San Anselmo’s “Live on the Avenue” summer concert series was more popular with visitors than it was with some downtown businesses, officials said.
The mixed review was among the findings presented by town staff at the Town Council meeting on Monday. They used a range of survey tools to profile the event and gather comments from small-business proprietors.
“As you guys can see from the community survey, the community wants it one way and we’ve seen that with the attendance,” said Mattie O’Grady, community services director. “That said, we have this business community that’s very split.”
The series closed downtown San Anselmo streets between 4 and 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights between June 20 and Sept. 27. Two stages were set up for live music, and 60 bands were featured over 29 nights. The events also included a film series, comedy night and a parade.
Restaurants and some retailers stayed open. Other businesses, like hair salons, closed. Vendors set up booths in the street and at the venues.
This year’s series was attended by 28,500 people – including 9,000 repeat attendees – with visitors staying for an average of 90 minutes, according to O’Grady and Kelly Warner, community development coordinator. About 60% of attendees were not San Anselmo residents.
The attendance figures and crowd profiles came from an artificial intelligence program that captured cellphone data within the downtown during the event hours, Warner said. The data were supplemented by surveys of 455 visitors in September — 80% of whom were San Anselmo residents — and surveys of more than three dozen downtown businesses and event sponsors, O’Grady said.
From a visitor perspective, the event showcased the downtown. Ninety percent of attendees said they spent time strolling the avenue. Eighty percent saw music in Creek Park. Seventy-three percent saw music at Town Hall. Two-thirds liked the closed streets. The largest group of respondents was 35 to 44 years old, a slightly younger demographic than the town’s median age. Almost all said they would return.
That upbeat report was tempered by surveying business owners about economic impacts. Three dozen businesses responded, of which 47% were retailers and 14% eateries. Slightly less than half of the businesses stayed open during the event. Most attendees came between 6 and 8 p.m.
“We asked how often did you keep it open,” said Warner. “Some of them tried. They even told us, I tried and it didn’t work for me.”
“And then we just asked them how it impacted their business,” she said. “Quite a few thought it increased revenues and there was community involvement. … And there’s a chunk of people who really feel it decreases the revenues.”
“I’m interpreting that as they feel they have to close their shop during Live on the Avenue,” said Vice Mayor Steve Burdo. “I assume they’re all retail because the restaurants want to be open. … I’d be interested to dig more into that.”
Several council members said they don’t want the series to get bigger and asked staff for suggestions on balancing the competing interests.
“I think we know all the positives,” said Councilmember Eileen Burke. “It’s just how can we tweak the negatives and make them go away or better. … We know what’s working and what residents really like, but there have been some persistent complaints.”
“I agree with the idea of, what are the staff recommendations going forward that really work well with balancing the multiple populations?” said Councilmember Chantel Walker. “You know, the Friday nighters, if that’s the young families, and then the adult section, the businesses and vendors on the street, but also the businesses that are here all the time.”
O’Grady said she would present ideas for next year’s event at the council meeting in December.
