A special committee will consider making long-term changes to the National Cherry Festival. Traverse City commissioners decided last night to form the committee, which will work with festival organizers on potential changes.
Those changes could include forcing moving the festival’s dates away from the Fourth of July weekend. The committee is also likely to ask organizers to shorten the amount of time the festival occupies city parkland.
Commissioner Jim Carruthers says the festival takes too long to set-up and take down.
“Chicago has these festivals all the time … they’re up in two days (and) they’re gone in a day," said Carruthers. "The difference is they pay for people to do it. These festivals could be set up and taken down much quicker. They’re done all over this country that way.”
The ad hoc committee has not yet been formed.