HomeMy WebLinkAboutA001 - Council Action Form dated June 10, 2025ITEM #:8
DATE:06-10-25
DEPT:ADMIN
SUBJECT:REQUESTS FROM OCTAGON ARTS CENTER FOR OCTAGON ART
FESTIVAL ON SEPTEMBER 28, 2025
COUNCIL ACTION FORM
BACKGROUND:
The Octagon Center for the Arts plans to host the Octagon Art Festival in downtown Ames on
Sunday, September 28, 2025. The event is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. and conclude at
4:00 p.m. Booths selling art works, crafts, and food items will be in operation that day.
To facilitate this event, the following items are requested:
1. Closure of the following streets, from 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.:
a. Main Street, east of Clark (not blocking Wells Fargo Driveway) to just west of Duff
Avenue (allowing traffic to access parking lot behind businesses)
b. Douglas Avenue, 5th Street to Main Street
c. Kellogg Avenue, south of the alley to Main Street
d. Burnett Avenue, south of the alley to Main Street
2. Waiver of costs for electricity during the event (estimated at $10)
3. Approval of a Blanket Temporary Obstruction Permit for the Central Business District
4. Approval of a Blanket Vending License for the duration of the event
5. Waiver of fee for Blanket Vending License ($50)
Insurance coverage for the event has been provided by The Octagon Center for the Arts.
Notification signs will be placed on parking meters on Saturday evening after 6:00 p.m. Since
the event occurs on a Sunday, there is no potential loss of parking meter revenue.
Public Works will provide the necessary barricades for the street closures. A noise
permit will be obtained through the Police Department.
Ames Main Street has been informed of the Art Festival and is in support of it. Additionally,
Octagon staff has contacted affected businesses door-to-door. Signatures confirming the
notification have been obtained from nearly all affected businesses. Fewer businesses are
open in the downtown area on Sundays compared to other days of the week.
ALTERNATIVES:
1. Approve the requests from the Octagon Center for the Arts for the Art Festival on
September 28, 2025, including closure of various streets from 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.,
blanket Vending License and waiver of fee for Vending Licenses, Blanket Temporary
Obstruction Permit for sidewalks adjacent to closed street, and waiver of costs for
electricity during the event.
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2. Approve the requests but require payment for the Blanket Vending License and
reimbursement for electricity use.
3. Deny the requests.
CITY MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED ACTION:
This is the 54th year that the Octagon has held the Art Festival. There will be more than
one hundred artists on hand with unique, hand-crafted artwork for sale, live
entertainment, and local food vendors. No admission is charged, and festival
organizers expect 8,000 people to attend. Ames Main Street has expressed its full
support of the event. Therefore, it is the recommendation of the City Manager that the City
Council adopt Alternative #1, as described above.
ATTACHMENT(S):
Octagon festival map May 2025.pdf
Octagon art festival letter to city council 2025.pdf
2025 Special Events Application - Octagon.pdf
Main St Letter of Support for Octagon Arts Festival 2025.pdf
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Octagon Center for the Arts • 427 Douglas Ave. Ames, IA 50010 • 515.232.5331 • www.octagonarts.org
May 16, 2025
Mayor and City Council
515 Clark Ave.
Ames, IA 50010
Honorable Mayor and City Council,
On Sunday, September 28, the Octagon Center for the Arts is hosting the 54th Annual Octagon Art Festival in
Downtown Ames along Main Street.
The purpose for the celebration is: An event to showcase the various artists representing the creative talent in
Ames and the Midwest, to celebrate the richness and enjoyment that art provides through visual expression,
highlight the beauty of Ames’ community and people while sharing the wonderful Downtown Ames experience
with visitors from all over Iowa and neighboring states.
The Octagon Arts Festival will officially begin Sunday, September 28 at 10 a.m. and conclude at 4 p.m. Octagon
staff members have already notifying businesses on Main Street about street closures for this festival.
Sunday, September 28: Octagon Art Festival
5 - 6 am: Setup, barricades setup to close streets in downtown
10 am: festival open to public
4 pm: festival closes to public, teardown
6 pm: streets cleared of artists, streets reopen
Following is a list of specific Octagon Arts Festival requests for consideration by the Ames City Council:
Closed Streets
The following street closures are requested to cover from 6 am - 6 pm on September 28. (Please view map)
•Main Street will be closed from just East of Clark (not blocking Wells Fargo driveway) to just West of Duff
Avenue, allowing traffic to access parking lot behind businesses.
