Hildale creates new event policy for 1 of Southern Utah’s new prime destinations

Hildale — Hildale City has approved and implemented a new event policy after a year of testing the waters.

The Medieval Days Renaissance Faire was staged for the first time in the Short Creek area, Hildale, Utah, Setp. 30, 2022 | Photo by Nick Yamashita, St. George News

The Short Creek area in Southern Utah has become a prime destination for happenings and festivals, with traditional events such as the Colorado City Fly-in and Airshow and newer events like the Medieval Days Renaissance Faire making big marks on travelers’ and residents’ maps.

As a result, city officials have implemented a policy that heightens the chance of the city will be protected against any liability and loss of financial costs due to such events. Colorado City council members said they will work together with Hildale on event requirements.

The prologue of the Special Events Standards contains the policy standards which outline the main purpose of the standards: to protect those who they serve.

Hildale Mayor Donia Jessop said in December 2022 there was no policy in place before.

“We didn’t even know what we needed,” said Jessop said, adding they needed to figure out what kind of insurance was required for different events, including costs for emergency medical service services.

Emphasizing the importance of police and EMS services, she said many people would ask for police “to drive around and make sure” everyone’s happy.

“Our officers are assigned to do things already,” Jessop said. “When you bring in an event, that is an extra cost on the city, and we can’t cover that, so now you have to be prepared to pay for your EMS, your officers and you have to have  insurance to cover your event.”

The Colorado City Music Festival is held at Maxwell Park in Hildale, Utah, date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Tom Bennett by Cracked Glass Photography , St. George News
The Colorado City Music Festival tickets go on sale on Feb. 1 and the event will held at Maxwell Park in Hildale, Utah, date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Tom Bennett by Cracked Glass Photography, St. George News

The new process for hosting events and festivals in the Short Creek area has become “a very clean process,” Jessop said. Everything that must be abided by and done for an event to happen is covered in full.

“So nobody has surprises,” Jessop said. “Nobody has, ‘Oh, I didn’t know I had to do that.'”

Hildale has two categories of events under the new policy: Master Festival Event and Special Event.

Master Festival Event is one that attracts a crowd of 200 participants or more, charges an admission fee, requires partial or full street closure, uses of city park/building or public property and has vendors or food trucks.

A Special Event has significant public impacts via crowds, traffic and/or parking. It can be a wedding party with partial event closure, birthday parties or family reunions. The event must be open to the public with no admission fee and may involve temporary structures including inflatables.

There is a separate Hildale Parade Standards as well.

For Master Festival Events, each applicant must submit a completed application to Hildale City along with the required fees. There is a $30 non-refundable application fee and then a $100 standard event fee. Other fees may apply depending on services provided such as EMS, port-a-potties and more.

The Colorado City Fly-in and Airshow coordinator Darlene Stubbs with one of the planes on display for the event, Colorado City, Ariz., Sept. 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Short Creek Active and Darlene Stubbs, St. George News

They are required to provide their own security and clean-up.

Special Events must abide by fewer requirements: the application with fees, the site plan submitted, clean-up after the event and review plans of any structures (like inflatables) being set up with the park manager.

One person who has an interest in these standards is Darlene Stubbs, the coordinator of the Colorado City Fly-in and Airshow, which has seen an increase in attendance over the last couple of years. Her nonprofit Short Creek Active hosts multiple events for the area on the Utah-Arizona border.

She is also a two-time UZONA Chamber of Commerce Volunteer of the Year.

“I’m happy that Hildale City is implementing structure to their events permits,” Stubbs said. “It gives those who plan to put on events clear rules and helps us know what to expect.”

One big event coming up for the Short Creek area is the 7th Annual Colorado City Music Festival on May 13, 2023. Tickets go on sale on Feb. 1.

All applications can be found on Hildale City’s website.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

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