Santa Ana : City Considers Closing Parks to Large Events
The City Council unanimously agreed Monday to consider barring large-scale events from city parks, such as the Gay Pride Festival held last month.
The ordinance would prohibit events that charge admission and fence in sections of the parks. Events such as the popular Cinco de Mayo and Mother’s Day festivals, which are fund-raisers by nonprofit groups, would also be affected. Both festivals are held annually at Centennial Regional Park and attract up to 50,000 people.
Leaders of nonprofit groups said the ordinance would cripple their fund-raising abilities. The Santiago Club, which sponsors the Cinco de Mayo festival, raised $50,000 for its activities this year from the festival, club officials said.
The measure would also bar the sale of alcoholic beverages in the parks. Santa Ana and Tustin are the only county cities that allow alcohol to be sold at events held in city parks.
“With such an ordinance, this will take the profit out of the alcohol sale,” Mayor Daniel H. Young said.
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