thought is that there is still time to have everything in place for the Soiree for the sale of early bird concert tickets.
Councillor Brian Hooper recommended that the town council should plan to meet with the entire Soiree Committee early in the new year to discuss the Soiree plans so that everyone can “be on the same page going forward.”
“I’ve been pretty vocal from a finance perspective and where we are going in the future (in terms of the Soiree),” he said. “We want to ensure this is done in the best interest of taxpayers and everyone involved.
“I want to reiterate we are certainly in this with the Mussel Bed Soiree Committee.”
