FIESTA WEEK TRAGEDY

FIESTA WEEK TRAGEDY By Joe Ingino Editor/Publisher ACCOMPLISHED WRITER/AUTHOR OF OVER 800,000 Published Columns in Canada and The United States

Before we begin we must define what a fiesta is. As per dictionary interpretation, FIESTA: You can use the word fiesta for any party, but it usually refers to a large feast, festival, or very extravagant party. In Spanish, fiesta means "feast," and in many Spanish-speaking places, a fiesta celebrates a saint's day or other religious occasion. The word comes from the Latin festus, "festive, joyful, or merry." Now, focus on the LARGE word as that is the key to the event. I say this because through the years I have seen the so called Fiesta week slowly diminish. I have personally approached the committee involved and they refuse help. If is not their way it is no way. This type of mentality is seen across many City committees. Committees made up of people with good intentions but no clue on how to promote and or market an event. A success is not 40 - 50 people appearing on any one particular day. A success is 1,000 - 10,000 showing up in our city. People from all across the globe coming in for a good time. For a FIESTA. No, instead we have small gathering... normally family and friends of those hosting the particular pavilions and some curious visitors. The fiesta week for the past 10 years at least has had no real promotion or advertising. Sadly, this is another example of why our City of Oshawa has opportunity after opportunity pass us by. The downtown car show, the lakeview park car show. Gone. We have a chamber of commerce that is ineffective and inactive. It has been years since I seen one of the reps come over for a chat. I know that if I had been mayor. I would have turned Fiesta Week into a real international event. I would have targeted all kinds of groups to create a buzz like never before. This would have been months of pre-event preparation. Coordination with all kinds of real partners....not like they do it here in Oshawa... they call partners... nothing short of political supporters for those elect. I would have approached investors in the Fiesta week. I would have had the event marketed in foreign countries inviting tourism to Durham Region. No, instead what do we have? The same old the same old. The numbers slowly dwindling and opportunity keeps passing us by. Have we not had enough of the same old, same old?