West Hollywood City Council will get an update and recommendations on the plans for this year’s return of the WeHo Halloween Carnaval during the upcoming regular city council meeting on Monday, August 21, 2023 starting at 6pm.
Agenda item 5.D will discuss the planning update on the City’s 2023 Halloween
Carnaval, including authorizing the City Manager to negotiate a production services
agreement related to the event with Authentic Agency, authorizing related street closures,
approving the waiver of Special Event Permit fees for City businesses during Halloween,
and directing staff to release a Request for Proposals for Event Production Services for
future Halloween events.
Following a survey of City businesses related to Halloween, the City Council directed staff
to program a Halloween event for 2023 at its meeting on May 15, 2023. The event budget
approved at that time was $1.5 million dollars, inclusive of public safety costs.
Following the City Council’s direction related to Halloween programming, City staff
developed a scope of services in an effort to obtain cost estimates and secure a qualified
large-scale event production firm with an abridged planning timeline.
Cost estimates were sought from six firms and the City received six estimates. An internal
panel, comprised of City staff across multiple departments, reviewed the submissions and
evaluated the cost estimates in light of the scope provided and with consideration to the
truncated planning timeline.
For the 2023 event, staff recommends awarding the agreement to Authentic Agency
(Authentic). In addition to their competitive estimate for service delivery, Authentic has a
demonstrated ability to manage large-scale production in the City of West Hollywood.
The City’s Halloween event demands proficiency in all areas of event management,
primarily the expertise to safely and expediently build, manage and strike a large-scale
event in city streets in approximately 24 hours, with core components built in under six
hours. Prior to the 2023 event, Authentic successfully executed production of the City’s
Halloween Carnaval for many years.
Under the Agreement for Services, Authentic will organize, manage, subcontract for and/or supply, build, monitor and strike the following:
- A stage at the intersection of Santa Monica Blvd. and San Vicente Blvd. with a DJ
- Sound design along Santa Monica Blvd.
- Temporary artistic installations and/or lighting/visual elements
- Portable restrooms
- Food trucks
- Medical Tent
According to the Staff Report, time is of the essence with this project and Authentic has demonstrated their ability to perform under such time constraints. If the City Council authorizes moving forward with Authentic, staff will return to the City Council with the final agreement at an upcoming meeting.
This item requests that the City Council approve an Agreement for Services with
Authentic and authorize the City Manager to negotiate such an agreement, in an amount
not to exceed $500,000. The agreement would cover the 2023 event only. This item also
recommends that the City Council direct staff to issue a Request for Proposals before the
end of this calendar year in order to secure an event production firm for future Halloween
events beginning in 2024.
Regarding street closures and facility uses, at its meeting on May 15, 2023, the City Council approved staff to move forward with an event that included the closure of Santa Monica Blvd. between La Cienega Blvd. and Doheny Drive.
This item asks the City Council to approve the following list of street
closures associated with the event:
1. San Vicente Boulevard between Santa Monica Boulevard and Melrose Avenue
from 12:00 a.m. midnight on October 31, 2023, to no later than 7:00 a.m. on
November 1, 2023.
2. All alleyways between Santa Monica Boulevard and Melrose Avenue from
12:00 a.m. midnight on October 31, 2023, to no later than 7:00 a.m. on
November 1, 2023.
3. Santa Monica Blvd. between La Cienega Blvd. and Croft Ave. / Holloway Dr.
from 6:00 a.m. on October 31, 2023 through 6:00 a.m. on November 1, 2023.
4. Santa Monica Boulevard between Doheny Drive and La Cienega Blvd. from
10:00 a.m. on October 31, 2023, through 6:00 a.m. on November 1, 2023.
5. Robertson Boulevard between Santa Monica Boulevard and Melrose Avenue
from 10:00 a.m. on October 31, 2023, through 6:00 a.m. on November 1, 2023.
6. Almont Drive between Santa Monica Boulevard and Melrose Avenue from
10:00 a.m. on October 31, 2023, through 6:00 a.m. on November 1, 2023.
7. La Peer Drive between Santa Monica Boulevard and Melrose Avenue from
10:00 a.m. on October 31, 2023, through 6:00 a.m. on November 1, 2023.
8. San Vicente Boulevard between Santa Monica Boulevard and Cynthia Street
from 10:00 a.m. on October 31, 2023, through 6:00 a.m. on November 1, 2023.
9. La Cienega Boulevard between Holloway Drive and Melrose Avenue from 4:00
p.m. October 31, 2023, to 6:00 a.m. on November 1, 2023.
10. Sunset Boulevard eastbound and westbound turn lanes onto southbound La
Cienega Boulevard from 4:00 p.m. on October 31, 2023, through 6:00 a.m. on
November 1, 2023.
In addition to the street closures above, the Halloween Carnaval will impact various City
facilities such as the Five Story Parking Garage and West Hollywood Parks, including the
dog parks on Tuesday, October 31. Staff will make efforts to keep City facilities available
to the public for as long as safely possible.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and related health orders in March 2020, the City cancelled all non-essential City events and gatherings, including the Halloween Carnaval. City-sponsored Halloween event has been cancelled for the past three years, from 2020 to 2022. Despite the lack of official City events in 2021, the City increased public safety measures for Halloween in anticipation of a potential increase in visitor turnout.
In 2022, the City encouraged businesses to host their own Halloween celebrations and waived fees for Special Event Permits for the weekend leading up to Halloween. The City also absorbed the costs associated with L.A. County Fire Department’s site plan review to support the businesses’ efforts. In preparation for an expected increase in visitors to West Hollywood, the City temporarily expanded pedestrian thoroughfares and increased the number of public safety personnel.
To view the full Staff Report, click on the link below:
https://weho.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=16&event_id=1472&meta_id=259090
This should not be paid for by only West Hollywood residents, start an official GO FUND ME and I bet you can raise money to nearly cover the costs. This event puts West Hollywood on the map for Halloween and justs being a place of joy to live and go to.
It had gotten way too big, and costs ballooned.
Helll yahhh! Im
ready for the Halloween carnival to return!