A POPULAR seaside festival could take place every two years instead of being held annually amid concerns about excessive drinking and costs.
Constable Simon Crowcroft asked residents for their opinions on making the Havre des Pas seaside festival biennial, at a recent of the Havre des Pas Improvement Group at the Lido.
One parishioner questioned what the potential move would mean for local businesses and the Island’s already-dwindling calendar of events, while another resident voiced their disapproval of the occasion, claiming it was treated like “a drinking festival”.
At its height in 2018, the festival attracted 18,500 people in one day and is once again being run by the parish after a stint as a privately-managed event.
However, Mr Crowcroft said the parish organised a number of events, each costing in the region of £40,000, including the Fête de St Hélier as well as the St Patrick’s Day and Havre des Pas festivals.
He explained that the parish was now examining “whether we need to do them all every year”.
Commenting on the parishioner’s “drinking festival” comment, he added: “By taking it over last year, the parish tried to get away from that but I think there’s still further to travel to make it more of a community and family event.
“For example, we had a lot more child-friendly activities [at the last event] but unfortunately the heat wave meant a lot of people didn’t come to it so we didn’t get that good feedback that perhaps we would have done.”
He continued: “So I want to test the water, see if the community wants to do it, see if there are any opportunities for sponsorship – which would take the financial burden off the parish – and also whether people would like to see the festival change.
“It is still seen as a bit of a drinking event, so can we do more to take that image away from it.”
Marcus Calvani, the co-chief executive of the Jersey Hospitality Association, said: “I don’t think we want to take away any festivals from our calendar of events at this stage, as an entertainment and hospitality industry we want to encourage the event.
“It would be nice to see the Havre des Pas festival further adapt, more of a focus on local attractions, local food and drink and local activities would be something locals and visitors would like.”
He added: “It does encourage large amounts of binge-drinking, which I don’t think is good – and the binge-drinking is not necessarily with local product either.
“This location would make a tremendous seaside festival celebrating our local beaches, local seafood and produce and the incredible culture and history of this area.
“But it is critical that the local businesses are involved and asked about what is going on first.”
