Sylvan Lake’s Jazz at the Lake festival plans to boogie on down to the beach this summer for a concert in Centennial Park.
But a change in the way rules are being interpreted by the Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis Commission is leaving the non-profit arts group without a raffle licence — potentially causing a $20,000 shortfall in festival revenues.
“I’m frustrated and disappointed,” said Jazz at the Lake’s artistic director, Cheryl Fisher.
She added the festival didn’t learn of any kind of change in rule interpretation until its request for a raffle licence was recently turned down by the AGLC.
The rejection letter states arts organizations cannot hold raffles unless they have an ongoing education program. People participating in this program must leave with something tangible — for example, with a ceramic pot they made, rather than an experience such as listening to music, said Fisher.
This certainly wasn’t the case before, since Jazz at the Lake had been successful in getting raffle licences, she said — the last one about five years ago.
If the festival had been applying for a licence every year, it would have been “grandfathered in” under the broader interpretation, said Fisher, but it now apparently no longer qualifies to apply for a raffle.
Festival board president Eric Allison is also concerned. With government grants and corporate sponsorships being harder to get in this slower economy, Allison fears going into the red, which he feels would make it harder to mount future festivals.
Organizers of Jazz at the Lake are planning to grow their 17-year-old music event by holding an outdoor concert in the park next to the beach on the last day of the Aug 16 to 18 festival. This would expand the audience and help Sylvan Lake’s pro-tourism agenda, said Fisher.
Juno-Award-winning singer-pianist Laila Biali will headline Friday’s indoor concert. And Argentinian musician Gabriel Palatchi is among the acts already booked to play a Sunday afternoon concert on the outdoor stage in the park.
Since the stage and beer garden will be surrounded by a snow fence, Fisher said ticket prices must be kept affordable: “Adults would pay $10 and the kids would be free.”
Charge any more and many people will stay outside the fence to hear the music, she said.
The festival was counting on making revenues by raffling a “wine tree” to help pay for the stage rental, the musicians, and their boarding and travel expenses.
Fisher has been in touch with the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, as well as Alberta’s culture minister, to see whether arts groups that had formerly been able to get a raffle licence can now be grandfathered in.
She wants to make other local arts groups aware of the new raffle rules interpretation, and encourages anyone with concerns to contact the AGLC and Alberta Foundation for the Arts.
A spokeswoman from the AGLC said since there’s an election on in Alberta, she cannot make a statement at this time. But the AGLC is planning to consult with non-profit groups this year about making future changes to licensing rules.
lmichelin@reddeeradvocate.com
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