I thought that rather than focusing just on keeping the Cow Palace as our venue that a list of the needed qualities of a DCF Venue might help find a replacement (if needed) or even some place better.

So here are what I've come up with so far:
Permitable for public assembly, also for food and alcohol consumption
Large enough (I believe that we are currently using about 60,000 sq. ft.)
Secure
Reasonable rent
Able to be occupied for 8 to 10 weeks
Good parking (possibly optional, certainly the parking gods did not look favorably on pier 45)
Reasonably close to major freeways
In or near San Francisco (this one may be optional, but it wasn't the cold that made freezer fair bad, it was the lack of customers)
Able to have the set installed and taken out with out worrying about the structure of the building too much.
Be free of NIMBY issues (goes with permitted uses usually)
Be able to be darkened for theatrical lighting (in other words we don't want great amounts of daylight all day)
allow for acoustic separation of the various areas.

Secondary considerations
Be able to re-use the existing sets (this is a cost issue)
Easily accessible via public transit (the cow palace is not what most people consider easily accessible) (if the parking sucks, then transit is very important)


what else?
posted by:
Fezziwig
online Fezziwig
SF Bay Area
100 friends
join to post
  • Basi...
    Basileus
    offline 12

    Re: What is needed in a venue to host the Dickens Christmas Fair?

    Tue, March 4, 2008 - 2:43 PM
    All that, plus a decent lease: if you only have to build once then having to pay for extra storage and transport is less an issue. Plus a leased (or even purchased) space could be used throughout the year for different events or as income-producing space: studio or workspaces, a period-type dance/pub, classroom, rehearsal spaces. And yes, it could even be an unused hangar in a far corner of an airport nearby---I am all for positive, creative thinking.
    join to post
  • Stuart
    Stuart
    offline 3

    Re: What is needed in a venue to host the Dickens Christmas Fair?

    Tue, March 4, 2008 - 4:30 PM
    If I may, regardless of any meeting or bill, The Dickens Fair, has to find a new home, sooner rather then later, the more "scouting parties", sent out and the word of mouth spreads, a decent venue is sure to be found. It's only a matter of time (barring any earthquakes), before the Cow Palace will be torn down, or at least go through severe major remodel, earthquake retrofit, handi-capped accessibility, etc..., If a new venue is found, even if it doesn't need a lot of work, one must still reserve such a place at least two years in advance, Fezziwig is right, and those that think it's premature, wake-up. My vote for what it's worth, is try and enlist Sen. Yee, and the others help.
    join to post