West Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Neenah. PC: Fox 11 Online
NEENAH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Fox Valley Pride is shopping for where to have its annual celebration after the city of Neenah declined to shut down one of its busiest streets.
Neenah Mayor Jane Lang says it has nothing to do with the group or event, but rather the precedent it would set for the downtown business district.
“Because then we’ll have to approve every subsequent event that somebody asks for on a Saturday if they meet the criteria,” said Lang.
Fox Valley Pride is being held on June 22 and the goal was to have it in downtown Neenah on two blocks of W. Wisconsin Avenue, but the city declined, saying downtown businesses haven’t liked shutting the street down on Saturdays in the past.
“Neenah just seemed perfect, a small quaint community, lots of great thriving shops, lots of supportive businesses when it comes to restaurants and taverns,” said Dana Johnson of Fox Valley Pride.
Lang says it was the first request to close down Wisconsin Avenue for a Saturday in several years, since the Neenah Streetball Tournament, a three-on-three basketball tournament, ended.
“When that came to an end, there was a lot of conversation amongst the business owners downtown that we shouldn’t really view the 100 and 200 blocks of Wisconsin Avenue as a venue, because it’s a business district,” said Lang.
“I think it has nothing to do with what the organization is trying to do,” said Tina Palmer, owner of Red Door Mercantile. “I think they’re concerned about the Saturday and the road being closed.”
Palmer says Saturday is the busiest day of the week for the district.
“It’s very busy from start to finish,” said Palmer. “We really don’t have a time from 10 until, we’re open until 5, that we have no one in the shop.”
“We have 3,000-plus people coming to downtown Neenah,” said Johnson. “That was the goal. Personally, I think that is probably more foot traffic and more visitors than they would normally see.”
Johnson questions why the street is able to be closed for other events, but Mayor Lang says those events are weeknights and usually only for two hours at a time.
“We’re not in any way saying we don’t welcome the LGBTQ community,” said Lang. “We do and we’re offering them our beautiful Riverside Park for their event.”
Alcohol is not permitted in Neenah parks.
Johnson says one reason Fox Valley Pride was attracted to Neenah is the city has been talking about a designated area for outdoor drinking in its downtown. However, that hasn’t been implemented yet.
The Fox Valley Pride celebration could still be held in Neenah’s Riverside Park, according to Johnson. However, he says other locations are being considered in Appleton, Menasha and possibly a blended event with Oshkosh Pride.
“It might be a game-time decision,” said Johnson.
Lang says another concern was Fox Valley Pride plans to bring in more than 60 vendors for the event, which could take away from the established businesses downtown.
However, Johnson says vendors were purposely being vetted to not overlap with the businesses in the area.
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