Is CivicFest a CivicBust?

Jennifer Simonson, Star Tribune

CivicFest, which features a replica of the White House, attracted about 50,000 people.

The vendors came - but not the expected crowds - to the Minneapolis Convention Center. Organizers have cut admission and made other changes to attract more visitors.

By BILL McAULIFFE, Star Tribune

Last update: September 4, 2008 - 5:40 PM

Vendors at a major convention-week spinoff attraction in Minneapolis say they expect to lose thousands of dollars due to low attendance.

Some have even packed up and left town, declaring CivicFest a bust.

"I think most of the vendors are disappointed and feel deceived by the situation," said Steve Lundbom, already back in Santa Barbara, Calif., after closing down his effort to sell authorized U.S. Navy caps.

Lundbom and other vendors say they were told as many as 1.5 million visitors could tour the exhibition celebrating the presidency, civic engagement and Minnesota history.

CivicFest director Maxene Fernstrom, however, said Wednesday night that the materials sent to vendors projected an attendance of 150,00 people and that so far about 50,000 people have attended the event at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Adult admission, which had been $15, was converted to donations-only earlier this week.

Jean Fahning, who brought her two kids to CivicFest and donated what would have been full admission Wednesday, said the event was a strong educational opportunity. Her children are home-schooled.

"But I'm really surprised. I thought there would be more people," Jean Fahning said.

Lundbom said he thought he might gross about $40,000, but had only taken in about $2,000 before abandoning ship Monday.

Al Risdorfer, who is selling sterling silver crosses commemorating heroism, said he expected to make about $40,000. By Wednesday afternoon he had taken in $1,900 and was slashing prices on some other items.

Fernstrom said the layout of the event has been improved, at the vendors' suggestion, to get more traffic to the end of the hall where vendors are selling a wide variety of convention-related and Minnesota souvenirs and other memorabilia. But she insisted that the event did not suffer by conflicting with the Minnesota State Fair and the opening of the school year.

"We think it's been a success so far, and will continue to be," she said Wednesday. The event ends today at 5 p.m.

Shirley Jones, an art teacher for 30 years at St. Paul Central High School, took a leave of absence from the first week of school to sell her handmade jewelry at CivicFest. By Wednesday she had sold about $1,000 worth of jewelry, less than half the cost of booth rental.

"I want to tell my students they can make money in art," she said. "A lot of them are girls, and I want to encourage them to be entrepreneurs. I'll still say that if they work hard they can make money, but to pick the right venue, and don't believe what you hear."

Bill McAuliffe • 612-673-7646