I'm confused, I thought that the price to get in was the recommended donation. Are you/they saying that I now HAVE to purchase a ticket in order to enter the street fair? Will I not be allowed in if I don't pay the recommended DONATION? I'm sorry but it really burns me when people are pressured to make a dontation. It really amounts to charging a fee but calling it a donation for a NPO so they don't have the $ taxed in the same way.

Are they going to pay me for screwing up traffic and parking for two days?

I think Silverlake/Echo Park residents should get in free.

F that. There is no way I am paying for the street fair. They get more and more agressive about it every year, but when it comes down to it they can't stop anyone from just walking in. They charge enough to the people renting booths. Last year it was rumored to be a "mandatory donation" also, but I think us locals should stand firm on not paying it. And seriously, for most of us who go all three days, $12-$15 is way too much.

I totally agree and I'd love to join Modemlooper in making a graffiti or asking some of the stores to put signs. The line up's bad as well so at the end I don't know if this is worth it.

Actually here is their info, call or write them and let them know. Pass the word, let's flood them....

You may contact Sunset Junction at the following:

4019 Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA. 90029

Phone: (323) 661-7771

Fax: (323) 661-5512

SunsetJunction@SunsetJunction.org

I SENT THE FOLLOWING EMAIL to Eric Garcetti's office re: SunJun charges this year.

Dear Mr. Garcetti:

I learned today that the Sunset Junction organizers were given a permit
that allowed them to REQUIRE payment for entrance. I am deeply disturbed
by this.

Since the Junction festival began, the entry fee has been a donation.
The requested donation has risen and risen and risen over the years, but
the donation policy remained in place (even though the security folks
tried to make it seem participants HAD to pay).

Sunset Junction is my very favorite weekend of the year. But not if I
have to pay $15 PER DAY to celebrate my own neighborhood. And especially
if the Junction organizers NEVER have to open their books for auditing
(which, by the way, they have never done).

I suggest your office check out the receipts this year...I bet
attendance is WAY down. And next year, maybe you could remember that
DONATIONS are what made the Junction successful, before you agree to a
permit that requires payment.

I RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING RESPONSE:

Thank you for contacting our Office regarding your concerns about the
2006 Sunset Junction Street Fair. Here are some answers to the
concerns:

Based on the concerns that were brought to our attention, over the past
couple of months our office has been working closely with the Silver
Lake Neighborhood Council and the Sunset Junction organizers to address
the concerns you mentioned and others from folks in the community.

The City Attorney's Office ruled that there are no ordinances
prohibiting them from charging admission fees to events. The Sunset
Junction organizers will charge festival attendees a fee, and proceeds
of the street fair will go to Sunset Junction's community youth
programs. While they are charging an admission fee, the organizers have
said that "no one will be turned away due to lack of funds."
Michael McKinley of Sunset Junction can tell you more about their
programs; he can be reached at (323) 661-7771.

The Sunset Junction organizers agreed to give free entry wristbands to
local residents who live 1 block North and 1 block South of Sunset Blvd.
along the stretch where the fair is located. Residents can pick up the
wristband (limit 2 per household) from Tsunami Cafe at 4019 Sunset Blvd.
with proof of residence.


Joseph Bernardo, Field Deputy
Office of Council President Eric Garcetti
Los Angeles City Council District 13
5500 Hollywood Blvd. 4th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90028
Office: (323) 957-4500
Fax: (323) 957-6841
www.cd13.com


After receiving this response, I called Michael McKinley about the free wristbands. He proceeded to give me a whole bunch of attitude, at one point asking me what part of what he was saying did I not understand. He then hung up on me.

When I went to Tsunami to get my wristbands, the "barristas" tried to tell me I lived too far north to get in for free. I think they recognized my willingness to argue that point and gave in. I am now in possession of my entry bracelets.

I am also about to send another email to Mr. Garcetti's office re: this behavior. I recommend that, if you have issues with the cost and the rules, you contact his office as well at garcetti@council.lacity.org

i have no problem spending the money if it were for the kids of silver lake/echo park/los feliz. but i definitely have a problem with being told i'm supposed to donate (especially since, as a teacher, i've pour hundreds of my own money into my classroom for the kids), and never being sure exactly where the money goes.

That's ridiculous! I'm boycotting Sunset Junction this year, and going to Tiki Oasis instead! : )

What: Tiki Oasis 7 - Hawaii-a-Go Go. A gathering of the tribes for Tiki lovers, featuring live
entertainment, Tiki bazaar with over 40 vendors on Saturday & Sunday, costume contests, and
educational symposiums, live Tiki carving and Tiki tours.

Imagine hanging out by the pool surrounded by tropical landscaping and a guardian Moai*. Tropical
cocktails such as Zombies or Pirate Grogs are served poolside so you don’t have to leave the
comfort of your chaise lounge. If this is not tropical enough for you take a stroll into the secluded
Tiki atrium and listen to the soft waterfall serenade. As the sun begins to set the band takes the
stage – its Tiki Oasis time!

Who: Performers from across the country including: The Blue Hawaiians (Los Angeles); original
Tiki-Lounge performer from the 1960s Ernie Menehune and cast (Tucson); Hawaiian music from
The Maikai Gents; ukulele virtuoso King Kukulele; Cocktail jazz from Los Angeles’ The Martini Kings;
dancers from Denver (Burlesque As It Was), Los Angeles, & San Francisco (The Devil-Ettes); and Disc
Jockeys from Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Oceanside.

Where: Crowne Plaza Hotel, 2270 Hotel Circle North, San Diego, CA 92108, (619) 297-1101
Bali Hai restaurant, 2230 Shelter Island Drive, San Diego, CA 92106, (619) 222-1181

When: Thursday, August 16, 2007 through Sunday, August 19, 2007

How much: Sunday activities including shopping bazaar and Thursday pre-party at Bali Hai are FREE
($10 hotel parking); Friday & Saturday night inclusive $40; Symposiums ticket prices vary.

Book hotel rooms and tickets online at www.tikioasis.com

In regards to whether the entrance fee is mandatory, I did a little research. First I called the City Attorney's office where I spoke with an attorney concerning the matter and he told me it would take two hours to research it and that he didn't have time. He then recommended that I call the Police Commision which I did. The investigator at the Police Commission said that this is something that they do not enforce and this is not a matter that the police would get involved in. He recommended that I call the Office of Finance to get a definitive answer. I spoke to a woman at the Office of Finance and she told me she didn't know anything concerning this and she recommended I call the City Attorney's office.
It seems as the only people who say that the fee is mandatory are the people that are running the fair and the Police Commission tells me that they will not be enforcing this.
Personally, I would tell the people at the gate that you are not paying and that if they would like, feel free to alert the nearest police officer. From what I was told by the Police Commission, this is not something they will be enforcing

It is no longer a donation and they will have to pay the $28,000 fee for a licence (and presumably taxes as well). In the past they were threatened by the LAPD with having their licence revoked for not dispalying signs that it was a suggested donation. This will resolve THAT issue but the fair no longer has anything to do with its original purpose which was to ease tensions between locals who had inhabited the area for some time and gay men who were moving in and changing the face of the nighbourhood. At that time, you seldom saw ANYONE strolling on the streets because the area was regarded as being so dangerous and crime prone. It is hard to believe just how much the social/cultural scene has changed here.