Put the final nail in the coffin. Sunset Junction was once again, and finally, denied a permit for this weekend's planned festival by the LA Board of Public Works this morning, despite organizers' eleventh hour efforts to produce the fees for this year's event. Here's the recap: On Monday, the Board of Public Works voted 3-1 to deny the permits for the yearly Silver Lake festival, but they did allow the possibility that they might reconsider if the festival produced the fees owed to the city. Last night, the festival said on Facebook that they'd raised the money they owe the city for this year's event and this morning, LA Weekly reported that behemoth events company Live Nation had donated that money (it later posted an updated version of the story claiming that an anonymous Sunset Junction employee had disputed the veracity of that claim).
The money made the hearing feel like a soap opera, with lecturing from the board about the event's finances and a fax arriving in the middle of the hearing that confirmed a transfer of funds.The board hearing, marked by the conspicuous absence of festival head Michael McKinley, saw tearful testimony from festival supporters, but the email campaigns and testimonies of festival opponents carried the day. In the end, the Board of Public Works was unimpressed with the efforts of festival organizers and voted unanimously to deny the permit (Commissioner Valerie Shaw had voted for the permits earlier this week, but switched her vote to no today).
As for the bands that were slated to play the festival, LAW reported yesterday that some of them had begun to seek alternative venues for weekend appearances. As for the festival itself, the cancellation of this year's event throws its future into doubt.
· Sunset Junction Denied: Make Other Plans For This Weekend [Curbed LA]
· Sunset Junction Saved By Live Nation, Says Festival's Founder [LA Weekly]
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