http://youtu.be/o3n2-Uddn0Q
Earlier this month the board of director’s voted to end The Whole Enchilada Fiesta after 34 years, but the Las Cruces City Council is looking into taking over the event.
Las Cruces City Council decided in a unanimous vote to conduct a feasibility study that would see if the city would be able to take over the long running event. Chris Faivre, with the Convention and Visitors Bureau says they will be talking to everyone involved as part of the study.
“We will convene all of the members of The Whole Enchilada Board,” Faivre said. “Sit down with them and discuss the good, the bad, what went wrong, what went right. Just kind of get some insight into their point of view. Hopefully take a look at whatever financial information they can share with us, letting us know sort of the financial aspects of the event. Meet with sponsors find out what was good what was bad, what made community support it, what made it not. And then we will go out and obviously meet with the public, and sort of get their sense on if this is something that they feel Las Cruces must continue with.”
He says they will also be looking at what changes could be made to the fiesta. Councilor Gill Sorg says the study is necessary to see if the event can be saved.
“Anytime we can gather more knowledge and have more information we can make a better decision,” Sorg said. “Some of the comments that were made in council today sounded very reasonable. That the possibility of keeping the enchilada festival is good, and possibly changing it, downsizing it, having still the same festive atmosphere in a festival.”
Councilor Miguel Silva says he supports the possibility of taking over the festival, especially if changes are made.
“Our involvement with the whole enchilada I think needs to be a much closer working relationship,” Silva said. “I think the whole enchilada as mentioned needs to reassess how they move that project forward. I think they moved away from it being a family project, or a family festival, and I would like to see it return to be a family festival. So, hopefully and with our new plaza coming forth we can bring it back downtown.”
Chris Faivre with the Convention and Visitors Bureau says they will probably hold a public meeting in order to get more input and ideas.
