Council approves beer garden, street closures for upcoming festival

Live music, beer gardens, arts and craft shows, outdoor film screenings - all these events and more will be featured during Sackville's annual Sappyfest and OK.Quoi?!Contemporary Arts Festival later next month.
But first comes the pre-planning and the organization of the festivals, much of it requiring final approval of town council, such as requests for street closures and exemptions from the municipality's noise bylaw.
During its monthly meeting June 3, council granted the organizing committee's request to close Bridge Street to traffic for the July 31-Aug. 3 weekend for the use of a mainstage tent for concerts and performances during the festival.
The Bridge Street tent will be the festivals' main tent for the weekend with various satellite stages at George's Roadhouse, Sackville United Church, Sackville Music Hall, Struts Gallery, and the Vogue Cinema. Live music and performances will get under way Friday afternoon at 5 p.m. and run through until Sunday at midnight.
A time exemption from Sackville's noise bylaw was also granted from 11 p.m. to midnight for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.
Operation of a beer garden in a secured area on Bridge Street was also approved for the weekend, but it was a move that was again opposed this year by Mayor Pat Estabrooks.
"I object totally to operating a beer garden on a main street," she said. "I think there are enough buildings in this town that we don't need to be drinking out in public like that. . . and I don't think we're setting a very good example for our young people by having booze out on our streets."
Council also approved the closure of Willow Lane - on Wednesday, July 29 and Thursday, July 30 from 7-11 p.m. - for an outdoor film screening that will kick off the festivals.
This will be the fourth year the two festivals have co-hosted what is becoming one of Atlantic Canada's most revered cultural events.
In 2008, the festivals presented the work of over 80 artists and musicians to an audience of over 1,300.
"This is identical to what was set up last year," said Coun. Virgil Hammock. "It's the same arrangement and it worked well last year . . . there were no major issues, clean-up was tidy and efficient and it was well attended."