La Jolla Concerts By the Sea’s 33rd season this year will be the nonprofit’s last if a way isn’t found to make the series self-sustaining.
It’s been a bad year for signature events in “the Jewel,” as the community’s century-old annual Rough Water Swim in September had to be temporarily cancelled earlier this year due to pinniped pollution at the Cove.
“La Jolla Concerts by the Sea regrets that they will cease operations at the end of this season of free summer concerts, due to increased requirements imposed by the city and county and a lack of support,” said group president Shirleymae Davis. “The board of directors has decided to cease operations after the 2016 season, and will not move forward with plans for a 2017 season or beyond. The corporation will, however, maintain their remaining assets for one to two years, with the hope that someone in the San Diego community would come forward with a long-term financing plan that could make resurrecting the Concerts a viable option,” Davis said. “We’re open to revamping, making changes into the way it (concerts) are financed — but we need the community to step up and provide us with that financing,” said Laura DeBell, the nonprofit’s secretary who noted the city’s permitting and other costs, in some instances, tripled this year.
“The operating costs became onerous,” agreed Ron Jones, a board member of the nonprofit who has mc’d the concert series for years. “The city’s been increasing demands for more money for the same services we’ve been providing.”
The popular summertime event has been in financial trouble, losing money for years, as well as having trouble finding – and keeping – sponsors. Davis noted only seven of this year’s eight concerts had sponsors.
More than 30 years ago when the concert series started, Davis said the city “actually supported us,” even going so far as to loan out facilities and equipment for staging the event. But no longer,
“They (city) keep trying to get more and more money out of us as if we were a cash cow,” said Davis. “They’re eliminating our ability to make enough money and keep the concerts going.”
Davis said the nonprofit’s gradually been squeezed over the years by increasing city demands, like doubling the number of porta potties and requiring them to use their own dumpster as well as requiring concessions to be sold by vendors, and not the nonprofit, putting on the concerts.
The concerts are free to the public, but Davis noted producing them comes with a price tag.
“Each of our concerts costs us roughly $4,500,” she said. “What we really need is about $19,000 a year to keep this thing running.”
“We’re not going to have a season next year at all,” said Davis adding, “But if we can find someone, or some company, willing to give us a long-term, five- to 10-year promise of funding, then we’ll continue. Otherwise, we’ll dissolve the 501 c3 nonprofit corporation.”
Concerts By the Sea is a 501 c3 nonprofit started by group president Shirleymae Davis back in 1983.
The concert series has been held ever since every summer between July and September at Ellen Brown Scripps Park on Sundays from 2 to 4 p.m. The last two concerts in 2016 are The Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash Aug. 28 and The Heroes on Sept.4. WANT TO HELP?
Anyone with offers of assistance is urged to email [email protected] or at [email protected] or call 858-459-4053.