Gray Weather Casts Pall on Beach Festival

The new organizer of an annual Ventura beach weekend festival said dreary weather and insufficient advertising contributed to poor attendance Saturday. Those factors may lead to a financial loss for the event.

Mark Rodriguez, head of MDR Entertainment, which was hired by the city to host the 14th annual California Beach & Music Festival, said the two-day event has often drawn about 30,000 people. This year, however, Rodriguez expects fewer than 10,000 to attend, which could result in no profit.

And despite ticket prices that jumped from $6 for adults in past years to $10 this year, Rodriguez anticipates losing about $100,000 because he was unable to secure enough sponsors.

“This may not turn out to be exactly what we wanted,” Rodriguez said.

The festival is being held on the waterfront promenade at Seaside Park. It started Saturday in chilly 65-degree weather under gray skies and and continues today from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Weather forecasters predict cloudy skies again.

This is the first year since the festival began that a private firm was hired to produce it. When the festival became too large for the city’s special events office to handle, the decision was made last year to turn it over to a private firm.

Rodriguez said his company signed an eight-year contract with the city in April. The city would receive 10% of the net profit, he said.

“It’s been a difficult situation, because we got hired late. But we did it, because it’s one of the few events on the water,” Rodriguez said.

City officials could not be reached for comment Saturday, but Rodriguez said they had assisted by donating a trailer to move stage equipment and by cleaning and maintaining the promenade area.

Rodriguez said he isn’t concerned about low turnout and the financial loss. He plans to hire a promotion company next year to steer the festival’s focus from being a rowdy party to an environmental celebration. “We want to make a statement in the future and have this be about education and conservation,” he said.

That eco-friendly theme was already visible Saturday, with a giant sea green mural at the entrance depicting a mother whale and her baby.

Some of the booths also promoted environmental issues--including those sponsored by the Quantum Reef Marine Habitat Research Foundation and the Wyland Foundation, which offers education about whales and dolphins.

Hundreds of people strolled the promenade Saturday, sampling barbecue and fresh-squeezed lemonade and listening to live country, rock and alternative music.

But some festival-goers weren’t content.

Moorpark resident Mary Novak asked for and received a refund after telling promoters there weren’t enough activities for her 9-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son.

In past years, the festival had Jolly jumps, golf putting games and laser tag. This year offered a rock climbing apparatus and a hands-on art booth.

But for Ron and Liz Rose of Ventura, who have been attending for more than 10 years, the festival was as much fun as it has always been.

“I kind of knew it was going to be low-key, because I hadn’t heard a lot about it until recently,” Ron Rose said.

His wife said less foot traffic made it easier to push a stroller carrying the couple’s newborn son, Robert.

For the Roses and hundreds of others who attended, the biggest draw was the longboard surfing competition that started Saturday. The finals will be held today.

More than 200 surfers, from as far away as Hawaii, signed up to perform, announcer Frank Sentes said.

“We get surfers from all over the world, because it’s a really well-run event,” he said.

In longboarding, the rider can stand and do acrobatics on all areas of the board, versus shortboarders who stay fixed in one spot. Longboarding is considered more artistic, Sentes said.

Mary Osbourne, 17, of Solimar Beach said she came to catch a glimpse of the waves and visit with friends.

She is one of only a few dozen women surfers who signed up to compete. Osbourne said she plans to hang 10, “walk the nose,” by going to the tip of the board and maybe do a handstand atop her white longboard.

Ventura College students Riho Okamura, 19, and Yayoi Komatsu, 21, who arrived from Japan three months ago, said it was their first time watching live surfing.

“I want to ride,” Okamura said, smiling.