Planning for Communitywide Special Events:
Festival Checklist

• Overall committee
• Purpose of event
• Theme
• Name
• Date
• Timeline
• Budget

Subcommittees

• Finance
• Publicity
• Entertainment
• Food/beverage
• Arts/crafts
• Novelties
• Location
• Others as necessary

Location

• Parking
• Electricity
• Water
• Display/exhibit area
• Stages
• Sound
• Toilets

Legalities

• Security
• Permits
• Insurance
• Emergency aid
• Contracts

Wrapping Up

• Final reports
• Notebook
• Notes of appreciation

Daniel Reibel, "Craft Festivals: A Planning Guide" , American Association of State and Local History, Technical Leaflet #117.

The Royal Bank of Canada, "The Community Festival Idea", Monthly Letter, Volume 56, Number 10, October 1975.

National Trust for Historic Preservation, "Community Events and How to Organize Them," Conserve Neighbors Newsletter, Number 13, July-August 1980.

Kerry Dexter, Bazaars, Fairs, and Festivals: A How-to Book, Morehouse-Barlow Co., Inc., Wilton, Connecticut, 1978.

Minnesota Cooperative Extension Service, Festivals and Events Information and Resource Book, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1989.

Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, Building a Festival, Little Rock, Arkansas, 1986.



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This publication is a revision of the 1976 circular by Robert P. Humke and Anne Murray Stenolen. This edition was prepared by Robert D. Espeseth, recreation resource specialist, Office of Recreation and Park Resources, Department of Leisure Studies and the Illinois Cooperative Extension Service. It is designed especially for groups planning their first communitywide events; however, the material will also be of value to those evaluating existing events in the hope of making them more successful.

North Central Region Extension Publications are subject to peer review and prepared as part of the Cooperative Extension activities of the thirteen land-grand universities of the 12 North Central states, in cooperation with the Extension service - U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington D.C. The following states cooperated in making this publication available.

University of Illinois (publishing state)
Kansas State University
University of Wisconsin