Last week, the organizers of Band on the Sand announced the cancelation of the long-standing local summer celebration.
The Beach House issued the press release on social media, and via the Chamber of Commerce.
The release was dated June 9. The first paragraph said: “Wednesday, June 8th. The Beach House, host of this year’s Band on the Sand Annual Community Event, announced today that it would cancel the highly anticipated event originally scheduled for July 3, 2022.”
“This decision was not arrived lightly. In conversations with local authorities and our City representative, there were concerns expressed regarding recent national events. ‘In a precautionary effort and after much heart-breaking consideration and deliberation, the only responsible option for our attendees, and many dedicated volunteers was to cancel the event,’ said Rosie Ritchie, event founder and partner of The Beach House.”
In reply to a request for a comment, Ritchie provided a copy of the announcement.
“The Band on the Sand event team was looking forward to bringing back this beloved community event after the two-year hiatus due to COVID health guidelines,” according to the announcement.
“The Band on the Sand annual event is a celebration of community, music and family fun that culminated in fireworks every third of July,” according to the announcement.
Seal Beach residents will still be able to enjoy the fireworks from the annual July 3 Big Bang on the Bay fireworks show, hosted by the Boathouse on the Bay on the Long Beach side of the San Gabriel river.
“Preparations such as sponsorships, pre-paid table reservations, deposits and advertising throughout the community were already in the works for this year’s event. ‘Despite our disappointment, we feel strongly, that our community needs to be prioritized above all else,’ said the announcement, apparently quoting Ritchie.
“Band on the Sand would like to thank our neighborhood sponsor, Chevron/G&M Oil as well as the thousands of faithful attendees who have unfailingly supported our event from year to year. The families and volunteers are the essence of what makes this event so special. We are proud that Band on the Sand has grown exponentially over the last couple of years and had attracted thousands of people to Seal Beach. Although incredibly saddened, we remain committed to investing our time and efforts into making next year’s event more memorable than ever,” according to the announcement.
In a June 13 email, Seal Beach Recreation Manager Tim Kelsey wrote: “The city was informed by the applicant that they have decided to pull their application for a special event.”
The Sun requested filed a California Public Records Act request for city documents related to the event. (An email was in an illegible format and the Sun has advised the city of this detail.)
Several documents were released Tuesday, June 14, including the application for the event, the proposed layout, and the city government’s invoice for proposed services. The invoice totaled $ 23,839.86. The bulk of that cost was related to police services at the proposed event, including: $15,283.08 for 12 full-time officers from 3 p.m. to 12 p.m.; $1,415.10 for one full time officer at the mobile command post from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.; and $2,808.40 for four senior community service officers.
According to a June 14 email from Kelsey, the applicant will not be charged for the services because they will not be rendered.
The application, dated Dec. 6, 2021, described the event as a “family event with live music, food from the Beach House, Beer Garden, Games.” The organization was identified as The Beach at the River, LLC. The application requested city services that included assistance from city personnel, an event banner, and storage of trash or materials. The event would have been the beach lot at the jetty in Seal Beach, according to the application. The application described security measures as “Security staff will be provided for the enclosed area.”
The application was signed by Ritchie. Her physical signature was redacted as private information.
