On May 1, Ballard Commons Park will be home to “BURP” a new day-long community event sponsored by the Ballard Chamber of Commerce. BURP is short for Ballard Urban Picnic.
Mobile food wagons such as Skillet, Parfait Ice Cream, Anita’s Crepes, Veraci Pizza and Dante’s Inferno Dogs will converge on the park for the noon event and there will be live music throughout the day. Ballard’s own Maritime Pacific Brewing Company will provide beer for the beer garden, which proceeds go to the Ballard Food Bank. In the evening, there will be a free outdoor movie (movie selection is TBA.) The event is scheduled to end at 9 p.m.
The Chamber is looking for volunteers for this new community event. Here is more information if you’d like to volunteer.
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Thanks for doing this.
Sure would be nice if the proceeds could go to a school instead of a food bank. Just my opinion.
This sounds fun!
There has been a lot of talk on forums here about “taking back” the Ballard Commons park for families, skateboarders, etc. instead of it being a place for the drunks to hang out all day and sleep. I think this is a great idea and starts to do exactly that!
Of course, plenty of people will say that the money should go to something else or we should focus our energy on a “better cause” (ie: their cause) because that seems to be the dynamic of this forum (sigh). But I still think it's a great idea and sounds like fun.
While I support the food bank and have donated in the past, I want nothing to do with the Ballard Chamber of Commerce. What, they need a fundraiser to raise money to sue the city to cost us taxpayers even more? I am surprised such a good organization such as the Ballard food bank partnered with the Chamber.
The boycott of any member of the Ballard Chamber of Commerce continues until the Chamber drops out of the lawsuit against the city and states on their web page that they will not appeal the latest ruling.
The Chamber has cost us much in tax dollars, delays, and injuries to fellow Ballard citizens.
I've got nothing against alcohol – I enjoy it myself (although not in public spaces). But I do find it slightly ironic that in an attempt to drive out the drunken bums that now act like they own Ballard (an effort I'll always support), there's going to be a event held here that's centered around pubic beer drinking.
Are people around here so closely linked to drinking that a food & music event couldn't succeed without having a beer tent?
Like I said, I enjoy my adult beverages. But I always do that at home, in a restaurant, and occasionally in a bar. I think Ballard already has more than enough places to get a drink, and since public intoxication has become such a major problem, I can't help wondering if setting up a beer tent really is the right strategy here.
Good announcement timing — I just noticed the Parfait truck parked beneath the Ballard Bridge a couple of days ago and had my first seasonal craving!
While I have supported them previously, I no longer support the food bank, and will not until Ballard is no longer the city's primary dumping ground for vagrants. When this neighborhood grows up a little and stops placing the comfort and happiness of bums over the needs and safety of its residents, then I'll start supporting the food bank again. Until then, I view the food bank as part of the problem, not part of the solution.
I've got no problem with the Ballad Chamber of Commerce, other than the fact that they're just an ineffective old boys club. All the noise lately about them and the bike trail is just silly.
a beer garden in the park – awesome! Get drunk with the drunks day in ballard!
I am with you Willard. Boycotting the Chamber and members as MUCH as possible. Others are too. Too bad the food bank got conned into a PR stunt. I wonder how much of a cut the food bank will get and how much goes to the Chamber's sad shenanigans. They should have been lobbying DPD for a parking ramp for the urban density plan rather than hurting the community for parking. I won't be spending money at BURP.
“pubic beer drinking?” That sounds really interesting!
I'm sorry, but I just had to call attention to that typo and lighten things up around here. :)
Good to hear, la-la-la, more food & beer for the rest of us!!!
“the city's primary dumping ground for vagrants.”
Really? Spent anytime in the U-District, Pioneer Square or Belltown?
Yes, I go there all the time. Ballard is worse.
A lot of the slimeballs from those neighborhoods have been pushed out (because the local finally got fed up wit them). Guess where they went? To Ballard, where they are welcomed and made as comfortable as possible.
Because, you know, we want to show how compassionate we are.
asdf – the food bank serves many people that are not homeless, drunk or disorderly. The problem does not rest with the food bank. It rests with many, many social issues.
engage, engage, engage……hurray to the chamber for trying to promote some events, but boo for continuing to sue us (the citizens) for trying to complete the trail. don't boycott, make your voice heard and let the chamber know you disagree with their approach to trail completion.