Dear PoPville – Anyone Know the Status of this Year’s DC Caribbean festival?

Photo by PoPville flickr user rjs1322

Dear PoPville,

Does anyone know the status of the DC Caribbean festival? Have they received permits from the city? Have they paid their police overtime bill from several years ago (well over $100 K)? It comes through our neighborhood and impacts the community, I’m sure folks would like to know its status.

I have received incomplete and contradictory information. I have an email chain (from the office of an at-large councilmember) from the police department saying the organizers have NOT applied for their permit (called an HSEMA). However, the organizers of the event insist that they have applied with the city. I contacted both Juan and Sedrik in the Mayor’s outreach office to seek clarity; Juan told me to talk to my local community organizers and Sedrik has not returned my email. No one has answered the police overtime question. A friendly ANC Commissioner was also going to try to investigate.

The dates for the event are about three months away and the organizers appear to be planning for a 2012 event.

After last year’s event, the organizers promised the Georgia Ave Task Force that they would organize well in advance of the festival (the city gave them the permit a few weeks before the 2011 event). We were told Howard was working on an economic impact study of the event, which was to be released by Thanksgiving of last year. There has been no economic impact study and permitting status is unclear.

Thanks to Popville in advance!