The Rochester Real Beer Expo is an annual event held on Gregory Street in

the South Wedge neighborhood. It is a celebration of craft brewed beers and

our area of the city. The event has gained a national reputation as a

premier event of its kind and draws people to the City of Rochester from all

over North America. City Hall is proposing to ban paid festivals from being

held on City Streets, this would force the event to be moved to a location

outside of the neighborhood if it is to continue.

It is run by a non-profit business association (BASWA). It is organized by

community-minded business leaders in our area as a way to fund projects in

the South Wedge throughout the year including beautification projects like

planters and banners as well as cultural events like free concerts, a

holiday festival, and history events. We give our time for free and 100% of

the monies raised go back into making the South Wedge better. 100%. We have

taken the initiative to help our community rather than simply relying on

handouts from City Hall. The costs of putting on the event are significant.

We the local business owners take the risk without any personal financial

reward. We accept that as our way of giving back. Unfortunately the event

has no purpose if it can't generate funds.

We have never received any complaints about the event from neighbors,

police, the fire department or City Hall in regard to the event. We are

conscious to keep access through the area open to anyone who might be

passing through the festival area but is not attending and we run the whole

event in a responsible way. We work with the businesses and a church in the

festival area to ensure they are not negatively impacted by the event.

Apparently this is a bad thing as City Hall wants to pass rules that would

make it a non-viable event. The reality is that there is discontent in

regard to another event in the city, the East End Festival that has been

around for 23 years. We do not have any opinion good or bad regarding this

event as we are not involved with it. It seems deeply unjust that the

Rochester Real Beer Expo that does so much good for the City of Rochester

can be destroyed as collateral damage from the politicking that is

surrounding something completely separate.

If you would like to support us in keeping the Rochester Real Beer Expo alive in the South Wedge please sign this petition so that we can present it to our

local council members. Share it with your friends. Your opinions are

powerful and probably the only chance that we have.

Joe McBane and Chris Jones