Ho, ho, how are we going to pay? These Beaufort holiday events are in limbo

Could trick-or-treating and tree-lighting in downtown Beaufort be a thing of the past?

Beaufort’s annual holiday celebrations are in limbo amid questions of how they will be paid for and organized. Main Street Beaufort, which has run the events in the past, didn’t receive its requested funding in the city budget passed Tuesday.

The Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce has agreed to take on the Beaufort Shrimp Festival and Taste of Beaufort, the two largest festivals.

That leaves Downtown Trick-or-Treat, Night on the Town — the December festival on Bay Street that includes the annual Christmas tree lighting and musical performances, a boat parade and downtown Christmas parade — as events without money or an organizer, Councilwoman Nan Sutton pointed out during a City Council workshop Tuesday.

“My question is who is going to do it?” said Sutton, who owns LuLu Burgess on Bay Street.

The consensus among city officials is the events will continue. Among the options discussed:

▪ A newly formed organization of downtown business owners could take on one or more of the events

▪  the chamber could agree to take them on

▪ the city could use hospitality tax money previously earmarked for Main Street to support the events.

The chamber presented City Council with a plan for Main Street earlier this month with a request for about $140,000 that included marketing and economic development costs, chamber president and CEO Blakely Williams said. Much of that money wasn’t included in the city’s budget, but Williams said Main Street has a new vision and plans to move forward.

“We are very hopeful that the city and chamber can agree on the next steps and strategic vision for Main Street,” Williams said Thursday. “It’s just not confirmed, but we’re working very hard to earn their trust and support.”

The new merchants group is still being organized, said Mary and Eric Thibault, owners of Thibault Gallery on Bay Street. Its first priority will be jazzing up First Fridays, when downtown business owners keep doors open later on the first Friday evening of the month and offer refreshments and live music.

They said their role could eventually include more events.

“As time goes on, I’m sure we’ll be willing to help,” Eric Thibault told City Council on Tuesday. “But at this time, we don’t have an answer.”

Mary Thibault later told council members the new organization could run Night on the Town, since it already fell on the first Friday of December and that the organization would consider taking on others.

Councilman Stephen Murray said the event traditionally falls under Main Street and is not the city’s to give away.

Main Street, which for more than 30 years has represented downtown businesses, has received public money in past years from a portion of city and county taxes on overnight stays and city fees on food and drink. But the money was only a fraction of the most recent $140,000 request — Main Street’s $290,000 budget during the past fiscal year included just under $50,000 from city accommodations and hospitality tax money.

The budget item had come under scrutiny in recent years, led in part by Mayor Billy Keyserling, who said Main Street wasn’t fulfilling its duty to grow business downtown. The chamber absorbed Main Street last year.

Though not all are profitable, Main Street’s events draw a crowd each year.

In October, business owners distribute candy to children in costume who go door-to-door on Bay Street.

Night on the Town includes caroling, performances by church groups and the annual Christmas tree lighting.

Boats decorated with Christmas lights float down the Beaufort River the following night in the annual boat parade.

And the Christmas parade winds though downtown to close the weekend.

“We’re not going to let these events die,” Murray said. “... I don’t really care who does it, as long as it’s done and done well.”

This story was originally published June 29, 2017 at 2:50 PM with the headline "Ho, ho, how are we going to pay? These Beaufort holiday events are in limbo."