•Douglas Avenue will be closed up to 5th Street.
•Kellogg Avenue will be closed up to 5th Street (still allows garbage transportation through alley way)
•Burnett Avenue will be closed just past the Alley (still allows garbage transportation through alley way).
•Barricades are requested for all intersections. Barricades will be staffed at all times after their placement.
Octagon event volunteers will man barricades to facilitate the flow of emergency vehicles if need be.
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Utilities
•Costs for electricity needed for the Arts Festival are requested to be waived. This involves electricity from City
facilities on Main Street, Douglas Avenue, Kellogg Avenue, and Burnett Avenue, including connection costs.
Blanket Temporary Obstruction Permit
•A temporary obstruction permit is requested for the central business district to allow businesses to be included in
the festival atmosphere and display merchandise in front of the stores, obstructing a portion of the sidewalks.
Artists and vendors will be setting up booths in the streets, allowing enough room down center of street for traffic
of emergency vehicles should they be needed.
Noise Permit
•A noise permit is being requested to allow the playing of music, as well as other entertainment, in the Downtown
Area from 10 a.m. on Sunday, September 28, through 4 p.m. Two entertainment areas will be set up. Main
Entertainment Area near Tom Evans Park. Smaller entertainment area will be located at Main and Douglas, near
Cynthia Duff Walkway.
Food Vending Permit
Approximately ten-twelve food vendors will be offering culinary options to festival visitors. Focal area for the food
vendors will be centered in the Kellogg and Main Street intersection.
•The Octagon is requesting that the food vending fee be waived.
•The Octagon is also requesting about 6-8 picnic tables from Park and Rec to be used near the food vendor area
along Kellogg. Last year these were provided by Parks & Rec and set up a few days before event.
Small Banner display
• The Octagon is again requesting to place approximately 5 or 6 vinyl banners that are 3 ft by 5 ft in size at the
street corner pylons along Main Street intersections. Both the Main Street Cultural District and the Octagon hav e
displayed these banners in past years to promote public events taking place in the Main Street Cultural District.
These banners would be securely installed, with zip ties, at end of August and promptly taken down day after
event.
On behalf of the Octagon Center for the Arts, we appreciate the City of Ames supporting artistic and cultural
experiences such as the Octagon Art Festival. We invite the mayor and city council members to stop by the festival
on Sunday, September 28 from 10 am – 4 pm in downtown Ames.
Much gratitude,
Heather Johnson
Executive Director
Octagon Center for the Arts
427 Douglas Avenue
Ames, IA 50010
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304 Main Street, Ames, IA 50010 | 515.233.3472 | AmesDowntown.org
Ames Main Street advances and promotes Downtown Ames as the heart of the Ames community.
April 24, 2025
Ames City Council
City of Ames
515 Clark Avenue
Ames, IA 50010
Dear Mayor Haila and Members of the Ames City Council,
On behalf of Ames Main Street board of directors, I am pleased to offer our strong support
for the 54th Annual Octagon Art Festival, scheduled for Sunday, September 28, 2025, from
10am to 4pm, in Downtown Ames. We also support the request for street closures along
Main Street and adjacent areas to ensure a safe and successful experience for artists,
vendors, and attendees.
The Octagon Art Festival is one of the premier community events in our city, drawing
approximately 10,000 attendees to the heart of our historic downtown. Featuring visual art by
100 artists, live entertainment, children’s crafts, and local food vendors, the festival offers a
free and family-friendly way to celebrate the arts and engage the community. Beyond its
cultural value, the event serves as a powerful economic driver for downtown businesses.
Many of our businesses report a significant uptick in sales during the event, with some stating
it’s their second highest-grossing day of the year. The Octagon Center also actively
encourages typically closed businesses to open on festival Sunday, further maximizing the
event’s positive impact on our local economy.
Events like the Octagon Art Festival help Downtown Ames fulfill its mission of being a
dynamic destination in Central Iowa by enhancing the vibrancy and visibility of our
community. We appreciate the City’s continued partnership and commitment to supporting
events that contribute to the economic and cultural vitality of Downtown Ames.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Onward!
Travis Toliver, IOM
Executive Director
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