HomeMy WebLinkAboutA001 - Council Action Form dated July 14, 2026ITEM #:12
DATE:07-14-26
DEPT:ADMIN
SUBJECT:REQUESTS FROM OCTAGON ARTS CENTER FOR OCTAGON ART
FESTIVAL ON SEPTEMBER 27, 2026
COUNCIL ACTION FORM
BACKGROUND:
The Octagon Center for the Arts plans to host the Octagon Art Festival in downtown Ames on
Sunday, September 27, 2026. 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. The
inaugural Ames Documentary Film Festival at the Ames Public Library will be held in
conjunction with the Octagon Art Festival this year.
To facilitate the Octagon Art Festival, 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 will contact affected businesses by going door to door and posting signs
throughout the area.
ALTERNATIVES:
1. Approve the requests from the Octagon Center for the Arts for the Octagon Art Festival
on September 28, 2025, including closure of various streets from 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.,
1
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.
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 55th year that the Octagon has held the Octagon Art Festival. There will be
more than 100 artists on hand with unique, hand-crafted artwork for sale, live
entertainment, and local food vendors. No admission is charged, and festival
organizers expect 10,000 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 No. 1, as described above.
ATTACHMENT(S):
Ames Main St. Letter of Support - Octagon Art Festival.pdf
Application - Octagon Art Festival - for CAF_Redacted.pdf
Map - Octagon Art Festival.pdf
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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.
September, 2025
Re: Letter of Support for Ames Documentary Film Festival
Dear Grant Review Committee,
On behalf of Ames Main Street board of directors, I write to express our enthusiastic support for the
inaugural Ames Documentary Film Festival, as proposed in conjunction with the Octagon Arts Festival.
We believe this event will enrich the arts and cultural landscape of our community, and we are pleased
to endorse its application for funding through the Iowa Arts Council.
Ames Main Street recognizes the importance of fostering creative expression, community
engagement, and cultural tourism. The Ames Doc Film Festival aligns strongly with these objectives.
By pairing this new festival with the established Octagon Arts Festival, organizers are leveraging a well-
loved arts tradition to introduce film as an additional medium—thereby expanding participation,
attracting new audiences, and heightening the visibility of creative work within Ames and beyond.
Key reasons why we support the Ames Documentary Film Festival include:
• Synergy with Octagon Arts Festival: By sharing date(s), venue(s), and promotional efforts
with Octagon, the documentary festival can benefit from existing festival infrastructure,
audience base, and marketing channels. This collaboration promises to amplify impact for
both events and to create a more holistic arts experience for attendees.
• Inaugural yet ambitious vision: Though this is the first year for the Ames Doc Film Festival,
the organizers plan for it to grow into its own stand‐alone event in subsequent years—still
occurring during the same weekend as the Octagon Arts Festival. This demonstrates a
thoughtful, long‐term strategy to build capacity, public awareness, and sustainability.
• Community engagement and economic benefit: The film festival will draw filmmakers,
scholars, students, and arts lovers to Ames. With events scheduled throughout the day,
potentially including screenings, panels, workshops, and discussion forums, it will encourage
local spending in our downtown, support local businesses, and contribute to cultural vibrancy.
• Support for Iowa artists and storytellers: Documentary film is a powerful medium for
capturing stories of place, people, history, and identity. This festival will o ffer Iowa’s
documentary makers a platform to share their work, connect with audiences, and be inspired
by peers—strengthening the state’s arts ecology.
Ames Main Street pledges our full support for this project. We will assist with logistical coordination,
local promotion, and stakeholder outreach in the downtown district to ensure high visibility and
community buy‐in. We believe that with Iowa Arts Council’s assistance, the Ames Documentary Film
Festival can become a signature event for Ames, drawing statewide and regional attention.
Thank you for your consideration of this application. Please feel free to contact me if you need further
information or additional affirmations of support.
Onward,
Travis Toliver, IOM
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If your event is more than one day, please specify date
range.
Location/Address Main Street in downtown Ames
Rain Date (if applicable)09/27/2026
Rain Location (if applicable)event on rain or shine
Upload the event site plan here:Octagon festival 2026 map.pdf
Is this an annual event?Yes
How many years?55
Region Ames Main Street (Downtown)
Upload your letter of support from AREA here.
Upload your letter of support from ISU here.
Upload your letter of support from Ames Main Street here.Ames Main St Letter of Support Octagon festival and film event
2026.pdf
Please explain:
Timeline Sunday, September 27:
5 am barricades go up blocking streets from traffic as artists arrive
to setup booths
5:30 am - 9:30 am artists and food vendors set up booths
10 am festial opens to the general public
4 pm festival closes
4:30 pm one barricade is opened for one way traffic of artists to
pack up booths
6 pm barricades are removed to open up traffic
Description of Event Activities The Octagon Art Festival is an annual event in downtown Ames
along Main Street. This one day event celebrates various
components of the arts: visual, culinary, performance, etc. 100
visual artists, 12 food vendors, live music groups make the art
festival a great place for families and people of all ages to
participate in the arts. Approximately 7-8 local art groups also
have booths to promote local organizations that provide creative
experiences for the community (Public Arts Commission, Creative
Artists Studios, Ames Community Arts Council, etc).
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Event Category Festival/Celebration
Is the event open to the public?Yes
Anticipated Daily Attendance 10,000
Audience Profile families, people of all ages and backgrounds
Is your event being held in conjunction with another event?
(e.g. Farmers' Market, 4th of July etc.)
No
Please list.
Organization Status Nonprofit
Are patron admission, entry, or participant fees required?No
Percentage of net proceeds going towards fundraising:
Percentage of net proceeds going towards for-profit entity:
Are vendor or other fees required?Yes
Would you like to make a formal request to the City
Council for waiver of some fees associated with the event?
Yes
Waivers Requested Blanket Vending License
Electric Usage
Estimated Value of Requested Waivers unknown
Fee waivers are generally granted only in unique
circumstances or in exchange for specific benefits. What is
different about this event from most special events making
it uniquely deserving of fee waiver(s)?
This is the largest annual, one day event to bring people to
downtown Ames
Benefits Provided to the City in Exchange for Requested
Waivers
The Octagon Art Festival is a great event to showcase Ames as a
creative community to visitors that attend the festival from across
Iowa, and event out of state visitors. With the art festival on a
Sunday, many downtown businesses who are usually closed on
Sundays, choose to be open with the extra foot traffic and see an
economic benefit with the extra visitors.
Formal Letter to the City Council Requesting Fee Waivers Octagon art festival letter to city council 2026.pdf
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